Why Christmas is good

Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, December 24th, 2017 - 82 comments
Categories: Deep stuff, social democracy - Tags: ,

It’s the easiest and most cynical sneer to denounce Christmas.

Don’t.

Here’s why:

Almost everyone makes a huge effort.

We show actual creativity.

We share.

Lots of people prepare food for each other.

You have to think about what other people want.

We organise heaven and earth to be with each other.

We have to deal with each other.

More people donate to charities than at any other time of the year.

The mainstream media obsess less about themselves and politics and the economy and trivia.

Work stops.

The conscience of most of society is pricked.

We try to be nice to each other.

About 1 fifth of the world recite actual ideals.

Children have the focus on them.

Whatever it “means”, whatever falsities abound, whatever the stress, this is Christmas.

It’s good.

82 comments on “Why Christmas is good ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Robert Guyton 1
    24 December 2017 at 8:00 am

    eucatastrophe.
    (It’s what we hope for…and expect 🙂

    • Ad 1.1
      24 December 2017 at 8:04 am

      Focus less on the mythos, and more on the practicalities itself.

      Here’s the native American version:

      https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-culture/potlatch.htm

      In the David Attenborough series Tribal Eye from the late 1970s, he shows one such ceremony in action.

      • Robert Guyton 1.1.1
        24 December 2017 at 8:09 am

        Hey, Ad; potlatch, yes! I’ve long misunderstood potlatch, believing it “crazy” – until my adulthood and the realization that we are smothering ourselves to death with stuff. Shedding wealth in its many forms as a way to live like one of God’s creatures, rather than gods, is what we have to do, imo.
        Focus less on the mythos? Hold the mythos in mind as you shed, I reckon!

  2. Robert Guyton 2
    24 December 2017 at 8:01 am

    eucatastrophe.

    “In 1942 J.R.R. Tolkien penned the essay, “On Faerie-stories.” The essay became the touchstone work of fantasy fiction, illuminating the genre. Tolkien ends the essay by discussing the “consolations of the happy ending,” what he calls the eucatastrophe.

    A euchatastrophe is the opposite of a catastrophe. Whereas the catastrophe might be employed in tragedy, and is regarded as the down-turn of a story, Tolkien’s euchatastrophe is the shift in the faerie story for the good. It’s “the sudden joyous turn.”[1] The eucatastrophe says that just when all hope appears to be lost, just when circumstances cannot get much bleaker, hope emerges.”
    https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2015/12/21/eucatastrophe/

    Chris Trotter also explores “eucatastrophe” in his Christmas column (link to Bowalley Road in the sidebar)

    • mikesh 2.1
      24 December 2017 at 9:17 am

      Technically, the opposite of ‘catastrophe’ should be ‘eustrophe’. ‘Eucatastrophe’ in that case would seem to denote a disastrous event that turns out to have had beneficial consequences. The bubonic plague which devastated Europe in the middle ages may be an example since helped promote the move away from feudalism.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1
        24 December 2017 at 11:57 am

        ‘Eucatastrophe’ in that case would seem to denote a disastrous event that turns out to have had beneficial consequences.

        Well, I suppose we could consider capitalism to be the disastrous event that may still have beneficial consequences. Much has been achieved over the last few hundred years but now it’s time to end the disaster while maintaining and advancing the benefits.

  3. Takere 3
    24 December 2017 at 8:23 am

    Shouldn’t that be everyday? A mythical event in time shouldnt dictate what we do today?
    Haha! Fuck’n Socialist in me.

    Feast & enjoy!

  5. Rosemary McDonald 5
    24 December 2017 at 9:01 am

    “It’s the easiest and most cynical sneer to denounce Christmas.”

    If its so easy, then why don’t more folk do it?

    Try this…

    Exchange a few ‘isn’t it absolute lunacy coming into to pak ‘n spend at this time of year’ comments with fellow aisle waiters. Have a laugh, and engage in a positive way with the checkout operator.

    Then, in response to a heartfelt “have a good Christmas” reply, “Oh, I don’t do christmas, never have.”

    Some will not make bolt for the nearest exit (assuming they’ve just been shooting the shit with a serial killer or the like) and they’ll ask if that’s for religious reasons…no doubt assuming a JW or some weird non -Western influence…and when you tell them” no, I’m am not a christian so it would be wrong to celebrate one of their major festivals.” you get some truly funny looks.

    Occasionally a person will say, enviously, “Oh, I wish I could ignore christmas…but it would be too hard…”

    It gets easier as each year passes.

  6. Shona 6
    24 December 2017 at 9:34 am

    @Rosemary McDonald. Christmas is celebrated at this time of year to coincide with the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice. Yuletide was the pagan festival at this time. This is where the traditional colors of red and green come from as Holly berries were the only flower in the northern snow.The feast is the Yuletide feast a pagan custom. The trees are a German tradition and originally pagan totems.Victoria’s German husband introduced them to England. I could go on about how we are actually celebrating a pagan festival but it would take too much time. The church had to accept many pagan customs( Easter is a fertility rite festival) in order to sell it’s schtick back in the day. The Anglican seat of Canterbury where the Archbishop resides was originally a Druid university and learning centre. Enjoy the season.

    • Rosemary McDonald 6.1
      24 December 2017 at 9:48 am

      @Shona. Thanks..but I was born and raised in the UK… the pagan origins of ‘modern’ christian festivals..well, again, part of my early learning.

      Where I grew up we had Well Dressing and harvest festivals… complete with wheat sheaf shaped breads. And maypoles.

      Structured belief systems, be they pagan, christian, isalm, buddhist, are all fine if they’re used to strengthen and support and liberate.

      Mostly, religion is about power and control and threat and fostering ignorance.

      And encouraging the disgusting displays of mindless consumerism and faux fellow feeling we’re subjected to at this time of year.

      • Shona 6.1.1
        24 December 2017 at 11:16 am

        Harvest Festivals were celebrated in the UK imported church I attended as a child here in NZ. I don’t have a problem with the amalgam of spiritual festivals we of Celtic descent celebrate here in the antipodes. As Maori culture teaches us if you don’t know who the people were who made you ( are descended from) you don’t know who you are. I enjoy discovering the values and customs of my ancestors. I can pick and choose from the cultural and spiritual smorgasbord on offer as to what gives me meaning and understanding in this life. Maintaining a rigid belief system of any kind ( i.e all religion is superstition and superstition is ignorance) only blinkers life’s outlook. And I wouldn’t give up Yuletide feasting for any belief system.

    • Carolyn_Nth 6.2
      24 December 2017 at 9:54 am

      The good thing about Christmas in Auckland is that a whole heap of people have left the city. The roads are quiet, public transport is still running (a limited service), and the weather is not too bad.

      Otherwise, I just cannot get into the whole excess of consumerism thing.

  7. David Mac 7
    24 December 2017 at 9:38 am

    I love Christmas, we get an aligned few days off. It draws my loved ones from near and far. We get together and hug, laugh, reminisce, eat, drink and express our appreciation for one another. So much more than celebrating the birth of Jesus, it’s the glue that overcomes distance and makes us all feel special to be a part of our family.

    I wouldn’t mind if we were gathering under a Matariki star on the top of a Rimu in a pot. It’s hugging those I haven’t seen for 12 months that counts. Until something else comes along, I love Christmas.

    • McFlock 7.1
      24 December 2017 at 3:41 pm

      The sentimentalist in me remembers when weekends were a thing, where almost everyone had time to spend with family, join clubs, and so on. Aligned holidays are hugely imortant for building community.

    • greywarshark 7.2
      30 December 2017 at 3:16 pm

      David Mac
      +100

  8. red-blooded 8
    24 December 2017 at 10:02 am

    I think almost any celebration that most people participate in is basically a good thing – it binds together families and gives people a sense of shared humanity. I’m absolutely not religious and neither is anyone in my immediate family, but Christmas has always been a big thing with us. It’s a gathering time, touchstone and a storehouse of shared memories. We haven’t given gifts for years (except to children) and our shared food is different from most (I’m vegan and others are vegetarian while others aren’t, plus we’re a multiethnic family with more than one food culture).

    This is our first Christmas without my mother, and last year was all about giving her a happy time for what she knew would be her last Christmas. The decorations etc all had a lot of meaning to her – they were part of her latticework of memories.

    This year we’re in a different city and household and will be doing things differently. We couldn’t make it the same no matter how hard we tried, and it wouldn’t feel right to try.

    I understand people who choose to opt out of Christmas, but I’m not one of them.

    • David Mac 8.1
      24 December 2017 at 10:22 am

      Geez, you’re sending me teary red-blooded.

      Yep, spreading a bit of peace and goodwill requires no religious affiliation whatsoever.

    • Ad 8.2
      24 December 2017 at 10:24 am

      I forgot that good thing about Christmas:

      It helps you to remember.

      I lost my mother eight years ago, and it left a cannon-ball sized hole in my gut.

      No better moment than to raise a toast to all those who we have lost and wish to remember.

      • David Mac 8.2.1
        24 December 2017 at 10:32 am

        Yes, no better time to remember someone because most of those present recall the departed from Christmas Days past. If a departed Mum loved the Christmas songs of Elvis, a simple tune can pluck the heartstrings of all those there.

      • Draco T Bastard 8.2.2
        24 December 2017 at 12:06 pm

        No better moment than to raise a toast to all those who we have lost and wish to remember.

        Strange, I would have thought that would have been Día de Muertos. Even better for NZ would be if there was a Māori tradition for the same thing.

        • red-blooded 8.2.2.1
          24 December 2017 at 2:43 pm

          Except we don’t decide logically which traditions are going to be big in our families – we grow up with the ones that have acquired meaning to our parents and their generation. We may change them (like my family deciding to phase out Christmas presents and changing our eating traditions), but any true tradition overlaps from one generation to the next. That’s what makes it a tradition.

          And that’s not to say that Māori traditions like matariki and traditions from other cultural communities aren’t important already to those who identify with them and won’t take more of a centre stage over time (look at how Halloween has – sort of – taken off in recent decades) but if we’re raising a toast to those we want to remember, we’re doing it partly because we remember sharing past Christmases with them.

          • Draco T Bastard 8.2.2.1.1
            24 December 2017 at 5:21 pm

            (look at how Halloween has – sort of – taken off in recent decades)

            Halloween was, most likely, the celebration of Samhain:

            The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Feasts were had, at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them.

            But that happens at the transition from summer to winter whereas DĂ­a de Muertos was:

            Prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century, the celebration took place at the beginning of summer.

            Which would much better suit the NZ calendar. Of course, the date has changed to match that of ‘Halloween’ now.

            • red-blooded 8.2.2.1.1.1
              26 December 2017 at 11:27 am

              To be honest, Draco, I don’t think most people care what the origins of various traditions are. What they are now is what we make of them, built upon what previous generations made of them and becoming what new generations are making or will make of them. For some people there will be special religious or cultural significance, but for most of us there isn’t, and that’s fine. It can be interesting to know the histories of these things, but it’s not what gives them their meaning in the life of a family or an individual.

              • Draco T Bastard …
                26 December 2017 at 1:50 pm

                To be honest, Draco, I don’t think most people care what the origins of various traditions are.

                I tend to disagree. People like to have a reason for the celebration. It’s that reason that makes it communal.

                The culture around the celebration may change but the fact that its ‘always been there’ goes a long way towards people accepting it.

  9. eco maori 9
    24 December 2017 at 10:09 am

    Christmas is for the mokos as for me well I will be working every day except Christmas and new year. It use to have me wondering why there were two big piss ups 1 week a part but at the time the family I was living with would use any reason to get on the piss. Being a empty nester we just go with what my daughter and son in law plans on the farm it’s good to watch the mokos with there new gifts. I see a programme on TV trying to justify money the way I see its the rot to all bad things let’s take the share market it’s a gambling game for most people except the biggest player set it up so they never lose IE they cheat and as scientists tell us one cannot get something for nothing so when someone is winning well someone is losing there assets. The stock market is not a necessity for us and neither is money money just gives to much power to the 1%
    And that gives them the power to piss on the 99% that is why money has to be retire to have a equal humane society Ka kite ano

  10. RedLogix 10
    24 December 2017 at 10:38 am

    Ad is correct, festivals, celebrations and holidays are the act of community made visible. They are a very ancient and fine aspect of being human, albeit this particular festival comes with a lot of creaky baggage.

    Plus it’s all a lot of fun if you feel part of it. Not so much if you feel alienated, isolated or shamed. None of us will ever be perfect, but for a few days we can look to our better nature, set aside our shortcomings and griefs … and reach out in love.

    Cheers

    • Ad 10.1
      24 December 2017 at 10:48 am

      Good to see you back RedLogix.

    • David Mac 10.2
      24 December 2017 at 10:49 am

      The things that touch me the deepest during this time of the year are the completely unexpected gestures of goodwill. A card from someone I’d nearly forgotten, the barman buying me a beer, someone mowing my lawn when I was lame.

      It leads me to believe that the same goes for others. I think the biggest kick to get out of Christmas is to be the purveyor of unexpected and unsolicited goodwill. It’s the biggest buzz to be had for both parties.

      It’s a good time to reach out to those people you speak of Red, the alienated, isolated or shamed.

      • Incognito 10.2.1
        24 December 2017 at 11:48 am

        This comment struck a chord with me.

        Are we so closed off the rest of the year that we don’t see, and more importantly perhaps not perform, acts of goodwill and kindness? They are often labelled “random” acts of kindness and I always thought this referred to the recipient being selected in a completely (??) random fashion – something I can see now that is doubtful and just shows my naivety. More likely, the randomness refers to the perceived sporadic and rare nature of these acts.

        How often do we realise, and acknowledge with gratitude, that we ourselves are the recipient of (very minor) gestures of goodwill and kindness? I’d suggest that much flies past us largely unnoticed.

        Do we expect the unexpected [gestures of goodwill] and therefore spot it more easily and more often around this time of the year? Maybe, just maybe, we should look up more or open our eyes and experience the beauty of kindness that is around us all the time and everywhere …

        People seem to think that myths and symbols enrich our [inner] lives but it is the exact opposite: they are projections from the unconscious onto and into the outer external world. In other words, we’re the unsuspecting actors/extras and spectators/audience in our own movie [think: Matrix].

        • David Mac 10.2.1.1
          24 December 2017 at 11:59 am

          The time of the year prods me into breaking routine. It’s just not practical for me to drop a hamper into the old bloke over the back every week. Anne and her nephew were prodded by Christmas into starting their little card giving tradition.

    • Anne 10.3
      24 December 2017 at 11:24 am

      It’s the littlest things that count. Like a nephew of mine with whom I have an ongoing competition to see who comes up with the funniest Xmas card. He outdid me this year so I embarked on a grand search and found a brilliant card, which means he’s getting two from me this Xmas. (Mind you I’ve asked for the second one back to put among my own display.) 😉

      Human nature being what it is… we… don’t… like… being… outdone.

  11. joe90 11
    24 December 2017 at 10:57 am

    Anti-Carol.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo3jLbJ_DpQ&feature=youtu.be

    It weren’t no picnic
    It weren’t no picture post card
    It was cold as ‘taters in the mould
    When the couple come lookin’ for a room
    Cold shouldered they were when the landlords looked at her
    And saw the baby in her womb
    Cold comfort they got
    Was there a room? There was not
    The town was crowded for a start
    And it was cold, cold, cold, cold
    Cold as a beggar boy’s heart

    It could have been in Jo’burg, Detroit. Chittagong, Calcutta
    So long since it happened
    I’m wrong! It happened yesterday
    It happens now more and more…
    Then somebody said he could lend them a shed
    Crashing down on the floor
    Just concrete and iron and a blanket to lie on
    They’d been walkin’ all day
    And their home was such a long, long, long, long,
    Long way away

    They never heard no angels
    Just the big police siren
    When the light come fumblin’ through the night
    Her waters broke. The kid begun to come
    “Is there a doctor?” “No fear,
    Only poor people here
    What would you pay him with, chum?”
    There war ice on the door.
    She sweated; he swore
    He saw the head of his child
    And then together him and her
    Helped it into the world

    There weren’t no cattle watching
    Just a rat and twenty cockroach
    The kid cried. His dad soon had him washed and dried
    When his mother woke she give him breast
    He shared his parents’ love
    And he was heir to their poverty
    It war all they possessed
    And then the rumors got ’round
    There were soldiers in town
    With orders “Search and Destroy”
    They didn’t want to get wasted
    They left town a bit hasty
    The man, his wife and their boy, boy, boy, boy,
    Young wife and new baby boy

    He was theirs they made him
    Out of love, hope, and suff’ring
    God’s son? Or just another one!
    More like millions born to slave, starve, and die
    Oh p’raps when he grows and sees how the world goes
    He’ll help to change it by and by
    Let’s hope the soldiers don’t hang this new son of man
    Like they done one before …
    Will he bring peace or a gun?
    When his kingdom does come
    It’ll belong to the poor, poor, poor, poor.
    The homeless and poor

    – John Pole

  12. Koff 12
    24 December 2017 at 11:00 am

    Christmas has changed over the years. Guess it will never die out. In secularised Uruguay it’s called “Family Day”, while the traditional Catholic Semana Santa (Holy Week) was renamed Tourism week. http://www.latintimes.com/uruguay-celebrates-day-family-instead-christmas-140852. Not a nice time of year if you haven’t got any money or family!

  14. Chris 14
    24 December 2017 at 11:35 am

    “About 1 fifth of the world recite actual ideals.”

    Forgive if a stupid question but what does this mean?

  15. Tanz 15
    24 December 2017 at 11:59 am

    Merry Christmas, thank you Jesus. Of course it’s a good thing! God is in charge, and laughs at man’s governments. The left and right are both wrong at the end of the day. Glory to God, who gives meaning to life.

    • Psycho Milt 15.1
      24 December 2017 at 12:10 pm

      Uh, yeah, allahu Akbar, or whatever it is you guys say.

    • Ad 15.2
      24 December 2017 at 1:30 pm

      Glory to God indeed.

    • Draco T Bastard 15.3
      24 December 2017 at 2:02 pm

      God is in charge, and laughs at man’s governments.

      If s/he exists then s/he may laugh at man’s governments. Considering the disaster that those governments are bringing about with their ideological/pathological adherence to capitalism then I think s/he’d be more likely to cry.

      That said, s/he’s not in charge and here’s why:

      As anybody knows the best learning comes from making mistakes and learning from them. This means that any god cannot force/command any living thing to do something as it would remove that living entities ability to learn from those mistakes. A suggestion here and there maybe but even that would lessen over time as a parent’s advice to their child lessens as the child grows and learns more.

      • Chris 15.3.1
        24 December 2017 at 3:04 pm

        Well your god can force/demand you

        Or you wouldn’t have to spend eternity in your hell for not following his rules or begging subserviance if you get it wrong

    • One Anonymous Bloke 15.4
      24 December 2017 at 2:34 pm

      Tanz, who bears false witness on a daily basis, paying lip service to the Toad of Nazareth.

      During the day thou shalt approach the frog whenever convenient, and speak words of worship. And thou shalt ask it to perform such miracles as thou desirest to be done; and they shall be done according to Thy Will. Also thou shalt promise to the frog an elevation fitting for him; and all this while thou shalt be secretly carving a cross whereon to crucify him.

    • fender 15.5
      24 December 2017 at 3:26 pm

      You failed to mention: mandate, biggest party, won the election, rort, 44%, FPP, Winston, foisted etc etc

      Are you feeling OK?

    • ropata 15.6
      25 December 2017 at 12:57 am

      Agreed Tanz. The ancient words of Scripture have outlived many civilizations. Rangimarie whaea.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tyMVnO_N3Y

      • One Anonymous Bloke 15.6.1
        25 December 2017 at 8:14 am

        “The ancient words of scripture” borrow heavily from pre-existing texts. Some of these pre-existing texts explicitly reject the notion of divinity.

        The sermon on the mount, for example, appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which predate the Jesus character, who is thereby cast as the town crier.

        Have a great holiday 🙂

  16. Psycho Milt 16
    24 December 2017 at 12:11 pm

    Merry time-off-work, everyone.

  17. Ed 17
    24 December 2017 at 1:38 pm

    Andrew Knight: think about the turkey

    ‘New Zealand’s leading animal advocacy organisation SAFE wants people thinking about tasty alternatives to turkey, lamb and other kinds of meat this festive season. Well known for its advocacy for the safe treatment of animals Safe pushes to improve conditions in which the animals we eat are kept, through campaigns involving bobby calves, pigs and free-range chickens. Its new Director of Research and Education Andrew Knight is a veterinary professor of animal welfare.’

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018627489

    • timeforacupoftea 17.1
      24 December 2017 at 5:02 pm

      Andrew Night you are sad sad man.

      I was brought up on prayer and prayed at every meal.
      Let us pray for those tasty yum yum bits of flesh, rabbits, birds, lamb, mutton, chickens, bobby calves, bull, cow, pigs, turkey, fish, whale, deer and horse.

      My praying is well behind me now so I asked “God Google” a question ‘can I eat dog or cat and got this’. ————–

      You must try to free yourself from your cultural pre-conceptions to be able to see the heart of this matter. Let me mention to you some interesting facts:

      – In south east Asia, they eat the meat of dogs and the brains of monkeys

      – In France they eat frog’s legs.

      – In Arabia they eat the eyes of sheep.

      – In some rain forests there are Pygmy tribes who eat the big hairy tarantula spiders.

      – In Peru they eat the meat of Guinea Pigs.

      Naturally the culture we both come from makes it repulsive for us to eat any of these animals, but does that make it unlawful to eat them? The answer is no, it is all a matter of culture and what a person is used to.

      So if you invite me to dinner and ask me to eat a cooked dog, monkey or spider I would not enjoy it very much and I would not want to eat it. This is not because these animals are prohibited by God, but because I am not brought up in a culture that accepts such meat as food.

      Some people say: how can you eat a dog or a cat when these animals are kept as pets ? Well, in many countries of the world rabbits are kept as pets, and in others pigeons are kept as pets yet in those countries rabbits and pigeons are eaten everyday! They do not see anything wrong in doing so, even if they keep them as pets. So what preference is there for a dog over a rabbit? Does a dog have more rights to exist than a rabbit? You have to remember that it is not all about us humans, whether we keep an animal as a pet or not is totally irrelevant to the legality of eating the meat of such an animal. All animals, pets or no pets, have souls and are living creatures?

      Ultimately, we return to the only issue that matters: The only animal whose meat is prohibited by God is the pig, anything else is not prohibited.

      http://www.quran-islam.org/faq/meat_of_dogs_and_cats_(P1138).html

  18. Ad 18
    24 December 2017 at 5:02 pm

    Does anyone do the Secret Santa thing where it’s all randomly allocated but then anyone can then steal your present, and it goes around in a circle with everyone stealing and swapping?

    While you get shitfaced?

    I’m doing it now.

    • timeforacupoftea 18.1
      24 December 2017 at 5:31 pm

      I did the secret santa clothing / wearable thing last year in Minneapolis -16 degree C.
      You were asked to go home in what you won.
      Thank God, I managed to get rid of a Texan hat, a mini skirt and a pair of silk stockings right on the bell ended with a pair of ear rings on the bell.

      Fun though

    • Anne 18.2
      24 December 2017 at 6:33 pm

      Yes. We do. Lot of fun provided you don’t take it all too seriously. We try to ensure all presents are quality presents by setting a minimum amount to be spent. Anyone who goes below that minimum soon gets to hear about it and they don’t do it again. We have a rule that you can only steal once but there are plenty of deals done after the event. It’s a great way to reduce Xmas costs and there’s lots of laughter to be had. Everybody takes a number out of a Xmas hat with No.1 getting first choice and so on.

      The children don’t take part. They get their normal quota of individual family presents.

  19. WILD KATIPO 19
    25 December 2017 at 8:56 am

    Eh ? … awww Gerofff !!!

    Christmas is all about Jesus Christ being born . Whether or not the date was changed due to pagan Germanic seasonal observations or not. And if you look in the annals of contemporary writings , Jesus Christ was mentioned a fair few times by Romans of note.

    And so was his death.

    And if you care to accept it , it was for everyone. In fact ,… much of what he taught went on to form the basis of western laws. The fact it took 2000 years before it found its way into those laws and continually got / still is being perverted by opportunists wasnt his fault.

    Thats our fault.

    We often act just like the very Pharisees Jesus spoke out against . Jesus Christ was the original socialist. And he criticized those Pharisees for not following what they taught . Look how he elevated women in his reckoning to be as equals to men in a heavily Patriachal society like Israel 2000 years ago for a start , – or how he valued the poor as much as the rich.

    So yeah – Christmas is a great time – for all the things the OP mentioned.

    How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1/9) Movie CLIP – The … – YouTube
    the grinch you tube▶ 3:19
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mGmEE20CR0

  20. mac1 20
    25 December 2017 at 9:08 am

    I have had again the great joy of being the ‘white-bearded gentleman” in a local store. For more than 30 hours I have had the company of hundreds of children (young and old), older siblings, parents, grand-parents, teens, American couples, seasonal workers from Vanuatu, friends, students, store workers, and delightful old lady to sit upon my knee.

    They came in a solid line queuing for well over half an hour. Sessions of 200 unbroken minutes were common.

    Each child had my full attention for a short conversation. This is a special time for them. The photograph would be a reminder of a happy time and a record of the family as it changed.

    I have held 10 day old babies, very special early Christmas presents I call them, and on two occasions had four generations of the women of one family in a photo.

    Santa has a special role. To children he is an example of how the universe can bring love and gifts without any reciprocity, unconditional and benign.

    My very last visitor for this year made me sit in my chair for a little contemplative moment before going off to feed the reindeer. She and her mother, who was suffering from some muscular degenerative condition, sat with me. Her nine year old wish for a present from Santa was to make her mother well again…………..

    Christmas is good. Its real values shine like the Bethlehem star in the eyes of children. Merry Christmas!

    • Patricia 20.1
      25 December 2017 at 1:27 pm

      Well done – Mac1. Making lives a little happier with your gift of time, interest and attention.

  22. Descendant Of Sssmith 22
    25 December 2017 at 4:02 pm

    Ahhh a more realistic view of Christmas but I enjoy it anyway. Cheers to you all.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTx-sdR6Yzk

  23. Bill 23
    26 December 2017 at 12:00 pm

    Had the number 263 had a blow-out in its front tyre and careened uncontrollably to the left, then…yeah – “Why Xmas is good”.

    Not very “goodwilly” of me, I know.

    • weka 23.1
      26 December 2017 at 12:06 pm

      number 263?

      • Bill 23.1.1
        26 December 2017 at 1:22 pm

        It might be the 253 or a 243. My eyesight isn’t so good 😉

        I’m referring to the double decker bus in the post’s graphic.

        • weka 23.1.1.1
          26 December 2017 at 1:27 pm

          Lol then. Maybe shift those spikes designed to stop people sleeping on the streets onto the road and pointing in the appropriate direction.

          (yes, I think 263)

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    35 mins ago

  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 hours ago

  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 hours ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 hours ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 hours ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    8 hours ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    8 hours ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    9 hours ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    10 hours ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    10 hours ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    11 hours ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    13 hours ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    14 hours ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    16 hours ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    23 hours ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    23 hours ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    24 hours ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    24 hours ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    24 hours ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    24 hours ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    24 hours ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 day ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, TĂŒrkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Taupƍ takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupƍ as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupƍ International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupƍ Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-19T07:00:24+00:00