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Either they are redundant or they are violations of the principle of equal rights for all.”</p> <p>— Thomas Sowell</p> <p>— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThomasSowell/status/1905590709681615063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-rating-enabled sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="sd-block sd-rating"><h3 class="sd-title">Rate this:</h3><div class="cs-rating pd-rating" id="pd_rating_holder_587541_post_178178" data-settings="{"id":587541,"item_id":"_post_178178","settings":"{\"id\":587541,\"unique_id\":\"wp-post-178178\",\"title\":\"Sowell%20says\",\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homepaddock.wordpress.com\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/04\\\/sowell-says-1456\\\/\",\"item_id\":\"_post_178178\"}"}"></div></div><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-178178" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/sowell-says-1456/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span>Facebook</span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-178178" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/sowell-says-1456/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span>Twitter</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Sowell%20says&body=https%3A%2F%2Fhomepaddock.wordpress.com%2F2025%2F04%2F04%2Fsowell-says-1456%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. 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Her murder is credited with strengthening… <a href="https://t.co/ONNsYyhI8h">pic.twitter.com/ONNsYyhI8h</a></p> <p>— The Attagirls (@TheAttagirls) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAttagirls/status/1904431567495213153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-rating-enabled sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="sd-block sd-rating"><h3 class="sd-title">Rate this:</h3><div class="cs-rating pd-rating" id="pd_rating_holder_587541_post_178272" data-settings="{"id":587541,"item_id":"_post_178272","settings":"{\"id\":587541,\"unique_id\":\"wp-post-178272\",\"title\":\"Woman%20of%20the%26nbsp%3Bday\",\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homepaddock.wordpress.com\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/04\\\/woman-of-the-day-307\\\/\",\"item_id\":\"_post_178272\"}"}"></div></div><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-178272" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/woman-of-the-day-307/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span>Facebook</span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-178272" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/woman-of-the-day-307/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span>Twitter</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Woman%20of%20the%20day&body=https%3A%2F%2Fhomepaddock.wordpress.com%2F2025%2F04%2F04%2Fwoman-of-the-day-307%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. 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New Zealand exporters will face a </span>10 per cent tariff rate<span lang="EN-NZ"> from this weekend. While this is a significant development, New Zealand remains competitive against other exporters in the U.S. market.</span></em></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em>New Zealand’s interests are best served in a world where trade flows freely. Tariffs have consequences for the global economy – impacting inflation, demand, currency stability, and economic growth.</em></p> <p>Trump’s tariffs have also resulted in sharp falls on several stock markets, including New Zealand’s.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em>While these tariffs create additional costs that will largely be passed on to consumers, New Zealand is in a stronger position than many other countries, some who are facing higher tariff barriers. This reinforces the importance of our work to create new trade opportunities and reduce barriers for our exporters in the EU, UK, UAE, GCC and most recently India. </em></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em>New Zealand’s bilateral relationship with the U.S. remains strong. We will be talking with the Administration to get more information, and our exporters to better understand the impact this announcement will have.</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em>We will continue to advocate for a rules-based trading system.”</em></p> <p>Ten percent isn’t as high as tariffs imposed on several other countries, some of which have retaliated with threats to impose reciprocal tariffs on USA products.</p> <p>This is taking us back to the bad old days of trade wars which no-one wins.</p> <p>Our government is <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/557061/luxon-says-new-zealand-won-t-launch-reciprocal-tariffs-against-us">not going to follow that self-destructive path</a>.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em>. . . Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Luxon said he doesn’t believe “tariffs and trade wars” are the way forward for the world, and warned about the impact to the global economy.</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em>He said New Zealand would not respond with reciprocal tariffs, because “we are a low tariff country and have benefited from that”.</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em>“What we wouldn’t want to do is raise prices here in New Zealand and add to inflation here in New Zealand by doing that, which is exactly what would happen</em>.” . . .</p> <p>Tariffs are taxes which are paid for by consumers and are inflationary, points Trump appears to have missed, not understood or perhaps simply does not care about.</p> <p>There is a much better way to ensure a fairer playing field for trade and that’s free trade.</p> <p>With free trade businesses are incentivised to produce what they do best which generally leads to better value and better quality for consumers.</p> <p>New Zealand prides itself on being a leader in that and could be standing on even higher ground if the government got rid of the relatively few, and low, tariffs still imposed.</p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-rating-enabled sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="sd-block sd-rating"><h3 class="sd-title">Rate this:</h3><div class="cs-rating pd-rating" id="pd_rating_holder_587541_post_178283" data-settings="{"id":587541,"item_id":"_post_178283","settings":"{\"id\":587541,\"unique_id\":\"wp-post-178283\",\"title\":\"There%E2%80%99s%20a%20much%20better%26nbsp%3Bway\",\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homepaddock.wordpress.com\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/04\\\/theres-a-much-better-way\\\/\",\"item_id\":\"_post_178283\"}"}"></div></div><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-178283" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/theres-a-much-better-way/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span>Facebook</span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-178283" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/theres-a-much-better-way/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span>Twitter</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20There%E2%80%99s%20a%20much%20better%20way&body=https%3A%2F%2Fhomepaddock.wordpress.com%2F2025%2F04%2F04%2Ftheres-a-much-better-way%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. 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You’d never have known she was once the fastest woman in the world, ‘the first… <a href="https://t.co/8CjXHfqSOq">pic.twitter.com/8CjXHfqSOq</a></p> <p>— The Attagirls (@TheAttagirls) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAttagirls/status/1904073193335173313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-rating-enabled sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="sd-block sd-rating"><h3 class="sd-title">Rate this:</h3><div class="cs-rating pd-rating" id="pd_rating_holder_587541_post_178225" data-settings="{"id":587541,"item_id":"_post_178225","settings":"{\"id\":587541,\"unique_id\":\"wp-post-178225\",\"title\":\"Woman%20of%20the%26nbsp%3Bday\",\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homepaddock.wordpress.com\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/03\\\/woman-of-the-day-306\\\/\",\"item_id\":\"_post_178225\"}"}"></div></div><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-178225" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/03/woman-of-the-day-306/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span>Facebook</span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-178225" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/03/woman-of-the-day-306/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span>Twitter</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Woman%20of%20the%20day&body=https%3A%2F%2Fhomepaddock.wordpress.com%2F2025%2F04%2F03%2Fwoman-of-the-day-306%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. 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I am certain the answer to the third question would be yes.</p> <p>Why if they expect others to obey their rules in their place, do they not respect the rules in parliament?</p> <p>They broke the rules when they performed a haka in parliament after the final reading of the Treaty Principles Bill.</p> <p>Co-Leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer & Rawiri Waititi broke the rules again yesterday by <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360638698/were-not-sorry-te-pati-maori-refuse-apologise-parliament-haka">refusing to front up to the Privileges Committee</a>.</p> <p class="content-item" style="padding-left: 40px"><em>. . . Committee chairperson Judith Collins said, on Wednesday evening, she would give Te Pāti Māori “one more chance” to attend. However, she told Stuff the committee would not be requesting a summons from Parliament to force their attendance.</em></p> <p class="content-item" style="padding-left: 40px"><em>Te Pāti Māori had wanted to speak as a group, with Waititi, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke appearing together with their lawyer, former attorney general Chris Finlayson KC.</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em>But Collins said there have never been a case, in the history of New Zealand’s Parliament, where MPs have been unable to speak for themselves. She said the committee would not allow a group submission, but confirmed there was no issue with bringing in a lawyer.</em></p> <p>Respect has to be reciprocal. If it’s not, those who show respect are subjugated to those who don’t.</p> <p>If TPM MPs want their ways to be respected they have to show respect to the rules of parliament.</p> <p>If they want to change the rules they must follow the rules on how to do that.</p> <p>The answer to the question of which rules rule in parliament, has to be parliament’s.</p> <p>By continuing to disrespect parliament and its rules they are playing to the aggrieved gallery who support them and that is a very dangerous game which they cannot be allowed to win.</p> <p>Former MP Stephen Franks <a href="https://theplatform.kiwi/podcasts/episode/stephen-franks-on-te-pati-maoris-privileges-committee-defiance">discussed this issue with Sean Plunket on The Platform yesterday</a>:</p> <div class="embed-youtube"><iframe title="Stephen Franks On Te Pāti Māori's Privileges Committee Defiance" width="450" height="253" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GdyzFxDhHiE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-rating-enabled sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="sd-block sd-rating"><h3 class="sd-title">Rate this:</h3><div class="cs-rating pd-rating" id="pd_rating_holder_587541_post_178237" data-settings="{"id":587541,"item_id":"_post_178237","settings":"{\"id\":587541,\"unique_id\":\"wp-post-178237\",\"title\":\"Which%20rules%20rule%3F\",\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homepaddock.wordpress.com\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/03\\\/which-rules-rule\\\/\",\"item_id\":\"_post_178237\"}"}"></div></div><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-178237" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/03/which-rules-rule/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span>Facebook</span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-178237" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/03/which-rules-rule/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span>Twitter</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Which%20rules%20rule%3F&body=https%3A%2F%2Fhomepaddock.wordpress.com%2F2025%2F04%2F03%2Fwhich-rules-rule%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. 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of, relating to, or based on observed or observable facts; of or relating to phenomenology.</p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-rating-enabled sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="sd-block sd-rating"><h3 class="sd-title">Rate this:</h3><div class="cs-rating pd-rating" id="pd_rating_holder_587541_post_178116" data-settings="{"id":587541,"item_id":"_post_178116","settings":"{\"id\":587541,\"unique_id\":\"wp-post-178116\",\"title\":\"Word%20of%20the%26nbsp%3Bday\",\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homepaddock.wordpress.com\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/02\\\/word-of-the-day-5179\\\/\",\"item_id\":\"_post_178116\"}"}"></div></div><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-178116" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/02/word-of-the-day-5179/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span>Facebook</span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-178116" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/02/word-of-the-day-5179/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span>Twitter</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Word%20of%20the%20day&body=https%3A%2F%2Fhomepaddock.wordpress.com%2F2025%2F04%2F02%2Fword-of-the-day-5179%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. 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The answer is Woman of the Day Beatrice Elizabeth Grainger Page born in 1889 in… <a href="https://t.co/AWl6U6vU2d">pic.twitter.com/AWl6U6vU2d</a></p> <p>— The Attagirls (@TheAttagirls) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAttagirls/status/1903711408103018594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-rating-enabled sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="sd-block sd-rating"><h3 class="sd-title">Rate this:</h3><div class="cs-rating pd-rating" id="pd_rating_holder_587541_post_178220" data-settings="{"id":587541,"item_id":"_post_178220","settings":"{\"id\":587541,\"unique_id\":\"wp-post-178220\",\"title\":\"Woman%20of%20the%26nbsp%3Bday\",\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homepaddock.wordpress.com\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/02\\\/woman-of-the-day-305\\\/\",\"item_id\":\"_post_178220\"}"}"></div></div><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-178220" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/02/woman-of-the-day-305/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span>Facebook</span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-178220" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/02/woman-of-the-day-305/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span>Twitter</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Woman%20of%20the%20day&body=https%3A%2F%2Fhomepaddock.wordpress.com%2F2025%2F04%2F02%2Fwoman-of-the-day-305%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. 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Wonder no more:</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The -38% drop in sentenced prisoner numbers from 2017 to 2022 was on a scale that hasn’t been seen in 🇳🇿 for at least 80 years. It was an extraordinary experiment in justice policy. <a href="https://t.co/S9RBPEGMeE">pic.twitter.com/S9RBPEGMeE</a></p> <p>— Charted Daily (@Charteddaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/Charteddaily/status/1906953008446931108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p>This extraordinary experiment was a failure because it put reducing incarceration ahead of reducing crime.</p> <p>Prisons are, as Bill English said, a fiscal and moral failure, but addressing the drivers of crime and rehabilitating criminals is the only fair and safe way to reduce imprisonment.</p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-rating-enabled sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="sd-block sd-rating"><h3 class="sd-title">Rate this:</h3><div class="cs-rating pd-rating" id="pd_rating_holder_587541_post_178216" data-settings="{"id":587541,"item_id":"_post_178216","settings":"{\"id\":587541,\"unique_id\":\"wp-post-178216\",\"title\":\"Fewer%20prisoners%20more%26nbsp%3Bcrime\",\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homepaddock.wordpress.com\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/02\\\/fewer-prisoners-more-crime\\\/\",\"item_id\":\"_post_178216\"}"}"></div></div><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-178216" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/02/fewer-prisoners-more-crime/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span>Facebook</span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-178216" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/02/fewer-prisoners-more-crime/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span>Twitter</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Fewer%20prisoners%20more%20crime&body=https%3A%2F%2Fhomepaddock.wordpress.com%2F2025%2F04%2F02%2Ffewer-prisoners-more-crime%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. 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Priority is being given to patients waiting more than four months. </em></p> <p><em>“The most frequent procedures completed so far are cataracts, hip replacements, ear procedures, tonsillectomies, knee replacements, and hernia repairs.</em></p> <p>Most, if not all of the patients with those conditions will have been experiencing significant pain, many will have been disabled to an extent that compromised their ability to work, exercise and participate in normal life easily, some would have had very limited mobility.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em>“We want to maximise capacity in the system so patients can get their surgery as quickly as possible. </em></p> <p><em>“Partnering closely with the private sector will enable Health New Zealand to get on top of waitlists, ensuring Kiwis get the surgeries they need when they need them.</em></p> <p>That also helps the patients get back to normal, active life and work sooner.</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em>“This is key to achieving the Government’s health target of 95 per cent of patients to wait less than four months for elective treatment.</em></p> <p><em>“We are investing more in health than ever before – a record $30 billion each year. Our focus is on putting patients first, ensuring New Zealanders can get the surgeries they need as quickly as possible,” Mr Brown says.</em></p> <p>Those of the left who have such disdain for private hospitals and the profits they make might still not accept the sense in this policy, but the people who have had the surgery won’t be worried about that.</p> <p>As Prime Minister, <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/mi/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20250325_051360000/11-question-no-11-prime-minister/">Christopher Luxon said last wee</a>k:</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px"><em>When you’re lying on a bed, looking up at a ceiling, you’re less hung up as to whether it’s being done in a public system or a private system; you just want relief done as quickly as possible.</em></p> <p>Green co-leader Marama Davidson is more focussed on the Greens’ dislike of profit than patient welfare:</p> <p class="SupQuestion" style="padding-left: 40px"><em><strong>Hon Marama Davidson</strong>: Does he think New Zealanders will be happy to know that our collective resources are being spent on helping private companies make profit off healthcare?</em></p> <p class="SupAnswer" style="padding-left: 40px"><em><strong>Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON</strong>: I think, when New Zealanders are facing massive wait-lists for elective surgeries and getting access to first specialist appointments, what they want is a Government that’s focused on patients and outcomes for patients. And as to how it’s actually delivered for them, they want their issues fixed and they want their service delivered. That’s what this new Minister is focused on—is patient centricity</em>. . .</p> <p>Patients who have been languishing on waiting lists for months ought to be grateful for surgery wherever it happens.</p> <p>Those who find themselves in private hospitals may well be even more grateful. There they’re more likely to have private rooms with the privacy and peace missing from the shared rooms which are the norm in public hospitals.</p> <p>And everyone on waiting lists ought to be grateful that action is being taken to enable more people to have surgery sooner, making waiting times and lists shorter.</p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-rating-enabled sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="sd-block sd-rating"><h3 class="sd-title">Rate this:</h3><div class="cs-rating pd-rating" id="pd_rating_holder_587541_post_178203" data-settings="{"id":587541,"item_id":"_post_178203","settings":"{\"id\":587541,\"unique_id\":\"wp-post-178203\",\"title\":\"Patients%20win%20with%20private%26nbsp%3Bcare\",\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homepaddock.wordpress.com\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/02\\\/patients-win-with-private-care\\\/\",\"item_id\":\"_post_178203\"}"}"></div></div><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-178203" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/02/patients-win-with-private-care/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span>Facebook</span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-178203" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon" href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/02/patients-win-with-private-care/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span>Twitter</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Patients%20win%20with%20private%20care&body=https%3A%2F%2Fhomepaddock.wordpress.com%2F2025%2F04%2F02%2Fpatients-win-with-private-care%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. 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width:16px;"><img alt='' src='https://2.gravatar.com/avatar/e848e2e06f00761ed28ebc8f4a966af030d9b993f98f3256549320c219bd35ea?s=16&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif' srcset='https://2.gravatar.com/avatar/e848e2e06f00761ed28ebc8f4a966af030d9b993f98f3256549320c219bd35ea?s=16&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif 1x, https://2.gravatar.com/avatar/e848e2e06f00761ed28ebc8f4a966af030d9b993f98f3256549320c219bd35ea?s=24&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif 1.5x, https://2.gravatar.com/avatar/e848e2e06f00761ed28ebc8f4a966af030d9b993f98f3256549320c219bd35ea?s=32&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif 2x, https://2.gravatar.com/avatar/e848e2e06f00761ed28ebc8f4a966af030d9b993f98f3256549320c219bd35ea?s=48&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif 3x, https://2.gravatar.com/avatar/e848e2e06f00761ed28ebc8f4a966af030d9b993f98f3256549320c219bd35ea?s=64&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif 4x' class='avatar avatar-16' height='16' width='16' loading='lazy' decoding='async' /></td><td class="recentcommentstextend" style="">kevn on <a href="https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/theres-a-much-better-way/#comment-819500">There’s a much better way</a></td></tr> </table> </li> <li id="twitter-2" class="widget widget_twitter"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a href='http://twitter.com/eleludemann'>Tweets</a></h2> <a class="twitter-timeline" data-height="600" data-dnt="true" href="https://twitter.com/eleludemann">Tweets by eleludemann</a></li> <li id="rss-209419581" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/feed" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz" title="DPF's Kiwiblog - Fomenting Happy Mischief since 2003">Kiwi Blog</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/04/who_has_been_speeding_in_the_mayoral_car.html' title='The Post reports: The details, released under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, also reveal a car used by the mayor and mayoral office staff was recorded speeding 30 times over the same time period, most of them in 30kph areas. Wait – are you telling me the Mayor who insisted on lowering […] The post Who has been speeding in the may […]'>Who has been speeding in the mayoral car?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/04/good_principles_for_rma_reform.html' title='Chris Bishop and Simon Court announced principles for the RMA replacement, and they generally look very good (but not perfect). Some key aspects: The new system will be based on the economic concept of “externalities”. Effects that are borne solely by the party undertaking the activity will not be controlled by the new system (for […] The post Good principle […]'>Good principles for RMA reform</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/04/general_debate_05_april_2025.html' title=' The post General Debate 05 April 2025 first appeared on Kiwiblog.'>General Debate 05 April 2025</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/04/guest_post_i_read_it_so_you_dont_have_to_what_the_ipca_report_re_protests_actually_says_can_we_start_paying_attention_to_the_details_please.html' title='A guest post by Lucy Rogers: Within hours of the 156 page Independent Police Conduct Authority report coming out on 18 February everyone seemed to have an opinion on it. There seemed to be an immediate consensus that it was a threat to free speech and I saw someone on Twitter say dismissively that the […] The post Guest Post: I read it so you don’t have to: […]'>Guest Post: I read it so you don’t have to: what the IPCA report re: protests actually says (can we start paying attention to the details, please?)</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/04/some_crazy_education_funding_statistics_for_new_zealand.html' title='AKA: Our actual spending to try and improve things is tiny! AKA: The current government is a very long way from keeping their promises to reduce the spend on bureaucracy. 1. Our government education spend for 2024-25 is $20.5billion (exclusive of tertiary education). 2. 31.3% of the public sector work-force is for education (150,800 employees). […] The post […]'>Some Crazy Education Funding Statistics for New Zealand.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/04/evil.html' title='The Herald reported: A West Auckland woman who repeatedly subjected a boy to horrific torture – including stabbing him with a chef’s knife and a screwdriver, forcing him to eat faeces, pouring boiling water on to him and encouraging him to commit suicide – has been ordered to serve a lengthy term of imprisonment. All child abuse is terrible, […] The post Evi […]'>Evil</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/04/a_tale_of_two_countries.html' title='Fascinating to compare the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on two countries. Country A Country B What great work. I am sure most people can work out who the two countries are. The post A tale of two countries first appeared on Kiwiblog.'>A tale of two countries</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/04/labours_unfortunate_experiment.html' title='In 2017, the geniuses of the Labour Party decided to have an experiment. They said, let’s cut the prison population by 30%. Someone (hopefully) said, you mean by reducing serious crime by 30%? But the geniuses said, no no – just cut the prison population by 30%, regardless of whether people are committing serious violent […] The post Labour’s unfortunate exp […]'>Labour’s unfortunate experiment</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/04/general_debate_04_april_2025.html' title=' The post General Debate 04 April 2025 first appeared on Kiwiblog.'>General Debate 04 April 2025</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/04/trumps_tariff_claims_are_even_stupider_than_anyone_thought.html' title='The White House released a list of countries and the tariff rates they charged the US. It was clearly wrong as NZ has an average tariff of around 1.7% on US imports and the list said 20%. I thought it was because they were including our GST of 15%. That would have been very dumb, […] The post Trump’s tariff claims are even stupider than anyone thought first […]'>Trump’s tariff claims are even stupider than anyone thought</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-209416342" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://adamsmith.wordpress.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://adamsmith.wordpress.com" title="“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” Thomas Paine - "Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited." ~ Lord Acton - Commentary on what interests me, reflecting my personal take on the world">Inquiring Mind</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/classic-british-tv-minder-with-george-cole-dennis-waterman-70-s07e06-fiddler-on-the-hoof/' title=''>Classic British TV: Minder with George Cole, Dennis Waterman – #70 – S07E06 – Fiddler On The Hoof</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/rumpole-of-the-bailey-leo-mckern-8-s02e01-rumpole-and-the-man-of-god-2/' title='The classic comedy drama written by John Mortimer QC, starring Leo McKern together with an excellent supporting cast'>Rumpole of the Bailey: Leo McKern – #8 – S02E01 – Rumpole and the Man Of God</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/spectator-tv-adolescence-the-netflix-series-is-it-overrated-with-natasha-feroze-and-toby-young-james-walton/' title='March 25, 2025'>Spectator TV: Adolescence, the Netflix series, is it overrated? | With Natasha Feroze and Toby Young, James Walton</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/talktv-mike-graham-plank-of-the-week-peter-bleksley-rebecca-twomey-jeremy-kyle-steve-n-allen-04-04-2025-bully-prince-harry-vs-embarrassing-ed-davey/' title='Some lovely sledges Nobody is safe as Mike Graham presents the opinionated panel show where the guests get to nominate their Plank of the Week'>talkTV: Mike Graham: Plank of the Week – Peter Bleksley, Rebecca Twomey, Jeremy Kyle, Steve N Allen – 04/04/2025 – ‘Bully’ Prince Harry vs ‘Embarrassing’ Ed Davey</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/comedy-connections-reggie-perrin/' title='This series is some years old now, but offers some interesting insights on great sitcoms'>Comedy Connections: Reggie Perrin</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/saturday-classic-comedy-i-married-a-witch-1942-fredric-march-veronica-lake-cecil-kellaway-susan-hayward/' title=''>Saturday Classic Comedy: I Married A Witch (1942) – Fredric March, Veronica Lake, Cecil Kellaway, Susan Hayward</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/midday-fun-parody-project-i-brought-the-tariffs-a-musical-and-political-parody-performed-by-don-caron-lyrics-by-john-emory-2/' title='Uploaded February 06, 2025'>Midday Fun: Parody Project: I Brought The Tariffs | A Musical and Political Parody performed by Don Caron, lyrics by John Emory</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/classic-tv-comedy-the-thin-blue-line-5-s01-e05-rowan-atkinson-david-haig-night-shift-4/' title='Great cast, written by Ben Elton'>Classic TV Comedy: The Thin Blue Line – #5 – S01 E05 – Rowan Atkinson, David Haig – Night Shift</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/gary-eats-wolfgang-pucks-the-cut-park-lane-very-expensive-at-265-not-recommended/' title='April 02, 2025 An excellent food review blog, which I really enjoy and which has become extremely well received by many. This time he visited Wolfgang Puck’s The Cut in Park Lane, which is a very expensive steakhouse. Puck, originally from Austria, is a US based celebrity chef – originally LA based I think. He […]'>Gary Eats: Wolfgang Puck’s The Cut, Park Lane | Very Expensive at £265 – NOT Recommended</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/spiked-liberation-day-trumps-free-speech-imperialism-banning-marine-le-pen-keir-starmers-perpetual-adolescence-with-fraser-myers-tom-slater-and-candice-holdsworth/' title='April 04,2025'>Spiked: Liberation Day? | Trump’s Free Speech Imperialism | Banning Marine Le Pen | Keir Starmer’s perpetual Adolescence | with Fraser Myers, Tom Slater and Candice Holdsworth</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-209421461" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://nominister.wordpress.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://nominister.wordpress.com" title="Laughing at Our Elites">No Minister</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-f/' title='Yeah! A couple of years ago, as GOP infighting continued over electing a new House Speaker, the over-filled sausage casing known as California Congresswoman Katie Porter, decided to show what she thought of the whole affair by reading a book in Congress: Not that she or the rest of the Democrats seemed to learn anything […]'>The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F…</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/trump-and-tariffs/' title='The economists are correct (mostly) in their theories, but the people – the “rational consumers” – are correct also in their personal economic decisions – and they’ve clearly decided that they’re willing to pay extra to maintain these industries in America and have Americans harvesting their crops at higher wages than illegal aliens can get. […] […]'>Trump and Tariffs</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/terraforming-mars/' title='The best SF I’ve ever read about humans trying to transform Mars into an Earth-like world is the 1990’s Red Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. I loved them because they were in the “hard Science Fiction” tradition of Arthur C Clarke, Poul Anderson and others who focused on getting the science as realistic and […]'>Terraforming Mars</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/no-msm-reward-for-hiding-the-decline/' title='Not the Climate Change Hide The Decline, but the US MSM’s desperate efforts to hide the decline of Biden’s brain as his term wore on. With the election done, Trump triumphant and Biden slipping quietly out of D.C. with hardly anything heard from him in the months since, I’d hoped to never write of the […]'>No MSM Reward for Hiding the Decline</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/more-lawfare-stories-now-from-israel/' title='As GD posted recently (Any Challenge From Le Pen Ruled Out For Five Years) the French ruling class have decided that they’re going to defend democracy by removing one of the possible choices that French people might have voted for in sufficient numbers that could win the presidency: She has been sentenced to prison (although she […]'>More Lawfare Stories – Now From Israel.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/many-parts-of-this-does-not-ring-true/' title='Details of the Justice Select Committee decision on the Treaty Principles Bill have been released and the recommendation by majority is that the Bill does not proceed. I do not dispute that decision because anyone who listened to a number of the Oral Submissions would be aware that they were heavily weighted against the Bill. […]'>Many Parts Of This Do Not Ring True</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/one-might-think-a-party-that-spectacularly-broke-a-promise/' title='Three years ago Australia Labor (perhaps they could not afford that “U” back in the day when workers formed the socialist vehicle to ride to power) endlessly promised, over one hundred times by various people of the “Leadership team”, all householders could expect lower Power Charges to an explicit figure of Au$275.00 a year for […]'>One might think a party that spectacularly Broke a Promise——–?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/rnz-and-tvnz-need-the-npr-and-pbs-treatment/' title='This time the pro-NPR/PBS propaganda is not working, and that in itself is a testament to how much the MSM environment has changed. The Internet and Social Media has totally smashed through the front line of the MSM and thus their ability to craft an impenetrable narrative, which means the Democrat Party-Washington Bureaucrat Class-MSM armies […]'>RNZ and TVNZ Need the NPR and PBS Treatment</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/chris-trotter-moves-to-substack/' title='As someone who frequently takes a gander at his longtime blog, Bowalley Road, I had wondered if this was a permanent move, abandoning his blog: Monday, 24 March 2025Chris Trotter is now on Substackvisit him atchristrotter418256.substack.com There have also been no further updates, including comments on this post or others, on Bowalley Road since then, and Ch […]'>Chris Trotter Moves to Substack</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/04/03/now-is-the-time-to-abolish-the-maori-parliamentary-seats/' title='The current Maori Party Leadership have exhibited their scorn and disdain for Westminster Parliamentary conventions. They have proved they are not worthy of taking their seats in the Parliamentary Chamber or even to walk within the Parliamentary precincts. They lack the good manners necessary to take seats in New Zealand’s Parliament. They show no respect [… […]'>Now Is The Time To Abolish The Maori Parliamentary Seats</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474761" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com" title="Politics and the economy">PointOfOrderNZ</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/shame-on-national-and-christopher-luxon/' title='Don Brash writes – So desperate are Christopher Luxon and the National Party to ignore their supporters, they are returning the Treaty Principles Bill from the Justice Committee over a month early. The committee led by National MP, James Meager, has today tabled its report on the Bill – a report not due until May! … Continue reading Shame on National and Ch […]'>Shame on National and Christopher Luxon</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/integrity-briefing-andrew-hoggards-conflicts-of-interest-and-nzs-culture-of-complacency/' title='Bryce Edwards writes – Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard – a former farming lobbyist turned Act Party MP – is facing intense scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest. Recent revelations show how Hoggard’s own sister, Kimberly Crewther, lobbied his office to oppose tougher infant formula regulations, raising questions about where his loyalties lie. Hog […]'>Integrity Briefing: Andrew Hoggard’s conflicts of interest and NZ’s culture of complacency</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/my-war-with-the-nzta-part-one/' title='Karl du Fresne writes – So let me see if I’ve got this straight: the government’s response to public fury and exasperation at the wasteful, disruptive and mostly useless traffic management racket is to set up a hotline where people can report excessive road cone use? God save us. I predict this pathetically feeble non-solution, … Continue reading My war wit […]'>My war with the NZTA: Part One</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/check-out-the-abuse-hurled-at-rotoruas-mayor-over-sacred-lake-and-a-sewerage-pipe-but-can-we-brand-it-racist/' title='Messages Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell has received from people opposing a sewerage pipeline being built near Lake Rotokākahi. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Bob Edlin writes – The word “racism” was missing from the headline on a Post report by Joel Maxwell – Māori councillors gather for challenging year in face of rampant abuse, ‘decimation’. But the … C […]'>Check out the abuse hurled at Rotorua’s mayor over ‘sacred’ lake and a sewerage pipe – but can we brand it “racist”?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/centre-right-bounce-back-could-now-form-government/' title='The Taxpayers’ Union reports – The latest Taxpayers’ Union–Curia Poll will bring a sigh of relief for the Coalition parties as they find themselves able to form a Government again. The poll, conducted between 29 March and 01 April, shows National is effectively static, down 0.1 points to 33.5 percent, while Labour is down 4.3 points from last month to 29.8 … […]'>Centre-right bounce back, could now form Government</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/willis-is-being-lobbied-by-the-banks-and-the-rbnz-chair-wants-a-new-medical-school-at-waikato-university/' title='Rob MacCulloch writes – Question: How Can RBNZ’s Board Chair Make the Best Non-Political Monetary Decisions when he’s at the same time begging Finance Minister Willis for a new Medical School at Waikato? Its a tense time at the Reserve Bank. It currently has an Acting, or Temporary, or Stand-In, or Stand-Up, or On Probation, or … Continue reading Willis is […]'>Willis is being lobbied by the banks – and the RBNZ chair wants a new medical school at Waikato University</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/ring-around-the-moon/' title='Chris Trotter remembers the night of Norman Kirk’s death Chris Trotter writes – ON THE NIGHT of 31 August 1974 my brother and I were on the final stretch of a long journey to Motueka, a small coastal town on the north-west corner of the South Island of New Zealand. As we flashed into the headlights … Continue reading Ring Around The Moon →'>Ring Around The Moon</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/not-even-penguins-are-spared-the-good-the-bad-and-the-bizarre-as-the-world-reels-from-donald-trumps-tariffs/' title=' Investors are flinching and exporters are wincing after President Donald Trump officially fulfilled a campaign promise to unleash sweeping tariffs. MSN reports this has sparked fears of a global trade war and prompted a major question about what has become the centerpiece of his economic agenda: What’s his endgame? In both size and scope, MSN says, Trum […]'>Not even penguins are spared – the good, the bad and the bizarre as the world reels from Donald Trump’s tariffs</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/integrity-briefing-how-dairy-lobbyists-get-their-way-in-the-beehive/' title='Bryce Edwards writes – The country’s dairying industry is the most potent corporate influence on politics in New Zealand. This became even greater when former Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard was elected as an Act MP and immediately installed as the Minister for Food Safety. He went from lobbyist for dairying to decision-maker for dairying. … Cont […]'>Integrity Briefing: How dairy lobbyists get their way in the Beehive</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/04/03/no-we-dont-need-a-tikanga-expert-to-put-context-around-a-haka-that-disrupted-proceedings-in-parliament/' title='Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party – bleating about three of its MPs being denied the right to have someone explain tikanga to Parliament’s Privileges Committee – is engaged in provocative grandstanding. The committee, chaired by Judith Collins, considers and reports on issues relating to parliamentary privilege and can find MPs in contempt of … Continue re […]'>No, we don’t need a tikanga expert to put context around a haka that disrupted proceedings in Parliament</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-299233232" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/" title="">Lindsay Mitchell</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2025/03/rnz-showcases-why-nobody-trusts.html' title='A brief post to set the record straight.Today RNZ is running an article entitled, Do you know what people on benefits actually get?If you don't, you won't find out from the article, which is mostly a testimony to the evils of inequality and supporting quotes from the Helen Clark Foundation and economist Shamubeel Eaqub.There is just one sentence th […]'>RNZ showcases why nobody trusts mainstream media</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2025/03/self-induced-poverty.html' title='On the back of a reported 96 percent increase in methamphetamine use, NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking asked Labour MP Ginny Andersen, "Who takes meth?"She replied:"Typically, it's, if you want to generalise, it's poorer areas, rural New Zealand where there's already poverty. And I know of people who work in some of those areas and […]'>Self-induced poverty</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2025/03/if-luxon-stays-country-blunders-on.html' title='Of late there have been countless headlines stating Prime Minister Christopher Luxon 'must go' followed by reasons why. These include - in no particular order - his poor party polling, his poor personal polling, inability to articulate clearly what he stands for, overuse of corporate speech, running the country like a business and more.For a member […]'>If Luxon stays, the country blunders on</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2025/02/free-school-lunches-why.html' title='This week, headline after headline bitched about the new 'free' school lunch programme. Principals apparently compared the meals to 'dog food'. There were numerous teething problems with delivery. KidsCan jumped on the bandwagon to promote child poverty and useless government yet again.It beggars belief really. Parents are already paid ca […]'>'Free' school lunches: Why?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2025/01/absolute-number-on-benefits-at-all-time.html' title='Benefit numbers always rise in December driven mainly by the influx of students into the system.Taking the seasonal rise into account, and comparing apples with apples, December 2024 nevertheless saw numbers exceed 409,000 - the highest absolute number ever.There has never been this many individuals on a main benefit in New Zealand before.Even in the 1990s t […]'>Absolute number on benefits at all-time high</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2025/01/academics-crying-wolf.html' title='Yesterday the NZ Herald produced a headline that read, “Nine in 10 Kiwi kids endure trauma by age 8 - new research.” This was subsequent to an Auckland University press release titled, “Childhood trauma the norm, but positive experiences help” which began,“Almost all children in Aotearoa, New Zealand (87 percent) have experienced significant trauma by the ti […]'> Academics crying wolf</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2025/01/bad-leaders-solicit-bad-advice.html' title=' When Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister, she was determined to increase income for children in welfare-dependent families - her magic bullet for solving child poverty. The Welfare Expert Advisory Group, led by Cindy Kiro, was convened to make the desired recommendations. A number of evidence briefs were provided to the group, one concerned the "likel […]'>Bad leaders solicit bad advice</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2025/01/remembering-tariana-turia.html' title='Dame Tariana Turia has been well-remembered by many over the past few days. She was warm, had a great sense of humour, and was, above all, highly principled. People I trust have said so and I believe them. Having never met her, however, I knew her only by the thoughts she publicly expressed.On not infrequent occasions Tariana outraged the public. The word […]'>Remembering Tariana Turia</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2024/12/what-does-society-expect-from-fathers.html' title='We live in a society utterly confused about parenthood and the role of fathers. The last Labour government made fathers increasingly irrelevant. In 2020 a law change repealing section 70a of the Social Security Act meant mothers applying for a sole parent benefit no longer had to name the father of their child for the purposes of collecting child support fr […]'>What does society expect from fathers?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2024/12/its-maori-party-that-is-driving-division.html' title='New Zealand women got the vote in 1893; they got the right to stand for parliament a generation later in 1919. But there has never been a parliamentary party based on gender. That's because most women do not put being female first and foremost in their lives. Their gender is an accident of birth. So too most Maori do not put their ethnicity (as mixed as […]'>It's the Maori Party that is driving division</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474763" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://asianinvasion2019.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://asianinvasion2019.blogspot.com/" title="">Cactus Kate</a></h2> <ul><li>An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.</li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474748" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://valeriedavies.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://valeriedavies.com" title="Author of The Sound of Water and other books">Valerie Davies</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://valeriedavies.com/2022/08/08/the-staff-stuff-of-life/' title='Just finished breakfast – freshly ground coffee with one grind of salt and ten grinds of black pepper in my one person coffeepot, a la Russian neighbour. Toast from my freshly made loaf of wholemeal bread, just out of the … Continue reading →'>The staff/stuff of life</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://valeriedavies.com/2022/04/18/the-cancel-culture/' title='Will I be cancelled?One of my first geography – or was it history – lessons when I was about six, consisted of our teacher pulling down a map of the world and pointing to all the pink bits scattered plentifully … Continue reading →'>The Cancel Culture</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://valeriedavies.com/2022/04/05/triggered-by-jemima-puddle-duck/' title='I bought a pristine copy of ‘The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck’ in a junk shop for fifty cents the other day. No great grandchildren in the offing to receive it, but rather on account of the nostalgia I felt … Continue reading →'>Triggered by Jemima Puddle Duck</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://valeriedavies.com/2022/03/15/the-fog-of-war/' title='Another day, another search through news headlines, Youtube videos, TV news, on the spot reports, to find some hope that the war will end, that right will triumph over might. Wion, and BBC, Caspian Report and Sky News, The Guardian … Continue reading →'>The fog of war</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://valeriedavies.com/2022/03/13/light/' title='The light of the sun Item from UK Guardian :’ Pictures of a visibly injured Mariana Vishegirskaya leaving the maternity hospital were targeted by a vile Russia disinformation campaign accusing her of faking the injuries. In happier photos taken on … Continue reading →'>The Light of the Sun</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://valeriedavies.com/2021/07/01/other-mens-flowers/' title='On my birthday a few weeks ago, a friend sent me an elegant doorstop with a note saying she hoped this would not prevent her coming through my door again. When I wrote back I included the words of an … Continue reading →'>Other Men’s Flowers</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://valeriedavies.com/2021/05/28/where-is-the-future-taking-us/' title='Homeless in Hull! That was our fate, on my father’s return from his military duties with the Occupation Forces at the former Bergen Belsen concentration camp in 1948. In bombed and blitzed Britain, houses were in short supply, and along … Continue reading →'>Where is the future taking us?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://valeriedavies.com/2021/04/27/what-princes-can-learn-from-frogs/' title='The last time I wrote on this subject I was called bitchy by someone I like and admire so I’m treading carefully today. I’m referring to the current soap opera that I follow with fascination – no, not the busty … Continue reading →'>What princes can learn from frogs</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://valeriedavies.com/2021/01/11/a-life-changing-accident/' title='I was dragged screaming from the car. No- one realised that the reason I couldn’t lift my leg to get out was because I’d broken my hip. Once inside the hospital the next ordeal was the battle to save my … Continue reading →'>A life-changing accident</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://valeriedavies.com/2020/11/25/truth-does-matter/' title='It must be hard for a plainish, dumpy, brown-eyed actress to play the part of a vivacious and witty, beautiful blue-eyed woman, possessed of a tiny waist, lovely legs, and an exquisite complexion. Mind you, this actress has form. She … Continue reading →'>Truth does matter</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474752" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://oamarunz.wordpress.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://oamarunz.wordpress.com" title="A Virtual Visit to NZ's Coolest Town">Oamaru Life</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://oamarunz.wordpress.com/2018/04/21/dawn-over-oamaru-harbour/' title='The skies over Oamaru looked promising as dawn loomed, so I headed down to the harbour area to see what might develop. Turns out, it was a good decision, since we had a particularly lovely dawn:'>Dawn over Oamaru Harbour</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://oamarunz.wordpress.com/2017/08/29/the-night-sky-in-north-otago/' title=' So many visitors to Oamaru and the surrounding area comment on how clear the night sky is here, and how there are so many more stars here than back home. I’m not sure that there really are any more … Continue reading →'>The Night Sky in North Otago</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://oamarunz.wordpress.com/2017/06/01/another-new-oamaru-attraction-opens/' title='It seems that the list of things to do in Oamaru is getting longer and longer by the minute! Today, just in time for the annual Oamaru Fire & Steam Festival that starts on Friday, 2 June, and the NZ … Continue reading →'>Another New Oamaru Attraction Opens</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://oamarunz.wordpress.com/2017/05/29/fire-and-canapes-awaiting-our-guests/' title='from Instagram: http://ift.tt/2s5AH2E #gigatownoam'>Fire and canapés awaiting our guests.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://oamarunz.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/whitestone-city-opens-in-oamaru/' title='After many many months of work, Oamaru’s newest visitor attraction, Whitestone City, has officially opened! Created jointly by Tourism Waitaki and the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust, with funding supported by the New Zealand Ministry for Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE), … Continue reading →'>Whitestone City Opens in Oamaru</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://oamarunz.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/oamaru-book-released/' title='A new photo book on Oamaru and the Waitaki District has just been released. Continue reading →'>New Book on Oamaru and the Waitaki Released</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://oamarunz.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/the-town-bike-opens-for-business/' title='Oamaru has in recent years become a centre for cyclists, many of whom have arrived in town after completing the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail. Oamaru is a hilly town, and biking here poses a certain challenge, but that challenge … Continue reading →'>The Town Bike Opens for Business</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://oamarunz.wordpress.com/2017/03/25/so-much-is-new-in-oamaru/' title='It has been ages since my last post–for which I can only offer humble apologies!–but there has been a lot going on in what has been, for us at least, the busiest tourist season in years. So, what’s new? Let’s … Continue reading →'>So Much is New in Oamaru!</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://oamarunz.wordpress.com/2016/10/15/first-annual-great-north-otago-potato-race/' title='On 8 October the Waitaki Tourism Association held the first annual Great North Otago Potato Race, a fun family-friendly event that celebrates one of the area’s most iconic agricultural products, the humble potato. A total of four races were held, … Continue reading →'>First Annual Great North Otago Potato Race</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://oamarunz.wordpress.com/2016/09/14/oamarus-pen-y-bryn-lodge-on-tv/' title='The popular hour-long Kiwi Living programme, hosted by Miriama Kamo, featured Oamaru’s luxury lodge, Pen-y-bryn, on last night’s episode. The show airs on TV One each Tuesday at 7:30pm, and showcases people, places and foods from around New Zealand. In the segment … Continue reading →'>Oamaru’s Pen-y-bryn Lodge on TV</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-209449221" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/" title="">Karl du Fresne</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2025/04/my-war-with-nzta-part-one.html' title='So let me see if I’ve got this straight: the government’s response to public fury and exasperation at the wasteful, disruptive and mostly useless traffic management racket is to set up a hotline where people can report excessive road cone use? God save us. I predict this pathetically feeble non-solution, announced this week, will achieve one-fifth of SFA bec […]'>My war with the NZTA: Part One</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2025/03/why-shouldnt-act-have-go-lefts-been-at.html' title='David Seymour’s announcement that ACT may stand candidates in council elections triggered a discussion on Nick Mills’ talkback show on Newstalk ZB this morning about whether political parties should get involved in local government. But that mischievous genie escaped from the bottle a very long time ago. The Labour Party has long regarded local politics as f […]'>Why shouldn't ACT have a go? The Left's been at it for decades</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2025/03/polkinghorne-unchastened.html' title='In the New Zealand Herald this morning, Steve Braunias reports on the opening of the inquest into the death of Pauline Hanna, wife of Auckland ophthalmologist Philip Polkinghorne. The circumstances of her undignified death are well known, having been exhaustively reported when Polkinghorne went on trial last year for her murder. He was acquitted, but the law […]'>Polkinghorne unchastened</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2025/03/a-lamentation-for-hard-news-photos-and.html' title='My wife’s not exactly an avid sports fan, but she was moved to remark on a brilliant Associated Press photo on the back page of today’s Wairarapa Times-Age. It shows New Zealand cricketer Kyle Jamieson flat on his back, staring goggle-eyed as the ball rolls away from him moments after he’s missed a crucial catch in the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy agai […]'>A lamentation for hard news photos and the people who took them</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2025/03/a-tip-for-luxon-ignore-your-media.html' title='Commenting on Christopher Luxon’s inability to express himself clearly and honestly, Stuff columnist Janet Wilson, a former National Party communications adviser, opined recently that the prime minister errs by concentrating on “talking points” – “learning by rote to a point where he is nothing but a talking robot” – and struggling to “meaningfully engage in […]'>A tip for Luxon: ignore your media coaches</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2025/02/when-principle-sinks-in-swamp-of.html' title='In a past life, many years ago, I informally sought advice from a highly respected Wellington lawyer, the late Sandra Moran, over a legal issue that had been weighing on my mind. It involved what I thought was an important point of principle, and I vividly remember Sandra warning me off by saying, very emphatically: “It costs a lot of money to establish a po […]'>When principle sinks in a swamp of legalism</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2025/02/marching-blindly-into-post-journalism.html' title='Herewith, two unrelated (or perhaps not) examples of the insidious bias that pervades the mainstream Western media. Neither is necessarily of any great consequence on its own, but each is telling in its own way. ■ In a 470-word story on the jailing of former US senator Bob Menendez following his conviction on bribery and corruption charges, the BBC could fin […]'>Marching blindly into the post-journalism era</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-journey-into-hinterland.html' title=' Hedley's Book Shop in Masterton was packed on Friday night for the launch of my friend Simon Burt's book Route 52: A Big Lump of Country Unknown, published by Ugly Hill Press. It was actually a second launch, the first having been held two nights earlier in Waipukurau. Why the double launch? Because Waipukurau marks the northern end of Route 52 an […]'>A journey into the hinterland</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2024/11/wellington-airports-rebranding-exercise.html' title='I’m not a shareholder in Wellington Airport but if I was, I’d be getting up on my hind legs at the next annual meeting to object to an extravagant promotional charade that demonstrates how completely the corporate sector has been captured (or should I say conned?) by the twin forces of marketing hucksterism and feel-good wokery.The online platform Stop Press […]'>Wellington Airport's rebranding exercise: And the point is?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-sad-ignoble-fate-of-frog-city.html' title='On a recent Monday morning, my wife and I had breakfast at Bordeaux Bakery on Thorndon Quay, Wellington. I expressed surprise that the place was empty. A couple of years ago it would have been humming. We sat by the window with a view over the street. What we saw was a forest of traffic cones and red-and-white posts delineating the cycle lanes that have spre […]'>The sad, ignoble decline of Frog City</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474705" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz" title="A New Zealand lawyer, ex-MP, farmer and enthusiast for life opines on law, politics and the universe">Stephen Franks</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/allow-easy-firing-of-dud-bosses/' title='Think about the impossibility of creating here a Google or an Amazon, or Microsoft, or an Apple or a Tesla or a Space X. A Steve Jobs or Elon Musk has to keep sifting and culling to ensure that key staff are all truly outstanding people. Our law means you have to prove there is something wrong with a manager to replace them. So managers need not worry about […]'>Allow easy firing of dud bosses</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/maori-understood-geo-politics-better-in-1824-than-queenstown-lakes-district-council-now/' title='The US could cost us $billions in a casual flick of a policy tail. We could desperately need friends at court in the US, if the tariff walls are going up. And we have the good fortune to number one of their top insiders, as a New Zealand citizen. But our MSM could not disguise their joy at the jobsworths of the QLDC giving him the finger. At the bidding of t […]'>Maori understood geo-politics better in 1824 than Queenstown Lakes District Council now</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/whos-calling-the-shots-on-co-governance-lawyers-or-mps-will-the-court-of-appeal-order-disclosure/' title='On Wednesday 15 February the Court of Appeal will hear the arguments of two King’s Counsel, that the government should come clean on whether its lawyers are really telling Ministers that te Tiriti demands co-governance. In our opinion it is legal nonsense. The post material below explains the issue before the court, and the current […]'>Who’s calling the shots on co-governance? Lawyers or MPs? Will the Court of Appeal order disclosure?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/how-to-repeal-labour-green-entrenchment-of-water-services-control-by-iwi-elite/' title='A draft provision to disentrench an abusive purported entrenchment section'>How to repeal Labour/Green entrenchment of Water Services control by iwi elite</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/outcomes-of-the-parliamentary-occupation/' title='Journalists standing on balconies with the rulers are no channel to the ruled, nor can they warn the rulers of unwelcome threads of opinion and concerns among those ruled'>Outcomes of the Parliamentary occupation</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/vax-resistance-and-the-snobbery-of-the-pmc/' title='I’ve been thinking about immoveable vaccine suspicion I’ve recently confronted in a couple of people I regard as intelligent and public spirited. It was in my mind while listening to Kim Hill on Saturday discuss with Danyl McLauchlan his thoughtful piece called “In a captured state” in the Spinoff. His article included a startling table. […]'>Vax resistance and the snobbery of the PMC</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/free-speech-union-against-name-suppression-for-alleged-wanaka-escapees/' title='Today the Free Speech Union issued a media statement over my name, opposing name suppression for the Auckland couple charged with a cunning escape from level 4 lockdown, to Wanaka via Hamilton. Stuff had reported their QC as saying she was preparing to apply for name suppression. I was happy to comment. In my opinion […]'>Free Speech Union against name suppression for alleged Wanaka escapees</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/are-local-boards-and-community-boards-real-democracy/' title='For some reason I forgot to post this when I drafted it in 2014, when National was secretly pushing for more SuperCity amalgamations. Luckily they failed. This is now a reminder of how facile is the reasoning behind that kind of push. But with Nanaia Mahuta even less use than National’s Ministers in challenging central […]'>Are “local boards” and “community boards” real democracy?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/continuous-disclosure-folly/' title='In Australia, the government has braved the screeching of the corporate litigation funding jackals, and the chorus of investment organisations who think they currently get a free lunch, to make timid changes to their continuous disclosure regime. It always promised more than it could deliver, and much more than a rational rule would try to […]'>Continuous Disclosure Folly</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/two-good-judgments-for-our-times/' title='Everyone will have heard about the welcome judgment of Walker J on 4 May in Christiansen v DG of Health. But it is still worth reading. Just to see an instance of judicial protection against callous exploitation of special emergency power. It is chilling too, being reminded of the credulity of the world’s chattering classes, […]'>Two good judgments for our times</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-246232291" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/blog-feed.xml" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com" title="Bassett,Brash&Hide">Bassett Brash & Hide</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/tui-vaeau-the-great-maori-education-racket-a-state-funded-farce' title='One could be forgiven for thinking that education in New Zealand is about preparing children for success, arming them with the knowledge...'>TUI VAEAU: The Great Maori Education Racket - A State Funded Farce</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/don-brash-shame-on-national-and-christopher-luxon' title='The following is written by Don Brash in his capacity as Hobson's Pledge trustee. So desperate are Christopher Luxon and the National...'>DON BRASH: Shame on National and Christopher Luxon</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/chris-mcveigh-kc-the-haka' title='Does anyone agree with me that the haka has had its day? Its ubiquity has been its undoing. In a generally reticent country, the haka has...'>CHRIS McVEIGH KC: The Haka</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/lindsay-mitchell-rnz-showcases-why-nobody-trusts-mainstream-media' title='A brief post to set the record straight. Today RNZ is running an article entitled, Do you know what people on benefits actually get? If...'>LINDSAY MITCHELL: RNZ showcases why nobody trusts mainstream media</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/lindsay-mitchell-self-induced-poverty' title='On the back of a reported 96 percent increase in methamphetamine use, NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking asked Labour MP Ginny Andersen, "Who...'>LINDSAY MITCHELL: Self-induced poverty</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/jerry-coyne-facial-surgeons-wanted-in-new-zealand-must-be-intimately-familiar-with-all-things-m%C4%81or' title='Here’s an archived link to an ad for a consultant oral maxillofacial surgeon at Dunedin Hospital. The curious thing—well, not so curious...'>JERRY COYNE: Facial surgeons wanted in New Zealand, must be intimately familiar with all things Māori</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/ani-o-brien-new-zealand-is-being-pulled-in-two-different-directions' title='The document that prompted Richard Prebble to quit | Waitangi Tribunal’s Strategic Direction Review Group Report Yesterday, the Waitangi...'>ANI O'BRIEN: New Zealand is being pulled in two different directions</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/graham-adams-auckland-university-has-a-death-wish' title='Sometimes it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that the University of Auckland is suicidal. Last year it slipped out of the world’s top 150...'>GRAHAM ADAMS: Auckland University has a death wish</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/lindsay-mitchell-if-luxon-stays-the-country-blunders-on' title='Of late there have been countless headlines stating Prime Minister Christopher Luxon 'must go' followed by reasons why. These include -...'>LINDSAY MITCHELL: If Luxon stays, the country blunders on</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/don-brash-time-for-anzac-2-0' title='A few days ago, I read an article by Oliver Hartwich, the executive director of the New Zealand Initiative, entitled “Time for ANZAC...'>DON BRASH: TIME FOR ANZAC 2.0?</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-209458162" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://pc.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://pc.blogspot.com/" title="">Not PC</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pc.blogspot.com/2025/04/it-was-twenty-years-ago-today-that-not.html' title=' It was twenty years ago today that NOT PC began, with that short post above.Twenty years!Crikey!No, don't clap. Just throw money. ;-)It's interesting, to me at least, to see what I wrote that first week, and whether any predictions came right—or if any ideas the blog promoted took hold. It turns out that...John Tamihere wasn't heading for pol […]'>It was twenty years ago today that NOT PC began.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pc.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-patriot.html' title=' “Before, the patriot, unless sufficiently advanced to feel the world his country, wished all countries weak, poor, and ill-governed but his own; he now sees in their wealth and progress a direct source of wealth and progress to his own country.” ~ John Stuart Mill, from his speech 'England Under Free Trade: An Address Delivered to the Sheffield Junior […]'>"The patriot .. "</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pc.blogspot.com/2025/04/trumps-policy-unveiled-yesterday.html' title='"There’s a fundamental problem with Donald Trump’s new trade policy: it fails a test that actual 5th graders can pass. I know this because I tried explaining his 'Liberation Day' trade plan to one last night. Here’s how that conversation went:“Imagine you want to buy a toy at a store which costs $50. You pay for the toy and walk away with it. […]'>"Trump's policy, unveiled yesterday afternoon, is called a 'reciprocal tariff plan,' which is a bit like calling a hammer a 'reciprocal pillow'."</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pc.blogspot.com/2025/04/did-you-know-you-can-see-shit-political.html' title='Auckland: Eden Terrace's workers' cottages on the right, Mt Eden's California Bungalows beginning over the railway line lower left. (Photo showing the area before the Dominion Rd flyover,from the Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 580-9498']Did you know you can see shit political economy from space? Here below is the […]'> Did you know you can see shit political economy from space? [update 2]</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pc.blogspot.com/2025/04/politics-aka-long-con.html' title='"If you recognise that politics is full of liars but consistently fall for lies from your own 'team,' then you are the mark, the intended target of the long con being staged by those in power."~ Justin AmashContent is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Permission to republish is granted, with link and attribution.'>Politics, AKA: the long con</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pc.blogspot.com/2025/04/all-of-this-helps-to-explain-why.html' title='"All of this helps to explain why a forcible annexation of Greenland would ultimately also harm U.S. interests. To trade in the most stable and powerful military alliance in modern history for control over a frigid and sparsely populated island—plus a place for Trump in the history books—is a bad deal for the American people. But that doesn’t mean that […]'>"All of this helps to explain why a forcible annexation of Greenland would ultimately also harm U.S. interests [as well]."</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pc.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-biggest-ideological-changes-of.html' title=' "The biggest ideological changes of the Trump era are not on my side. It’s the rest of the 'right' that changed. ... "To those observing from the outside, it is obvious that people who sign up for Trumpism completely transform themselves. Free marketers become protectionists, secularists become 'culture-war Christians,' peop […]'>"The biggest ideological changes of the Trump era are not on *my* side. It’s the rest of the 'right' that changed."</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pc.blogspot.com/2025/04/whats-woke.html' title=' What's 'woke'? and why is it called that? Philosopher Stephen Hicks has the simple explanation:It comes out of the Left politically. Interestingly on the Right politically too (if we can use these labels, left and right, [since they're] both problematic.) But on the Right there’s the concept of the 'red pill,' which comes fr […]'>What's 'Woke'?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pc.blogspot.com/2025/04/this-is-one-of-largest-tax-hikes-in.html' title='"Peter Navarro [a Trump 'economics' advisor] is promising a $600 billion/year tax hike (hence $6 trillion in a decade) from the April 2nd tariff package. "This is one of the largest tax hikes in American history, and it will be enacted by presidential decree without so much as a single vote of Congress. "That is because Congres […]'>"This is one of the largest tax hikes in American history, and it will be enacted by presidential decree without so much as a single vote of Congress." [UPDATED]</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pc.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-real-crime-here-is-not-just-waste.html' title='"One could be forgiven for thinking that education in New Zealand is about preparing children for success, arming them with the knowledge and skills to thrive in an unforgiving world. But no, that quaint notion has been tossed aside in favour of racial indulgence on an industrial scale. ... "For the avoidance of doubt, let us be absolutely clear […]'>"...the real crime here is not just the waste of money. It is the deliberate sabotage of Maori children..."</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474767" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com/blog-posts/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com" title="">WHatSheSaidNZ</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com/2020/08/29/nobody-said-it-would-be-easy/' title='Motherhood feels like that exam I didn’t study for. Nobody said it would be easy but they did say the answers would come naturally. But I don’t understand the questions. I only brought a pen but I wish I had a pencil, what if I make a mistake? There’s only one line for each answer, … Continue reading "Nobody said it would be easy."'>Nobody said it would be easy.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com/2019/09/17/my-toddler-will-break-me-before-you-do/' title='If I had the time or the energy to respond to all the negative comments on the the Newshub article about my most recent blog, this is what I would start with. Although, I’m pretty sure that there would be a few more choice words and a MF in there somewhere too if I’m honest. … Continue reading "My toddler will break me before you do."'>My toddler will break me before you do.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com/2019/09/13/listen-to-your-farmers-new-zealand/' title='Some of you may be wondering why I have been absent on here for the past few months. A few of you even messaged me to check I was okay. I am thank you. The short answer is I’m tired. Among other things, this year has been our first year in business, taking over the … Continue reading "Listen to your farmers New Zealand."'>Listen to your farmers New Zealand.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com/2019/06/12/you-know-you-have-a-toddler-2-0/' title='So I feel as though it’s time for an updated list. If your wee one is still in the early stages of this wonderful phase then I’d highly recommend you go back and check out my previous blog. If, like us though, you are well and truly entrenched in the toddler-hood then hopefully you will … Continue reading "You know you have a toddler 2.0…"'>You know you have a toddler 2.0…</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com/2019/05/20/why-im-always-late/' title='I wasn’t always late. In fact, I absolutely HATE being late. It makes me feel lazy and stressed at the same time – if that’s even possible?? Well meaning Linda’s say “honey, you’re just not prioritising your time” but Linda, honey, that’s just not true. Don’t you remember how it feels to wrangle a small child into … Continue reading "Why I’m ALWAYS late […]'>Why I’m ALWAYS late</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com/2019/03/14/there-is-no-perfect-only-perspective/' title='Do you punish yourself for not being where you want to be yet? Do you compare your life to those around you? Do you persistently try to please others? Please stop (she say’s as she continues to do all these things). If there is one thing I have learned in my blogging/shameless oversharing journey so … Continue reading "There is no Perfect, only Perspect […]'>There is no Perfect, only Perspective</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/5-things-to-consider-before-going-back-to-work/' title='I have a confession. The work life balance thing has gone out the window. Moving from two work days a week to four has been a real struggle. If you were thinking I was winning at this working mama gig you would be wrong. Flattering, but wrong. The reality is it’s not going back to … Continue reading "5 Things To Consider Before Going Back To Work…" […]'>5 Things To Consider Before Going Back To Work…</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com/2018/12/12/family-planning-anxiety/' title='If I can, I would like to take you back for a moment. I would like you to think back to the birth of your first baby. Yes, come on, you can do it. Stay with me. Do you remember that feeling? You know the one. It was straight after the baby came out. You … Continue reading "Family Planning Anxiety"'>Family Planning Anxiety</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com/2018/10/17/positive-thinking-for-the-skeptic/' title='The answer is – Who knows? Everyone is different! But seriously, what have you got to lose in trying… When we look at the practice of positive thinking it is easy to think it’s just for hippie fairy people. You know, the crystal loving, kombucha drinking, smelly pits kind of people. Well, I was one … Continue reading "Does thinking positively actually w […]'>Does thinking positively actually work?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://whatshesaidnz.wordpress.com/2018/09/10/lets-talk-about-our-mental-health/' title='Are you okay? I know we probably don’t talk or see each other nearly enough but I want to make sure you’re okay. Even if it’s just to tell you that I see you. I might not understand exactly what you’re going through as everyone has their own journey. But I see you. I see … Continue reading "Let’s talk about our mental health"'>Let’s talk about our mental health</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474765" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://nopunchespulled.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://nopunchespulled.com" title="Laughter – the best medicine">No Punches Pulled</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nopunchespulled.com/2025/04/02/liz-gunn-2/' title='The Liz Gunn prosecution was scandalously corrupt and has been exposed as such by High Court judge Justice Peters. The initial prosecution was before District court judge Forrest who described Gunn as “rude, overbearing and offensive”. The evidence is clear she was anything but that as Justice Peters has pointed out. Lower Court judges are […]'>LIZ GUNN</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nopunchespulled.com/2025/03/31/taxpayers-union-under-threat/' title='I imagine readers of this blog are also sympathetic to the Taxpayers Union, obsessed as it is with exposing government wasteful spending. My God there’s rich pickings here. Last year, for example, the Taxpayers Union drew attention to $4 million plus of taxes wasted on an utterly bogus expenditure, namely to play whale music to […]'>TAXPAYERS UNION UNDER THREAT</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nopunchespulled.com/2025/03/25/the-taxation-engima/' title='One of our very best financial journalists is the Herald’s Fran O’Sullivan. In a deservedly scathing attack on the insanity of the government’s recent introduction of $100 tourist Visa fee for Chinese visitors, Fran trotted out some hard statistical facts. These are, 1) Chinese tourist numbers are lagging. In the 12 months to October 2018, […]'>THE TAXATION ENIGMA</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://nopunchespulled.com/2025/03/19/rugby-reform/' title='Mindful of rugby’s collapsing support a couple of years back; the Rugby authorities finally addressed the issue, namely too many petty rules resulting in games being constantly interrupted by the bloody referee blowing his whistle. This was borne out by a NZ Herald sports reporter early this century who armed with a stop-watch reported that […]'>RUGBY REFORM</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474766" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://croakingcassandra.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://croakingcassandra.com" title="Economics, public policy, monetary policy, financial regulation, with a New Zealand perspective">Croaking Cassandra</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://croakingcassandra.com/2025/04/02/reserve-bank-bank-capital-etc/' title='Things seem to be at a pretty low ebb in and around the Reserve Bank. There was, in particular, the mysterious, sudden, and as-yet unexplained resignation of the Governor (we’ve had four Governors since the Bank was given its operational autonomy 35 years ago, and only two have completed their terms and left in a … Continue reading Reserve Bank, bank capital […]'>Reserve Bank, bank capital etc</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://croakingcassandra.com/2025/03/31/not-much-parliamentary-scrutiny/' title='This was the post I was planning to write this morning to mark Orr’s final day. That said, if the underlying events – deliberate attempts to mislead Parliament – were Orr’s doing, the post is more about the apparent uselessness of Parliament (specifically the Finance and Expenditure Committee) in holding him and the rest of … Continue reading Not much parlia […]'>Not much parliamentary scrutiny</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://croakingcassandra.com/2025/03/31/farewell-to-orr/' title='Today is the last day in office for the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Adrian Orr. Of course, he hasn’t been in the office since 5 March when, on the eve of his major international conference, his resignation was announced and he stormed off with no (effective) notice and no explanation. I’m not going to … Continue reading Farewell to Orr'>Farewell to Orr</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://croakingcassandra.com/2025/03/10/on-the-way-ahead/' title='In my post last Thursday I offered some thoughts on changes that should be initiated by the government in the wake of the Governor’s surprise resignation. (Days on we still have no real explanation as to why he just resigned with no notice, disappearing out the door and (eg) leaving his international conference in the … Continue reading On the way ahead'>On the way ahead</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://croakingcassandra.com/2025/03/08/a-letter/' title='After the Reserve Bank’s appearance on 20 February at the Finance and Expenditure Committee (the Governor, his macro deputy Karen Silk, and his chief economist Paul Conway) on the previous day’s Monetary Policy Statement, I wrote a post here about it, focused on a number of areas in which Orr, either actively abetted or silently … Continue reading A letter […]'>A letter</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://croakingcassandra.com/2025/03/07/bernanke-on-inflation-targeting/' title='Former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (and FOMC) Ben Bernanke was yesterday the first of two keynote speakers at the Reserve Bank’s conference to mark 35 years of inflation targeting, which first became a formalised thing here in New Zealand. He indicated that he’d be speaking about inflation targeting in general and … Continue reading B […]'>Bernanke on inflation targeting</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://croakingcassandra.com/2025/03/06/11-billion-and-out/' title='I’d been thinking last week of writing a post looking ahead to the end of Adrian Orr’s term (due to have run until March 2028) and offering some thoughts on structural changes the government should be looking to make, to complete and refine the Reserve Bank reform programme kicked off by the previous government in … Continue reading $11 billion and out […]'>$11 billion and out</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://croakingcassandra.com/2025/03/05/australias-pandemic-exceptionalism/' title='That’s the title of a 2024 book by a couple of Australian academic economists, Steven Hamilton (based in US) and Richard Holden (a professor at the University of New South Wales). The subtitle of the book is “How we crushed the curve but lost the race”. It is easy to get off on the wrong … Continue reading Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism'>Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://croakingcassandra.com/2025/03/03/or-not/' title='“Time has come for a four-year term of govt”, or so declared the editorial in yesterday’s Sunday Star-Times. I voted against the idea in the 1990 referendum, and would do so in any conceivable future referendum. Four-year electoral terms (which is at issue, not – at least directly – “four-year terms of govt”) appeal to … Continue reading Or not […]'>Or not</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://croakingcassandra.com/2025/03/01/forty-years-of-floating/' title='Last year there was an interesting new book out, made up of 29 collected short papers by (more or less) prominent economists given at a 2023 conference to mark Floating Exchange Rates at Fifty. The fifty years related to the transition back to generalised floating of the major developed world currencies in 1973 (think USD, … Continue reading Forty years of f […]'>Forty years of floating</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474720" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://allanbarber.wordpress.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://allanbarber.wordpress.com" title="Agribusiness and meat industry commentary">Barbar’s meaty issues</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://allanbarber.wordpress.com/2020/10/01/project-will-identify-marketing-potential-of-regenerative-agriculture/' title='Earlier this year before lockdown B+LNZ announced its intention to conduct research into consumer attitudes to red meat produced using regenerative agriculture practices. This project has now been bolstered by an injection of financial support from MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund and the involvement of the wine industry’s Bragato Research Insti […]'>Project will identify marketing potential of regenerative agriculture</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://allanbarber.wordpress.com/2020/09/11/decades-of-dietary-advice-misguided/' title='For at least the last 40 years international health guidelines have recommended minimising intake of saturated fats contained in red meat, dairy, cocoa and palm oil in a mistaken attempt to improve public health, particularly in first world countries. Heart disease skyrocketed to become the leading cause of death by 1950 and scientists hypothesised the […]'>Decades of dietary advice misguided</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://allanbarber.wordpress.com/2020/08/26/meat-industry-continues-to-do-a-superb-job/' title='The return of community transmission underlines the excellent performance of the whole meat industry since Covid 19 reached New Zealand nearly six months ago in March. Farmers, transport and logistics operators, sale yards, exporters and domestic processors have all combined to ensure the health and safety of participants, while meeting the demands of custom […]'>Meat industry continues to do a superb job</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://allanbarber.wordpress.com/2020/08/17/long-way-from-being-out-of-the-woods-yet/' title='The sense of calm and normality pervading the country for over three months has been shattered by the latest cases of community transmission the country. Until today New Zealanders have been going about their everyday lives, most of them still with jobs and being paid, at least until the wage subsidy ends, while the major […]'>Long way from being out of the woods yet</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://allanbarber.wordpress.com/2020/07/28/time-for-sector-to-find-united-voice/' title='Several organisations with an interest in the future of our agricultural sector have come out with strategies or visions for what needs to be done to find New Zealand’s place in the sun. One such report produced by the Primary Sector Council has been sponsored, one could say hijacked, by the government, and converted by […]'>Time for sector to find united voice</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://allanbarber.wordpress.com/2020/07/14/falling-co-product-prices-prompt-changes/' title='The sale of Wallace Group’s tanning, rendering and composting operations in the Waikato, Northland and Manawatu is the latest step in the consolidation process of what is often termed the fifth quarter of the meat industry. Since it began in the late nineteenth century the industry has had to invest significant capital in facilities which […]'>Falling co-product prices prompt changes</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://allanbarber.wordpress.com/2020/07/14/regulation-risks-hindering-innovation/' title='The fast pace of regulatory change by the government poses a challenge for farmers trying to earn their social licence to operate. The Emissions Trading Reform Bill and the proposed Essential Freshwater Policy are the two latest examples of regulation which are set to be introduced into law before the Election and will inevitably […]'>Regulation risks hindering innovation</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://allanbarber.wordpress.com/2020/07/14/taste-pure-nature-one-year-on/' title='A little over a year since the launch of the Taste Pure Nature country of origin brand in California, Beef + Lamb’s GM Market Development, Nick Beeby, is thrilled with the evolution of the programme. At the start a small number of meat exporters were supportive of what Beeby concedes was initially seen as a […]'>Taste Pure Nature one year on</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://allanbarber.wordpress.com/2020/07/14/anzco-achieves-a-huge-turnaround/' title='ANZCO Foods’ 2019 pre-tax profit was $30.6 million on record sales revenue of $1.7 billion which admittedly represents a margin on sales of less than 2% and a return on assets of 3.74%, but it is a huge improvement on the pre-tax loss of $39.1 million in 2018. It is also the third highest profit […]'>ANZCO achieves a huge turnaround</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://allanbarber.wordpress.com/2020/05/24/agility-and-innovation-essential-for-meat-exporters/' title='The days of bemoaning our meat exporters’ lack of flexibility when everything was exported as frozen carcases are now a distant memory. Even the days of growing the profitable chilled lamb business without upsetting the EU authorities are receding into the distant past, as meat marketers cope with the complexities of marketing to previously time […]'>Agility and innovation essential for meat exporters</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-209423781" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://rivettingkatetaylor.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://rivettingkatetaylor.com" title="rural New Zealand from my window">Rivetting Kate Taylor</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://rivettingkatetaylor.com/2024/09/11/where-my-mind-wanders/' title='The iron hisses and sputters; steam rising around the iron like the breath from a cattle beast’s nostrils on a frosty winter’s morning. Testing the tip of the hot edge on an extreme corner of the soft green material smoothed out on the ironing board in front of me, I ponder that green. It is […]'>Where my mind wanders</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://rivettingkatetaylor.com/2024/09/10/wow-september-2024-how-did-that-happen/' title='So it’s been a while since I was here… again! I always end up catching up on a blog on here after a long time away… but I have been conscientiously paying for my rivettingkatetaylor.com so I should be using it! Since the last time I wrote, we moved out of BC meaning Before Covid […]'>Wow. September 2024. How did that happen?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://rivettingkatetaylor.com/2022/12/21/its-not-raining/' title='There used to be a saying in Hawke’s Bay. If you want to break a drought, schedule an international cricket match at McLean Park in Napier. Bingo. Rain. Yesterday, my district council put roading team backup and comms in place in light of a Met Service heavy rain warning for up to 20-30mm of rain […]'>It’s not raining!</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://rivettingkatetaylor.com/2022/12/20/re-living-my-best-self/' title='I was asked to MC the local Christmas Carnival the other day. I. Loved. It. I have a radio background and am very comfortable with a microphone and going up to talk to people I don’t know. I think they got more than they bargained for – instead of just introducing the different entertainment acts […]'>Re-living my best self</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://rivettingkatetaylor.com/2022/12/19/monday-mornings/' title='Dear Monday. I want to break up. I’m seeing Tuesday and dreaming of Friday. It’s not me; it’s you. It feels like this is going to be a week where I’m going to be asking if it’s Friday, by 10am this morning. I have some stories to write (make that quite a few) for NZ […]'>Monday mornings</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://rivettingkatetaylor.com/2022/12/04/getting-back-to-basics/' title='I haven’t been writing on rivettingkatetaylor.com for a while (if a decade counts as a while between friends…) Since I started the blog, Facebook has taken a large chunk of my time and attention. Lately, I’ve also been posting on LinkedIn. But it’s not writing in the informal (lazy?) style that I like. It’s just […]'>Getting back to basics</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://rivettingkatetaylor.com/2016/09/29/spring-in-eketahuna/' title='A trip back from Wellington a few weeks ago was a great chance to do a story in Wairarapa… so a call to some old Young Farmers colleagues was in order. Ian and Janet Woodhouse farm near Eketahuna and I did a wee piece on one of their QEII blocks for the Dominion Post a […]'>Spring in Eketahuna</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://rivettingkatetaylor.com/2016/09/19/another-week-ahead/' title='Hi – this is me, trying to rejuvenate my personal writing on rivettingkatetaylor.com because after all, I pay for domain. The legs aren’t mine, they belong to Tania Kerr, who I wrote about in NZ Farmer this week. No, she’s not kicking the lambs – she’s trying to walk without kicking the lambs! Tania can spend […]'>Another week ahead</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://rivettingkatetaylor.com/2016/08/14/changing-seasons-at-patoka-station/' title='The seasons are changing at Patoka Station and less reliable rainfall is affecting the way it’s farmed. It looks green but the grass is much shorter than normal for late winter. That picture is about to change, though owners Ben and Suzie Crosse are unaware of it as they discuss their upcoming lambing, starting from […]'>Changing seasons at Patoka Station</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://rivettingkatetaylor.com/2016/07/07/five-generations-at-the-top-of-nz-herefords/' title='This week’s drive took me south about an hour and a half to the farming district between Akitio and Weber, south east of Dannevirke. This is the view south from a high point on the farm (gorgeous day for it, although the wind was a tad fresh!) There are many people who have taken jobs […]'>Five generations at the top of NZ Herefords</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474754" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.uptownsheep.com/2/feed" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.uptownsheep.com/uptown-girl---a-working-farm-wifes-blog" title="Uptown Girl - A (working) Farm Wife\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Blog">Uptown Farm</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.uptownsheep.com/uptown-girl---a-working-farm-wifes-blog/day-date-at-the-patch' title='Making time for each other doesn’t have to be complicated, fancy, or expensive. In fact, it can be just the opposite! If you’re looking for a day date that celebrates some of the best things in rural Missouri, we’ve got you covered! Stop 1: Pigskin 119 E Brooks StreetBrookfield, MO 64628Saturdays 11 AM – 1:30 AM (food service stops at 9)Sundays 11 AM – 8 P […]'>Day Date at The Patch</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.uptownsheep.com/uptown-girl---a-working-farm-wifes-blog/the-best-four-years-of-your-life' title='Hey kid,This time of year always makes me think of you. Proms, summer breaks and graduations. High school. The best four years of your life, they claim. Do it all. Do it right. Don’t mess it up. Get it figured out. Keep it together. Relax. Have fun. Smile pretty...No a real smile, not a fake smile.I’m going to be real though. The best four years of your life […]'>The best four years of your life</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.uptownsheep.com/uptown-girl---a-working-farm-wifes-blog/hey-girls' title='Hey girls,Here we are again, nearing the height of the spring season, and things are about to get crazy. But this isn’t our first rodeo, we know what’s coming and won’t break a sweat. Here’s the thing though. We’ve gotten tougher, smarter and more independent because that’s what this way of life forces you to do. But we didn’t start here. Even if you can’t r […]'>Hey girls...</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.uptownsheep.com/uptown-girl---a-working-farm-wifes-blog/smoked-leg-of-lamb1733854' title='To check availability of Uptown Farms lamb or beef, visit here.It's time to stop being intimidated by lamb! Lamb is fantastic meat to wow a crowd and much easier to prepare than most people think. Here are a few quick tips for buying and cooking lamb:Look for American lamb. This is not a safety issue so don't panic if you've already purchas […]'>Smoked Leg of Lamb</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.uptownsheep.com/uptown-girl---a-working-farm-wifes-blog/carbon-bank' title='Everyone is all paper straws, and bicycles, and reusable grocery bags and water bottles, and then we’re over here like, “Here’s our dirt.”Actually, we call it soil. And we have to make that clarification or our college soil professor will drive down here and make it for us.But seriously. Did you know our soil, when managed right, is a massive carbon bank? Th […]'>Carbon Bank</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.uptownsheep.com/uptown-girl---a-working-farm-wifes-blog/developing-a-great-pyrenees-into-a-poultry-guardian' title='When we first started raising working Great Pyrenees puppies, our dogs went almost exclusively to sheep and goat farms or occasionally to guard cattle herds. But initially, we fielded no requests at all for poultry dogs. Fast forward to today, and sometimes as many as half the pups in a single Uptown Farms litter are being sent to farms to actively guard bir […]'>Developing a Great Pyrenees into a poultry guardian</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.uptownsheep.com/uptown-girl---a-working-farm-wifes-blog/pumpkin-crisp' title='It’s fall! Around here that means harvest and our harvest isn’t just corn and soybeans, but pumpkins as well.Below is one of our very favorite pumpkin recipes. Two things to note regarding this recipe - the extra work of using fresh pumpkin purée is 100% worth it and although this is a great dish for your cast iron skillet, it can also be prepared in a cake […]'>Pumpkin Crisp</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.uptownsheep.com/uptown-girl---a-working-farm-wifes-blog/pumpkin-puree' title='Making fresh pumpkin purée is easy and delicious. It can be frozen for long term storage as well.Different pumpkins will have different tastes, color and texture, so if you feel adventurous, try a few different types. The seed flavor and texture can vary as well, making for a fun and unique snack if you like roasted pumpkin seeds. The classic pie pumpkins ar […]'>Pumpkin purée</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.uptownsheep.com/uptown-girl---a-working-farm-wifes-blog/fence' title='“There’s always fence to be fixed.”People say this all the time about life on a farm. I don’t know if I heard it before I married a farmer or not. But if I did, I didn’t get it. Much like a lot of the people who say it, I wouldn’t have understood just how true it is. I didn’t know it wasn’t an over exaggeration in the least. If I had understood that, I might […]'>Fence</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.uptownsheep.com/uptown-girl---a-working-farm-wifes-blog/lost-rock' title='Monday morning I was curled up at my desk, and glanced down at my hand.My heart stopped. My diamond. Gone. What?My mind started racing to where it could be. The morning before at church, I remembered spinning my ring around my finger while our preacher was challenging us. The diamonds were there.But since then? Oh Lord help me.I’d been picking pumpkins in a […]'>Lost rock.</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474764" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com" title="Thoughts on public policy and the media">Barrie Saunders</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com/2025/03/16/wellington-water-woes/' title='Clearly the massive failures at Wellington Water are embedded in the system and not the fault of any one individual. The leadership has to accept ownership of the failures. Much more important is the fix before more ratepayers cash is flushed out by those who have exploited the many weaknesses in the system. To me … Continue reading Wellington Water woes → […]'>Wellington Water woes</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com/2025/03/13/why-are-we-recycling-retirees/' title='The appointment of semi-retired Brian Roche as Public Service Commissioner, has raised more than eyebrows of the Integrity Institute concerned about possible conflicts of interest. For those unaware Brian has had a stellar career mostly in the private sector but has undertaken numerous government roles. The real question is why did the government press Brian […]'>Why are we recycling retirees?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com/2025/03/05/media-reform-have-your-say/' title='The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is conducting a survey with “proposals to create modern media legislation”. A worthy exercise but the actual online standard format is extremely clunky, not at all clear in parts and seemed repetitious. For me it gets a D. A pity because media is too important to be left to … Continue reading “Media” some dangerous pro […]'>“Media” some dangerous proposals</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com/2025/02/26/school-lunches-saga-time-for-a-rethink/' title='David Seymour has certainly attracted heaps of flak over the single provider for the school lunch programme. Despite the media noise we don’t know yet how the lunches are going down with the majority of school pupils. That should be assessed on an ongoing basis and the public informed. Somewhat missing from public discourse is … Continue reading School lun […]'>School lunches saga – time for a re-think</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com/2025/02/03/the-growth-puzzle-its-cultural/' title='Along with many, I have long wondered why is that the NZ economy doesn’t grow at a much faster clip, instead of slipping slowly down international rankings of GDP per capita, particularly compared to Australia. My economic rationalist friends recommend more deregulation, cut the size of government and reduce taxes, particularly the company tax rate … Continu […]'>The growth puzzle – its cultural</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com/2024/06/19/a-well-reasoned-article-you-wont-see-in-legacy-media-which-has-abdicated-its-responsibility/' title=''>A well reasoned article you won’t see in legacy media which has abdicated its responsibility</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com/2024/04/26/open-letter-to-hon-paul-goldsmith/' title='Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment Traditional broadcasting free to air content through either satellite or terrestrial transmitters is on its way out but … Continue reading Open letter […]'>Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com/2024/03/10/utopia-and-government/' title='Update March 11, 2024 If you think something is not quite right with our Government of any persuasion but are not quite sure, there is a simple solution, just subscribe to Netflix and watch “Utopia”. In the most recent season you will see exactly what is wrong. Shallow Australian politicians working with truly hopeless government … Continue reading Utopia an […]'>Utopia and government</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com/2024/03/10/tv-layoffs-not-a-threat-to-democracy/' title='Update March 12, 2024 A few weeks ago I joined some contemporaries by abandoning the near sixty year habit of watching nightly TV news. I dropped it because I felt it did not give me real information that I had not acquired from other media sources, including some I pay for – The Economist, the … Continue reading TV layoffs not a threat to democracy →'>TV layoffs not a threat to democracy</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://barriesaunders.wordpress.com/2024/03/10/reading-media-bouquet/' title='Both Matt Nippert of the NZ Herald and Tom Hunt of The Post deserve a bouquet for their analyses of the truly remarkable deal between the Wellington City Council (WCC) and the troubled American Cinema company Reading. For this who don’t know, Reading owns a large (more than 14, 000 square metres or 1.4 hectares) … Continue reading Reading deal – rare media b […]'>Reading deal – rare media bouquet</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-296634591" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/" title="">Quoteunquotenz</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/2020/08/waikato-times-letter-of-week-92.html' title=' From the edition of Saturday 22 August. As always, spelling, punctuation, grammar and logic are exactly as printed in the Waikato Times. Driver licensing Some readers may recall when the (now) Dame Shipley reneged on the permanent NZ Driver’s Licence paper one being changed to plastic with driver photo. Part of the changeover involved being told to look int […]'>Waikato Times letter of the week #92</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/2020/07/waikato-times-letter-of-week-91.html' title='From the edition of Wednesday 8 July. As always, spelling, punctuation, grammar and logic are exactly as printed in the Waikato Times Water rights 1 Having just read my copy of the Waikato Times, June 20, mine is just a small voice – so – I would like to call on your considerable force. Asking you to endeavour to get “the powers that be” to see some common s […]'>Waikato Times letter of the week #91</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-curated-mix-of-artisans.html' title='From Cuisine, January 2020 issue, p50: If you fancy a yoga class followed by a cleansing organic juice (sipped through a bamboo straw) and then maybe a hand-crafted Paris Brest pastry oozing with hazelnut cream just to keep the balance right, head straight down to The Welder, a complex in the progressive South Town neighbourhood of Christchurch where the hos […]'>A curated mix of artisans</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/2019/12/holding-pattern.html' title='I am to attend the next meeting of the Hamilton Press Club on Friday the 13th – speaker: Patrick Gower – so should have a report to post next week. Also there is very good news about the new fellows for the Randell Cottage and Grimshaw Sargeson residential fellowships – I am on the selection panel for both – but until they are announced, it’s all a bit Wittg […]'>Holding pattern</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/2019/09/bert-hingley.html' title='Sad news that Bert Hingley, the legendary New Zealand publisher at Hodder & Stoughton in New Zealand, died on Tuesday 3 September. In his publishing days here he was a rock star, publishing Sue McCauley, Russell Haley, Philip Temple, Pat Hanly and many others. I watched from a distance – I was merely a book reviewer – but was astonished to find that a p […]'>Bert Hingley</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/2019/08/waikato-times-letter-of-week-90.html' title='From the edition of Saturday 31 August. As always, spelling, punctuation, grammar and logic are exactly as printed in the Waikato Times. Swainson cops a thrashing In reference to the opinion piece by a 53-yr-old Richard Swainson on August 24: “Alan Jones gives old men a bad name”. Really? I question such envy driven and virtue signalling self indulgent socia […]'>Waikato Times letter of the week #90</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/2019/02/mark-amery-on-laura-solomon.html' title='The writer Laura Solomon died on Monday, aged 44, of brain cancer. Her first novel, Black Light, was published in 1996; her second, Nothing Lasting, in 1997. Since then she was incredibly prolific in fiction, poems and essays: the last book I have is the 2017 short-story collection Alternative Medicine but there is much more listed at www.laurasolomon.co.nz, […]'>Mark Amery on Laura Solomon</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/2019/02/stephanie-johnson-on-peter-wells.html' title='To mark the death of writer and film-maker Peter Wells on Monday, the 103rd in this occasional series of reprints from Quote Unquote the magazine is from the fourth issue, September 1993. The photograph and cover shot are by Simon Young: this was possibly the first time a mainstream New Zealand magazine sold in supermarkets had an out gay man on the cover. T […]'>Stephanie Johnson on Peter Wells</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/2019/01/waikato-times-letter-of-week-89.html' title='From the edition of Thursday 10 January. As always, spelling, punctuation, grammar and logic are exactly as printed in the Waikato Times. New measures for drones The impending danger to society was evident from the moment that private drones became a marketable commodity, but politicians world-wide have done nothing to manage their use. How must they act to […]'>Waikato Times letter of the week #89</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://quoteunquotenz.blogspot.com/2018/12/hamilton-press-club-2.html' title='Sadly I was unable to attend the mid-year meet of the Hamilton Press Club, when Land Wars historian Vincent O’Malley was speaker. Press Club meets are usually decorous and respectful but apparently that one got a bit raucous when perma-polite Don Brash asked a disobliging question. Herald journalist Kirsty Johnston was there and tweeted (since deleted but th […]'>Hamilton Press Club #2</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474768" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://blogtheglobe.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://blogtheglobe.com/" title="Freelance journalist, Travel writer, Blogger -">Blog the Globe</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://blogtheglobe.com/we-are-sailing-with-seabourn-venture-to-antarctica-to-explore-the-antarctica-peninsula-and-see-whales-penguins-and-seals/' title='After 10 great days in Argentina, visiting Cordoba and Salta we are finally in Buenos Aires, ready to catch our flight to Ushuaia and board Seabourn Venture, our expedition ship to Antarctica. I'm excited, as I'm an explorer at heart. Visiting the fifth largest continent, that's technically a desert, (as its rainfall is only 200mm), [...] The […]'>My 12 day expedition to Antarctica</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://blogtheglobe.com/the-city-of-salta-is-located-in-the-lerma-valley-at-the-foothills-of-the-andes-mountains-and-is-surrounded-by-incredible-rock-formations-andsalt-plains/' title='Salta We flew from Cordoba to Salta in Argentina, taking a little over a hour. The city of Salta is located in the Lerma Valley at the foothills of the Andes mountains in the northwest part of Argentina. Its population is about half a million people. We stayed at a delightful property, The House of [...] The post Salta – Argentina appeared first on Blog the […]'>Salta – Argentina</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://blogtheglobe.com/cordoba-is-the-second-largest-city-in-argentina/' title='After a couple of days in Santiago, our next stop was Cordoba, Argentina, followed by a few days in Salta, before the the big white continent. Cordoba Cordoba, is an hour flight from Santiago, Chile. It’s the second largest city in Argentina, after Buenos Aires, with a population of 1.5 million people. Accommodation in Cordoba [...] The post Cordoba, Argenti […]'>Cordoba, Argentina</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://blogtheglobe.com/48-hours-in-santiago-chile/' title='We’ve just had a couple of days in Santiago, on route to Antarctica. We flew Latam Airways from New Zealand taking about 11 hours. I’m not sure I would choose Latam by choice, but it was the best on offer and here were are. They are expensive as they basically have a monopoly over the [...] The post Santiago, Chile – what to do in 48 hours appeared first on […]'>Santiago, Chile – what to do in 48 hours</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://blogtheglobe.com/a-taste-of-tunisia-plus-a-7-day-itinerary/' title='So here we are in Tunisia after a wonderful two weeks in Tuscany. We’re well rested and ready to explore this ancient country. Before we left home, friends asked me, why Tunisia, as it’s a country not many New Zealanders have travelled too. The answer is simple. I love an adventure, somewhere a little off [...] The post A taste of Tunisia, PLUS a 7-day itine […]'>A taste of Tunisia, PLUS a 7-day itinerary.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://blogtheglobe.com/the-highlights-of-florence-with-grandchildren/' title='We are staying at our favourite villa in Tuscany, Villa Podere Brogi, with the family; our children, their partners and our six delightful grandchildren. The pool at Villa Podere Brogi. One of our deicious catered meals at the villa. One of the great benefits of staying in Tuscany is you’re not [...] The post The highlights of Florence, with grandchildren ap […]'>The highlights of Florence, with grandchildren</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://blogtheglobe.com/rome/' title='We have come to Rome, not on our own this time, but with our three children, their partners and six grandchildren, a small party of 14. Yes, it is literally a travelling circus, but a very fun one. We've come to Rome to catch our breath and get in the time zone, before returning to [...] The post Travelling with grandchildren in Rome appeared first on B […]'>Travelling with grandchildren in Rome</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://blogtheglobe.com/celebrating-at-the-headwater-eco-lodge-glenorchy/' title='It takes a special friend, celebrating a special birthday, to bring people together and have an adventure at The Headwaters Eco Lodge in Glenorchy . Our birthday girl. Forty minutes from Queenstown, at the head of Lake Wakatipu, is Glenorchy, a small sleepy town in the middle of no-where. We were looking for [...] The post Celebrating at The Headwater Eco Lo […]'>Celebrating at The Headwater Eco Lodge, Glenorchy</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://blogtheglobe.com/tokoriki/' title='We haven’t been to Fiji for years, but decided a few days in the warmth would be relaxing. It’s not that we have little children or are sleep deprived, but it’s nice to occasionally do nothing but think, reflect and plan, even for the active relaxer. When I’m at home I’m always sweating the small [...] The post Tokoriki Island Resort – 20 photos to inspire y […]'>Tokoriki Island Resort – 20 photos to inspire you</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://blogtheglobe.com/beautiful-mallorca-where-to-stay-and-what-to-do/' title='This post has been a long time coming as I actually visited Mallorca late last year, however the trip did not go to plan. In fact, the trip was fraught with problems which has perhaps stalled my thoughts. However, I have decided to post now, as Mallorca is a beautiful Spanish island and I think [...] The post Beautiful Mallorca – where to stay and what to do […]'>Beautiful Mallorca – where to stay and what to do</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474757" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com" title="... chiefly New Zealand politics that is...but occasionally on other pertinent matters, especially things football ...this is the blog of John Armstrong, former political correspondent for the New Zealand Herald">Armstrong on Politics</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/2016/11/10/the-democrats-debacle-some-lessons-from-donald-trumps-triumph-and-hillary-clintons-humival-ation/' title='In no particular order, here are some initial reflections on the lessons the Democrats ought to take on board when they conduct their post-mortem on Hillary Clinton’s flawed campaign for the American presidency. * Don’t let your opponent dictate the agenda. Everyone knew exactly what Trump was promising to do if he became president. It is…'>The Democrats’debacle: some lessons from Donald Trump’s triumph and Hillary Clinton’s humiliation</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/2016/11/07/australias-version-of-60-minutes-one-hour-of-tabloid-flavoured-trash/' title='Let’s be blunt. The payment of at least $160,000 — quite possinly more — by Australia’s 60 Minutes programme to Gable Tostee in return for an “exclusive” interview is cheque-book journalism of the most sickening kind. Tostee, of course, is the creep who was last month acquitted of murder and manslaughter following the death of Warriena…'>Australia’s 60 Minutes; one long hour of tabloid trash</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/2016/11/04/gareth-morgans-opportuniities-knocks/' title='Tired of bleating from outside the political tent about what’s going wrong in New Zealand, Gareth Morgan has worked out that he might achieve a whole lot more by by getting inside the Body Politic. In setting up his own party, he is putting his large pots of money where his mouth has long been.…'>Gareth Morgan’s Opportunities knocks</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/2016/10/24/pheonix-rising-part-one-same-old-aussies-always-cheating/' title='If, by chance, you were to ask Football Federation Australia to show a bit of Anzac spirit, the game’s top brass would more than likely rifle through their drinks cabinet searching for a fancy liquor they will never find. Just as there would be no bottles overflowing with the milk of human kindness, especially the…'>Pheonix rising? Part One. Same old Aussies, always cheating.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/2016/10/16/a-litle-goes-the-wrong-way/' title='When the time comes to hand out the annual award for the silliest things politicians have said or done during the year, Andrew Little should be on the short-list. National MP Nuk Korako and his ridiculous private member’s bill on the advertising of lost luggage at airports will he hard to beat. But the Labour…'>A Little goes the wrong way</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/2016/10/08/a-man-in-a-big-hurry/' title='Phil Goff is suddenly talking like someone who already has Auckland’s mayoral chains hanging from his neck. Something has definitely changed. The focus, emphasis and tone of his remarks and replies have undergone a subtle, but noticeable switch. He would deny it until the cow’s come home. But he now sounds like someone has made…'>A man in a big hurry</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/2016/10/02/craig-comes-a-cropper-national-counts-its-blessing/' title='The decline and fall of Colin Craig is a tawdry tale which has all the ingredients of a Mills & Boon romance gone terribly wrong. It is a bodice-ripper on steroids; a grotesque fable of unrequited, but apparently unconsummated love. Someone should turn the whole sorry affair into a steamy soap opera, like the ones…'>Craig comes an awful cropper (twice); National counts its blessings it never struck a deal with the Conservatives’ flawed leader</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/2016/08/26/somethings-in-the-water-somethings-astray-in-the-bay/' title='If it did not already have a name, Havelock North might accurately be called Remuera South. What the Hastings District plan somewhat old-fashionably describes as a “dormitory suburb” housing people who work in Hastings, Napier or elsewhere in Hawkes Bay now has a population of more than 13,000. Despite that, long-time inhabitants still refer to…'>Something’s in the water; something’s astray in the Bay</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/2016/08/02/fox-on-the-run/' title='Not only have Marama Fox and the rest of the Maori Party made absolutely the wrong call in refusing to back Helen Clark’s bid for the top job at the United Nations. The party’s co-leader has also been incredibly stupid. Fox was so consumed with climbing onto her high horse of indigenous rights this week…'>Fox on the run: Marama miscues</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/auckland-housing-part-one-not-everything-is-big-in-texas/' title=' PROPERTY FOR SALE Ranch-style home on set-back section, 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms. Kitchen has view to heated pool and private outdoor area. Deck on multiple levels. Kitchen has double oven, glass cooktop and microwave. Master bedroom has private outdoor access. Main bathroom has jetted tub, his/hers shower heads & double vanity. Several floor to ceiling… […]'>Auckland housing Part One: Not everything is big in Texas</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474762" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/" title="The Breaking Views blog is administered by the New Zealand Centre for Political Research at NZCPR.com. The views expressed are those of the author alone. ">Breaking Views</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2025/04/ian-bradford-can-we-really-believe.html' title=''>Ian Bradford: Can we really believe anything the climate alarmists tell us? </a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2025/04/karl-du-fresne-my-war-with-nzta-part-one.html' title=''>Karl du Fresne: My war with the NZTA: Part One</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2025/03/breaking-views-update-week-of-30325.html' title=''>Breaking Views Update: Week of 30.3.25</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2025/04/professor-robert-macculloch-trumps_01881146602.html' title=''>Professor Robert MacCulloch: Trump's Tariffs will boost NZ's GDP</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2025/04/andrew-moran-trump-axes-globalization.html' title=''>Andrew Moran: Trump Axes Globalization With Sweeping Tariffs</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2025/04/kerry-woodham-are-our-mental-health.html' title=''>Kerry Woodham: Are our mental health services working?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2025/04/peter-williams-we-need-full-story-on.html' title=''>Peter Williams: We need the full story on the Treaty Principles Bill</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2025/04/jc-time-is-now.html' title=''>JC: The Time Is Now</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2025/04/david-farrar-labours-unfortunate.html' title=''>David Farrar: Labour’s unfortunate experiment</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2025/04/mikes-minute-i-have-loved-my-years-in.html' title=''>Mike's Minute: I have loved my years in the media game</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474759" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.agrarian.co.nz/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.agrarian.co.nz/" title="Rural sales and marketing training company.">Agrarian</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.agrarian.co.nz/blog/heres-why-youve-been-getting-the-concept-of-value-wrong-all-along/' title='Let’s talk about the one word that gets tossed around in rural sales and marketing like confetti: value. We all love to talk about value propositions, but here’s the hard truth: most of us get it wrong. Why? Because we think of value as something abstract or one-dimensional, when in reality, trust is the ultimate […] The post Here’s Why You’ve Been Getting […]'>Here’s Why You’ve Been Getting the Concept of Value Wrong All Along</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.agrarian.co.nz/blog/fed-up-with-pushback-on-pricing-heres-how-to-take-control/' title='Price pressure is as common in agri-sales as mud on your boots. If you’re not careful, it can pulverize your margins and force you into a downward spiral of discounts that lead to destruction. It often feels like price is the only lever you have to pull to stay competitive. But here’s the truth: you’ve […] The post Fed Up with Pushback on Pricing? Here’s Ho […]'>Fed Up with Pushback on Pricing? Here’s How to Take Control</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.agrarian.co.nz/blog/the-harsh-truth-why-newsletters-only-work-when-theyre-newsworthy/' title='Let’s get real: if your newsletters aren’t working, the problem isn’t the channel—it’s your content. Too often, I see rural marketers quick to blame the platform when results don’t meet expectations. It’s never their content’s fault; it’s always the channel that gets the blame. But here’s the truth: the channel is only as good as […] The post The Harsh Tru […]'>The Harsh Truth: Why Newsletters Only Work When They’re Newsworthy</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.agrarian.co.nz/blog/we-just-need-to-increase-awareness-awareness-of-what-exactly/' title='Ah, the classic marketing cliché: “We just need to raise awareness.” Or its cousin: “We just need to get our name out there more.” Every time I hear this, I have to ask: “Awareness of what, exactly?” Here’s the thing: general awareness is meaningless. It’s vague, forgettable, and expensive. Specificity, on the other hand, is […] The post “We Just Need to I […]'>“We Just Need to Increase Awareness”… Awareness of What, Exactly?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.agrarian.co.nz/blog/would-you-pass-the-trusted-advisor-test/' title='The role of a trusted advisor is hallowed ground in rural sales. Many talk the talk, but few walk the walk. Becoming a trusted advisor isn’t an overnight achievement. You can’t just pop a magic pill and announce, “Hey everyone, I’m now a trusted advisor. You can trust me!” Trust doesn’t work like that. It’s […] The post Would You Pass the Trusted Advisor Te […]'>Would You Pass the Trusted Advisor Test?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.agrarian.co.nz/blog/the-pain-problem-gap-how-to-dig-deeper-and-sell-smarter-in-rural-sales/' title='Here’s the thing about problems: they’re public. Pains, on the other hand, are private. If you want to make more sales, you need to stop focusing on problems and start uncovering pains. Why? Because pains are specific, personal, and often the real motivators behind action. The truth is, pains drive urgency. When something hurts enough, […] The post The Pai […]'>The Pain-Problem Gap: How to Dig Deeper and Sell Smarter in Rural Sales</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.agrarian.co.nz/blog/flip-the-script-focus-on-the-buyer-not-the-sale-to-close-more-rural-deals/' title='Here’s a truth bomb for rural sales teams: no one sells anything without someone buying. It seems obvious, right? But too often, salespeople focus so much on selling that they forget the crucial part of the equation: the buyer. The problem? Most rural sales teams are obsessed with the process of selling when they should […] The post Want to Close More Rura […]'>Want to Close More Rural Deals? Focus on the Buyer Instead of the Sale</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.agrarian.co.nz/blog/educate-to-dominate-the-market-how-knowledge-drives-rural-marketing-leadership/' title='Rural marketing can be a tough gig. Recently, we asked some of you what challenges you’re struggling with most, and the responses were revealing. Three key themes stood out: How to better qualify leads. How to shorten sales cycles and lower the cost to acquire. How to convince prospects to take action and buy. Sound […] The post Educate to Dominate the Marke […]'>Educate to Dominate the Market: How Knowledge Drives Rural Marketing Leadership</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.agrarian.co.nz/how-to-shape-better-conversations-perfect-the-implication-question-for-rural-sales-wins/' title='Have you mastered the art of the implication question? If not, you’re leaving money—and opportunities—on the table. In rural sales, it’s easy to stick to surface-level questions. But if you want real breakthroughs, you need to dig deeper. You need to talk about impact and implications. Why? Because that’s the language of business owners—the language […] The […]'>How to Shape Better Conversations: Perfect the Implication Question for Rural Sales Wins</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.agrarian.co.nz/blog/turning-price-shoppers-into-value-buyers-in-rural-sales/' title='Every rural salesperson knows this classic line: “I’m just after a price right now.” It’s the verbal equivalent of hitting a brick wall. But here’s the thing: when someone leads with price, it’s not the whole story. It’s a defense mechanism—a way for prospects to protect themselves. Your job isn’t to push back or roll […] The post How to Handle and Transfor […]'>How to Handle and Transform Price Shoppers into Value Buyers in Rural Sales</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-8" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/OffsettingBehaviour" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/" title="">Offsetting Behaviour</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2025/02/maybe-allow-competition.html' title='The Initiative's Insights newsletter generally concludes with a more light-hearted column.The case that our Michael Johnston took on in it this week lent itself to lots of different approaches. This was my take on the same topic - but from a different angle. Because I tend to think about things in terms of statutory barriers to entry. And Jennifer Robac […]'>Maybe allow competition?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2024/11/misuse-of-land-use-planning.html' title='If you thought McDonald's was some kind of public health hazard, using processes under the Resource Management Act to try to block one from opening in Wanaka would be among the stupidest possible ways of dealing with it. The country already has food safety regulations. If you thought that (in fact delicious and fine) McDonald's food were actually t […]'>Misuse of land use planning</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2024/11/this-will-not-end-well.html' title='I still think Rod Carr had this stuff right two decades ago when he'd argued against having deposit insurance at all, and instead making very clear that government would never bail out depositors. People can argue the toss about hard caveat emptor versus some perfect deposit insurance scheme with full risk-based pricing and whether following through wit […]'>This will not end well</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2024/10/where-are-food-carts.html' title='I still don't get why there aren't more food carts on Wellington's waterfront. On a good sunny day, you might find, along a stretch of gorgeous waterfront more than two kilometres long, all of it close to downtown, 2-3 food carts. Meanwhile, downtown Christchurch restaurants are worried about the Arts Centre's plan to host around 30 carts […]'>Where are the food carts?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2024/10/generation-screwed.html' title='I gave a short talk for a new student group last week, Generation Screwed. The event was joint with Students for Liberty, who seem to be setting up in NZ!They'd asked about debt, tax burden, and intergenerational issues. I put together a few starter-notes to let them know where I was coming from; I've copied those below. The cleanest measure of the […]'>Generation screwed?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2024/10/rebuilding-one-bit-of-state-capacity.html' title='New Zealand's immigration bureaucracy isn't in the best of shape. So it's interesting to read this piece from the Niskanen Center on Biden's refugee resettlement programme, and how it provides an example of rebuilding state capacity. President Biden set ambitious refugee resettlement goals—62,500 for 2021 and 125,000 for 2022. However, th […]'>Rebuilding one bit of state capacity</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2024/10/what-planet-are-they-on.html' title='New Zealand's newspaper chiefs' views on how the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill works is somewhat at odds with the text of the Bill. Google today, admirably, said they'll stop linking to New Zealand news outlets in search if the Bill goes ahead. News Publishers' Association's Andrew Holden and Stuff's Sinead Boucher aren […]'>What planet are they on?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2024/09/loss-aversion-or-mistakes.html' title='Super-neat paper coming out in the AER by Ryan Oprea: Decisions under risk are decisions under complexity. The abstract:We provide evidence that classic lottery anomalies like probability weighting and loss aversion are not special phenomena of risk. They also arise (and often with equal strength) when subjects evaluate deterministic, positive monetary payme […]'>Loss aversion or mistakes?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2024/09/monkeypox-and-medsafe.html' title='In a sane world, medicines and vaccines already approved by trustworthy overseas regulators would automatically be able to be used in New Zealand as well.New Zealand is not sane. But neither is anywhere else really on that standard. Other places are just faster than NZ in getting things approved, with more practicable pathways for expedited review. If a medi […]'>Monkeypox and Medsafe</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2024/09/levine-on-arbitrage.html' title='I should have signed up for Matt Levine's newsletter ages ago; finally did so. His bit on the Spotify arbitrage play was magnificent. I don’t know, man. We have talked a few times about Avi Eisenberg, the Mango Markets guy, who found a manipulatable cryptocurrency market, manipulated the heck out of it, made tens of millions of dollars, was arrested, de […]'>Levine on arbitrage</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474726" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com" title="Dealing with the endless "oughts" of parenting and autism.">Autism & Oughtimsms</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2020/11/30/my-new-blog-sounding-out-dyslexia/' title='As you’ll have noticed, my original blog Autism and Oughtisms has been inactive for a couple of years. A key reason for this was receiving a dyslexia diagnosis for my youngest son (who also has autism) and the need to … Continue reading →'>My New Blog: Sounding Out Dyslexia</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2018/06/09/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-clicks/' title='This is my last blog post. There are a number of reasons I’m moving on, that have been impacting me for a while and have now become too overwhelming to continue this blog (nothing too scary – I’m OK!). But … Continue reading →'>So long, and thanks for all the clicks :)</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2017/12/19/five-or-six-diagnoses-two-woo-tastic-communities-and-an-eight-year-old-under-a-pohutukawa-tree/' title='My eight year old is collecting diagnoses like it’s going out of fashion. We’re up to five (with a sixth in contention). He has confirmed diagnoses of autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dysgraphia, anxiety, and potentially has ADHD. All these long, scary … Continue reading →'>Five (or Six) Diagnoses, Two Woo-tastic Communities, and an Eight Year Old Under a Pohutukawa Tree</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2017/07/23/drowning-in-need-autism-and-swimming-in-new-zealand/' title='The ability to swim is particularly vital for autistic children, as they are 160 times more likely to drown than other children are. That shocking statistic is a result of many factors, including that about 50% of autistic children wander, … Continue reading →'>Drowning in Need: Autism and Swimming in New Zealand</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2017/07/19/choose-your-battles-and-dealing-with-those-who-didnt-get-their-copy-of-the-battle-plan/' title='Autism never affects a singular aspect of a person, and from a parenting perspective the myriad of ways in which autism impacts on your child is overwhelming. When you first get your child’s diagnosis, it is followed by a realisation … Continue reading →'>“Choose Your Battles” (and dealing with those who didn’t get their copy of the battle plan)</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2017/04/05/understanding-the-cuts-to-idea-autism-services/' title='This post has been updated, due to important new information being revealed during question time in parliament, on April 6th. There has been a flurry of concerning stories of late, about changes to the autism services, supports, and programmes provided … Continue reading →'>Understanding the cuts to IDEA autism services * UPDATED *</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2017/04/05/revelations/' title='When I was dragged into the world of disability by my eldest son, I was forced to confront a lot of new and uncomfortable truths – truths about people, about society, and about myself. I couldn’t stay who I was … Continue reading →'>Revelations</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2017/02/25/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-a-school-for-a-child-with-special-needs-in-nz/' title='One of the most challenging, and most important, decisions we make as parents of young children with special needs, is where to send them to school. I have two children with various special needs. One of my children has been … Continue reading →'>What to look for when choosing a school for a child with special needs, in NZ</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/we-stand-together-or-we-fall-apart/' title='There is a growing awareness in New Zealand that our education system is not delivering on basic obligations to a significant and vulnerable group of children. This failure of the system affects all of the country’s children: When a child … Continue reading →'>We Stand Together, or We Fall Apart</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2016/10/18/seclusion-versus-time-out-and-alternatives/' title='Why is it so wrong for schools to use seclusion, how is it any different from time out, and is time out a good idea anyway – what are the alternatives? These are important questions, that have come to the … Continue reading →'>Seclusion versus Time Out, and Alternatives</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-252256812" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://www.tvhe.co.nz/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://www.tvhe.co.nz" title="The Visible Hand in Economics">visible hand</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2024/04/22/what-is-an-atar-and-what-does-this-have-to-do-with-income/' title='Cross-post from Substack. Look I’m from New Zealand – so when everyone around me started talking about ATARs I just smiled and nodded. In fact I probably couldn’t talk to most people in New Zealand about education. I’m from the “pre-NCEA” era – where a single end of year exam for five courses, scaled to […]'>What is an ATAR and what does this have to do with income?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2024/03/13/pandemic-preferences-the-case-of-housing/' title='Cross-post from Substack. COVID was a pretty big life shock for all of us – with uncertainty about the virus, and the magnitude of government interventions associated with it, leading people to change their way of doing things across a number of dimensions of their life. One of the clearest changes was the decision of […]'>Pandemic preferences – the case of housing</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2024/02/21/new-year-new-steam-sale/' title='Cross post from Substack I keep receiving emails that Star Wars Squadron is only $2.50. Wild! I love Star Wars, and when I was a kid I loved flying around all the planes and stuff. But why such a big special? And why are lots of computer games on a big sale now? I mean […]'>New Year, New Steam Sale</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2024/01/24/how-did-our-2023-forecasts-go/' title='Cross posted on Substack. At the close of 2022, Gulnara and I thought it would be fun to pop up some forecasts for 2023. So what were they and how did we do? The forecasts It appears we made four forecasts: Right, nice consistent story – two changes in the underlying economy, two policy responses. […]'>How did our 2023 forecasts go?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2023/12/26/where-have-all-the-good-boxing-day-sales-gone/' title='Cross post from Substack. It’s Boxing Day – and I’ve already used up the idea of discussing the now largely missing Boxing Day sales. And the idea that Boxing Day is increasingly lame is common across years. So instead the focus of today will be on a different industrial economics topic – the state of […]'>Where have all the good Boxing Day sales gone</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2023/12/21/unrealised-losses-high-interest-rates-and-financial-market-distress/' title='Cross-posted from substack. I’ve been seeing a lot of the following around the place: Looks pretty scary right – red columns go lower than during the Global Financial Crisis :O However, these big red columns are a bit misleading. The data is true – financial institutions holding government bonds have made large unrealised losses on […]'>Unrealised losses, high interest rates, and financial market distress</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2023/12/19/what-can-a-new-lawnmower-tell-us-about-labour-markets/' title='Cross posted from Substack. A few years ago Gulnara and I made a video on unemployment. Although this was a particularly unpopular video, it was actually one of our favourites – and we keep thinking about ways we want to expand the story of our friend JM. In this video we give examples of how […]'>What can a new lawnmower tell us about labour markets?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2023/12/12/cost-of-job-loss-wage-scarring/' title='Cross posted from Substack. Previously we’ve talked about the cost of job loss in terms of revealed consumption responses – i.e. how do individuals cut their spending following job loss. This is a useful concept, and there is going to be more to say on this in the next year. But a more basic point […]'>Cost of job loss: Wage scarring</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2023/05/19/was-the-new-zealand-2023-24-budget-inflationary/' title='Yesterday the New Zealand Budget was released and described as “surprisingly frilly” for a no-frills Budget. As a result, is it inflationary? My answer is “no idea” – I just wanted to use the same title as the Australian Budget post. You yell inflation at me and I say “monetary policy offset through higher interest […]'>Was the New Zealand 2023/24 Budget inflationary?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2023/05/18/how-much-does-benefit-abatement-influence-labour-supply/' title='A common refrain when talking about unemployment benefits is the Iron Triangle of Welfare. If we are only going to spend a fixed amount on welfare payments, then there is a trade-off between the size of the payment and the incentive to work – where the incentive to work is captured by how much of […]'>How much does benefit abatement influence labour supply?</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474751" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/StatsChat" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.statschat.org.nz" title=""Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write." - H.G. Wells">Stats Chat</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.statschat.org.nz/2025/04/04/bike-data/' title='Tim Welch has produced a nice Auckland Cycleways Dashboard (it’s a draft at the moment, or ‘beta’ as we nerds say). Here are some of the University-relevant routes (click to embiggen, as usual) These are based on the Auckland Transport cycle counters, which are good for the city centre and major bike paths, but less […] The post Bike data first appeared on S […]'>Bike data</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.statschat.org.nz/2025/04/03/tariff-co-incidence/' title='The tariffs announced by President Trump are based on what he describes as tariffs imposed by other countries on the US. These don’t bear any obvious relationship to the numbers that ordinary economists would describe as tariffs However, a poster on Twitter, @nonagonono, found there is a strong relationship between the claimed tariff and the […] The post Tar […]'>Tariff co-incidence</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.statschat.org.nz/2025/04/03/food-bank-demand-and-supply/' title='One News had a story based on a press release from NZ Food Network. NZFN are a very worthwhile organisation. They coordinate donations and purchasing of bulk food for food banks, which they same amounts to about 45% of the food being distributed. If you were looking to donate to an organisation that helps feed […] The post Food bank demand and supply fir […]'>Food bank demand and supply</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.statschat.org.nz/2025/04/01/united-rugby-championship-predictions-for-week-15-4/' title='Team Ratings for Week 15 The basic method is described on my Department home page. Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season. Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference Leinster 13.06 12.09 1.00 Glasgow 9.54 9.39 0.10 Bulls 8.88 8.83 0.10 Munster […] The post United Rugby Championship Predic […]'>United Rugby Championship Predictions for Week 15</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.statschat.org.nz/2025/04/01/top-14-predictions-for-round-21-6/' title='Team Ratings for Round 21 The basic method is described on my Department home page. Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season. Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference Stade Toulousain 12.71 8.76 3.90 Toulon 6.83 5.32 1.50 Bordeaux Begles 5.89 3.96 […] The post Top 14 Predictions for Round […]'>Top 14 Predictions for Round 21</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.statschat.org.nz/2025/04/01/super-rugby-predictions-for-week-8-5/' title='Team Ratings for Week 8 The basic method is described on my Department home page. Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season. Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference Blues 12.15 14.92 -2.80 Chiefs 11.94 11.43 0.50 Hurricanes 9.26 10.97 -1.70 Crusaders […] The post Super Rugby Predictions f […]'>Super Rugby Predictions for Week 8</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.statschat.org.nz/2025/04/01/rugby-premiership-predictions-for-round-14-8/' title='Team Ratings for Round 14 The basic method is described on my Department home page. Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season. Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference Bath 13.73 5.55 8.20 Sale Sharks 4.22 4.73 -0.50 Leicester Tigers 4.03 3.27 […] The post Rugby Premiership Predictions for […]'>Rugby Premiership Predictions for Round 14</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.statschat.org.nz/2025/04/01/nrl-predictions-for-round-5-12/' title='Team Ratings for Round 5 The basic method is described on my Department home page. Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season. Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference Storm 9.51 9.29 0.20 Panthers 7.20 8.50 -1.30 Sharks 5.16 5.10 0.10 Roosters […] The post NRL Predictions for Round 5 first […]'>NRL Predictions for Round 5</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.statschat.org.nz/2025/04/01/afl-predictions-for-week-5-2/' title='Team Ratings for Week 5 The basic method is described on my Department home page. Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season. Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference Hawthorn Hawks 24.22 21.95 2.30 Brisbane Lions 19.46 22.65 -3.20 Geelong Cats 17.06 […] The post AFL Predictions for Week 5 […]'>AFL Predictions for Week 5</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.statschat.org.nz/2025/03/31/bogus-polls-are-bogus-even-for-the-good-guys/' title='Nature magazine (yes, that one) has a headline 75% of US scientists who answered Nature poll consider leaving. This is a more honest phrasing that one usually gets in bogus poll headlines, but it’s still bogus. The ‘poll’ was Responses were solicited earlier this month on the journal’s website, on social media and in the Nature Briefing e-mail […] The post […]'>Bogus polls are bogus even for the good guys</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-209420811" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://macdoctor.co.nz/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://macdoctor.co.nz" title="Medicine">Macdoctor</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://macdoctor.co.nz/finding-the-best-solicitors-in-sydney/' title='Getting legal advice from an authorized professional lawyer can help you get the relevant information about your legal issue. However, it is important that you ask them the right questions … The post Finding the best solicitors in Sydney appeared first on MAC Doctor. '>Finding the best solicitors in Sydney</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://macdoctor.co.nz/the-importance-of-insurance-for-small-businesses-in-new-zealand/' title='If you have a small business or if you are a new startup, it is important that you go for insurance. Business insurance is a required commodity because it can … The post The importance of insurance for small businesses in New Zealand appeared first on MAC Doctor. '>The importance of insurance for small businesses in New Zealand</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://macdoctor.co.nz/what-you-need-to-keep-in-mind-before-hiring-family-lawyers-in-sydney/' title='It is advisable to consult a family lawyer if there are legal issues arising between you and your partner that includes divorce or settlement. It should be kept in mind … The post What you need to keep in mind before hiring family lawyers in Sydney appeared first on MAC Doctor. '>What you need to keep in mind before hiring family lawyers in Sydney</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://macdoctor.co.nz/high-quality-screen-repairs-for-samsung-phones/' title='Millions of Samsung phones have to go in for repair every single year. The most common repair is for broken screens. The damage done to screens ranges from entire missing … The post High-Quality Screen Repairs for Samsung Phones appeared first on MAC Doctor. '>High-Quality Screen Repairs for Samsung Phones</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://macdoctor.co.nz/what-makes-tax-accountants-important-in-every-small-business/' title='Every small business owner looks for a tax accountant to help them with the Taxes during the tax season. After the tax season, they are done working with the tax … The post What Makes Tax Accountants Important in Every Small Business? appeared first on MAC Doctor. '>What Makes Tax Accountants Important in Every Small Business?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://macdoctor.co.nz/4-major-reasons-why-new-businesses-fail/' title='Some people might say that starting your own business is the American dream. But the reality is, that most businesses fail. In fact, according to Bloomberg, “about half of all … The post 4 Major Reasons Why New Businesses Fail appeared first on MAC Doctor. '>4 Major Reasons Why New Businesses Fail</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://macdoctor.co.nz/you-can-heal-anything-you-are-the-new-medicine/' title='The department of medication into conventional/traditional and option/corresponding didn’t happen by mishap. Humanity overall had to experience both of them previously it prepared for a system of medication whose function … The post You Can Heal Anything: You Are the New Medicine appeared first on MAC Doctor. '>You Can Heal Anything: You Are the New Medicine</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://macdoctor.co.nz/how-to-organize-your-medicine-cabinet/' title='Much like your very own wardrobe, medication cupboards can be rather a mess in some cases, particularly if you have actually great deals of medications kept. Nowadays, with the pharmaceutical … The post How to Organize Your Medicine Cabinet appeared first on MAC Doctor. '>How to Organize Your Medicine Cabinet</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474723" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/" title="">NZ’s Got Talent</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/2016/05/my-work-here-is-done-by-mark-weldon.html' title='"I outlasted the soppy bitch" A blacksmith I am not, though at times in the past months I have felt as though I were pumping up bellows to breathe wind into fires which would not spark (3rd Degree) and bending iron to make shoes to fit hooves that would never work hard enough to justify the labour that had gone into forging those irons (Campbell Li […]'>My Work Here Is Done - by Mark Weldon</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/2015/09/self-indulgent-spoiled-brats-of-world.html' title='You have nothing to lose but your brains (Ed - what little there is of them). Verity Johnson’s Opinion (Ed - which one, there appears many) The end of the world is nigh. Only a couple of months to go. There will be mayhem. Blood and vomit will run freely in the gutters. The city’s bars will heave with the bodies of us bright young things celebrating our last […]'>Self-indulgent Spoiled Brats of the World Unite! - by V for Verity Johnson</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/2015/08/out-there-in-arena-exclusive-extract.html' title='Ladies, if I can do it you can do it. Anyone can do it. There is no excuse for being a 21-year-old solo mum in this country. You can be a multi-millionaire too by the time you are my age – just buy my book and read how to do it. All you need is straight teeth. My teeth are the softest part of me. What’s my age? Hard to judge the answer to that question from […]'>Out There In The Arena - an exclusive extract from Diane Foreman's Biography</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/2015/08/what-about-me-by-jeeves-clifton.html' title='It is high time I got my own column. I have watched as the staff talk politics, write about politics and have political visitors. It cannot be that hard. I mean that Bryce Edwards is so boring that I would rather cuddle a cat than watch him on television. It is very nice of Shayne McLean to give me this opportunity to voice some concerns at a time he is […]'>What About Me? - by Jeeves Clifton</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/2015/08/alex-hazlehust-youve-never-been-loved.html' title='Wake up Alex you silly little bint, you’ve never been loved over here. You thick-as-Bog Irish Kiwis with your nasal accents and flat vowels think you can backpack around London and swan into any job you like just because you fancy yourselves as hard workers? Pull the other one sunshine, it’ll make the Bow Bells chime. And Alex, just in case nobody’s told you […]'>Alex Hazlehust: You've Never Been Loved - by The City of London</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/2015/08/at-least-i-am-not-on-ashley-madison-by.html' title='I mean for christ's sake I'm young, gifted, blonde and fucking gorgeous. I came to London to get a job and didn't speak to anyone but Poles for a month. The bloody Poms do not know what they are missing. Here I am an ex TVNZ producer for almost two years, Zb political journo for almost a year and having achieved all that in three years why o […]'>At Least I Am Not on Ashley Madison - by Alex Hazlehurst</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/2015/08/singing-home-whale-childrens-book-by.html' title='Nicky - There once was a Whale, an angry whale who had a powerful and corrupt best friend called Judith who was a complete bitch and John who was a terrible banker and I like really hated all of them so went out to destroy them with my own harpoon. In the public interest of course. Angry Whale Mandy – There once was a young boy called Willie Jackson, a city […]'>Singing Home The Whale - a Children's book by Nicky and Mandy Hager</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/2015/08/i-will-return-by-dita-de-boni.html' title='I knew it was a conspiracy from the moment John Key put his greasy capitalist money grubbing hands on the pony tail of the comrade-ess sweating blood in the coffee mines of Parnell, carrying food to the elitist swine, oinking and grunting as their snouts swilled at trough. I have been sacked from this column – yes me, the most honest business writer (with a […]'>I Will Return - by Dita De Boni</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/2015/08/i-dont-have-penis-hear-me-raw-by-rachel.html' title='“I am woman hear me whine, in numbers too small to expline”. Yes I know that’s not how you spell explain but you have to remember I’m writing this the way I say it on the radio, that is, with my nasal accent and I’m being authentic, that is, from a woman’s perspective. I am disappointed. Very disappointed. Disappointed that Radio New Zealand didn’t give Mary […]'>I Don't Have a Penis, Hear Me Raw - by Rachel Smalley</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://nzsgottalent.blogspot.com/2015/07/mikes-minute-transcript-by-mike-hosking.html' title='I see The Desperate Hyperactive Collective of Bonkers Housewives On Facebook have called me out over my Mike’s Minute earlier this month when I gave big ups to the Carter Couple for calling in the lawyers over photos taken without their knowledge and published in Women’s Day. "The anti-Mike Hosking"? Pfft. Well thank heavens for that really, it me […]'>Mike's Minute (transcript) - by Mike Hosking</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-209449223" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.interest.co.nz/rss.xml" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="" title="">interest.co.nz</a></h2> <ul><li>An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.</li></ul></li> <li id="rss-288884171" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/" title="">Bowalleyroad</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2025/03/chris-trotter-is-now-on-substack-visit.html' title='Chris Trotter is now on Substack visit him at christrotter418256.substack.com'>Untitled</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2025/03/luxons-guests.html' title='Speilmeister: Christopher Luxon’s prime-ministerial pitches notwithstanding, are institutions with billions of dollars at their disposal really going to invest them in a country so obviously in a deep funk?HAVING WOOED THE WORLD’s investors, what, if anything, has New Zealand won? Did Christopher Luxon’s guests board their private jets fizzing with enthusias […]'>Luxon’s Guests.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2025/03/whistling-past-graveyard.html' title='“Bugger the pollsters!”WHEN EVERYBODY LIVED in villages, and every village had a graveyard, the expression “whistling past the graveyard” made more sense. Even so, it’s hard to describe the Coalition Government’s response to the latest Taxpayers’ Union/Curia Research poll any better. Regardless of whether they wanted to go there, or not, the polling data is […]'>Whistling Past The Graveyard.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2025/03/leadership-problems.html' title='Contenders: The next question after “Will Luxon really go?” is, of course, “Will that work?” The answer to that question lies not so much in the efficacy of Luxon’s successor as it does in the perceived strength of the Centre-Left alternative.AT LEAST TWO prominent political commentators are alluding publicly to the imminence of a leadership spill in the Nat […]'>Leadership Problems.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-politics-of-ostracism.html' title='Ruled Out: The AfD, (Alternative für Deutschland) branded “Far Right” by Germany’s political mainstream, has been ostracised politically. The Christian Democrats (many of whose voters support the AfD’s tough anti-immigration stance) have ruled out any possibility of entering into a coalition with the radical-nationalist party.THAT THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT towa […]'>The Politics of Ostracism.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2025/03/what-are-we-defending.html' title='Following Our Example: Not even the presence of Chinese warships in the Tasman Sea will generate the sort of diplomatic breach the anti-China lobby has been working so assiduously for a decade to provoke. Too many New Zealanders recall the occasions when a New Zealand frigate has tagged along behind the Aussies and Americans in their regular voyages across t […]'>What Are We Defending?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2025/02/visitors-with-votes.html' title='The Way We Were - And Hoped To Remain: The iconic photograph of Prime Minister Norman Kirk holding the hand of a little Māori boy at Waitangi on 6 February 1973 held out the promise of a future founded upon the uncomplicated and uncontested acceptance of racial equality. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly n […]'>Visitors With Votes.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2025/02/adapting-to-trumps-changing-climate.html' title='New World Orders: The challenge facing Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins is how to keep their small and vulnerable nation safe and stable in a world whose economic and political climate the forty-seventh American president is changing so profoundly.IT IS, SURELY, the ultimate Millennial revenge fantasy. Calling senior Baby-Boomer and Gen-X bureaucrats and […]'>Adapting To Trump’s Changing Climate.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-first-twenty-four-days-ageing.html' title='“This might surprise you, Laurie, but I reckon Trump’s putting on a bloody impressive performance.”“GOODNESS ME, HANNAH, just look at all those Valentine’s Day cards!”“Occupational hazard, Laurie, the more beer I serve, the more my customers declare their undying love!”“Crikey! I had no idea business was so good.” Laurie squinted theatrically at the line of […]'> The First Twenty-Four Days: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2025/02/balancing-act.html' title='Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented as experiencing significant electoral decline. Certainly, in the 70 ele […]'>Balancing Act.</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-209452001" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://s1.wp.com/i/fonts/recoleta/css/400.min.css" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="" title="">Dim Post</a></h2> <ul><li>An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.</li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474738" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.electionresults.govt.nz" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="" title="">Election results</a></h2> <ul><li>An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.</li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474746" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.co.nz//feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.com/" title="">Story People</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/exercise-2-5-days-of-practicing-love.html' title='There've been loads of hours logged in laboratories and libraries (and probably a few pubs) to prove that if we pretend enough, we can talk our minds and bodies into believing all sorts of stuff. You know: smile and, eventually, you'll feel the corresponding happiness. Stand with big-ness and, eventually, you'll feel confidence. We don't […]'>Exercise 2: 5 Days of Practicing Love (for the Real World)</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/5-days-of-practicing-love-for-real.html' title='It's not the strangest thing in the world, but it's at least really odd: We - people - are pretty talented at noticing and detailing the many ways other people offend us, bother us, treat us wrong and generally bug us. Love? Noticing love? Well, that we're not as good at. (That's the odd part, when you consider how much we want to see it. […]'>5 Days of Practicing Love (for the Real World): Exercise 1</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/its-middle-things.html' title='Crossing the Line* We've had to do a whole lot of thinking about some of the political let's-be kind-and-call-them-arguments we've come across this summer. More than a few times, we scrolled through comments that were all diatribe and provocation until all we could do was snap at our computer screens: Stop it. Stop it!! Stop the insults, th […]'>It's the Middle Things</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/stuff-we-just-say.html' title='Different Plans Probably just like you, we grew up reading a lot. Not a little a lot. A lot a lot. It's a fantastic way to understand language and how words can paint whole new worlds. It's also a long, long never-ending vocabulary lesson. Remember discovering a word and honestly being thrilled by its meaning? The way it created a window to unders […]'>Stuff We Just ... Say </a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/ingredients-of-writing.html' title='It feels like we've been asked it a gazillion times. This might be an exaggeration. It probably is. Still, we've definitely been asked it a LOT: Where does Brian get his ideas from? Disappearing by Brian Andreas So many of our friends are writers or aspiring to be writers; if you're one of those, the question might be familiar to you. Welp […]'>Ingredients of Writing</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/getting-that-namaste-going.html' title='Namaste, that idea of finding what makes us all one, can be pretty tricky when put into practice. Lovely at yoga time, sort of bothersome out in the real world. Easy breezy, to see the see the divine in someone when they're being, well, divine. You know: they've just said wonderful things about you. A little less easy, but still do-able without br […]'>Getting That Namaste Going</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/when-our-creative-selves-are-wounded.html' title=''Legacy' Sometimes, it's just hard to find our creative light. All the advice and wisdom, all those dependable techniques we've collected for tapping into our source, seem to disappear - at least temporarily - when tragedy strikes. We need our time and all our heart's and mind's resources to heal. A public tragedy has an impact […]'>Healing Our Creativity</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/buy-like-theres-tomorrow-and-its-magical.html' title='Using our pretty scientific calculations, achieved with a few fingers, one thumb and that favorite StoryPeople device - a stubby pencil - I figure there's at least once every episode of Antiques Roadshow that I drift into hmmph-ness (not quite a pout, but it comes awfully close). It's not brought on by the expert valuation of any thingamabob or jig […]'>Buy Like There's a Tomorrow (and it's magical)</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-cool-kids-are-doing.html' title='Let's pretend. Let's pretend we're in a store and let's pretend we're looking at pairs of socks. Now, let's say we're trying to decide between the stripey pair or the traditional blue. (We, of course, feel the lure of the stripey pair.) The sales person points at the stripey ones and says in that tone of voice (you know th […]'>What The Cool Kids Are Doing</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://storypeopleblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/talking-about-peace-without-shouting.html' title='For some mysterious reason, a lot of sniping, snarkey political stuff was showing up around the internet a few weeks ago. Perhaps politicians, being professionally thick-skinned, can shrug it off and actually get to work working with each other, as promised. Starting from disdain, contempt and insult is a little difficult for the rest of us, though. And […]'>Talking about Peace without Shouting</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-344963272" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/LibertyScott?format=xml" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/" title="Blogging on liberty, capitalism, reason, international affairs and foreign policy, from a distinctly libertarian and objectivist perspective">Liberty Scott</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2025/03/feeding-our-children.html' title='The debate about the compulsorily funded school lunch programme is being characterised by opponents of the government, as one of mean-hearted people unwilling to feed "our" children.Advocates of the school lunch programme claim:There are children going to school without breakfast and without lunches, and they will perform worse at school than had t […]'>Feeding "our" children</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2025/03/theres-no-leader-of-free-world-anymore.html' title='Nobody who supports either free markets or the non-initiation of force principles can now think that the Trump Administration is an acolyte of either principle, even in a somewhat flawed way (as all governments that may advance in that direction are). It's an incoherent mash of the feelings of two men who are more upset about their egos being offended, […]'>There's no leader of the free world anymore</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2025/02/trump-derangement-syndrome.html' title='It's been three years since Russia invaded Ukraine, seeking to take Kyev and reconquer it.I was, late last year, rather pleased Trump beat Harris in the US elections. It demonstrated that voters wouldn't be treated as if what they think and feel don't matter. With record numbers of black and Latino voters picking Trump over Harris, the identi […]'>Trump Derangement Syndrome</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2025/02/forget-goldsmiths-media-proposals.html' title='Since the Ministry of Culture and Heritage (MCH) (in itself a rather Soviet sounding name for a Ministry) took over broadcasting policy from what is now the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE), it has had a policy culture that is quite distinctly interventionist. It’s proposals for “modern media legislation” (one should always be suspiciou […]'>Forget Goldsmith's media proposals</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2025/02/ignore-privatisation-scaremongerers.html' title='I remember the time before what socialists call the “neo-liberal” era which “sold out” the country to “rampant capitalism”. Sure I was at school, at the time when people and businesses had to plan weeks ahead to get the Post Office to install a phone line (no mobile phones then, as the Post Office hadn’t deemed that to be appropriate until 1987, even though […]'>Ignore the privatisation scaremongerers</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2024/07/charles-moore-on-prospects-of-trump-in.html' title=' From the Daily Telegraph:One of Mr Trump’s clearest messages, amplified by his choice of J D Vance, is that he does not want to help Ukraine defeat Vladimir Putin’s invasion. His strategic “realism”, advanced by policy advisers such as Elbridge Colby, looks at these issues through the “lens of pragmatism” and decides that America cannot deal with the Russia […]'>Charles Moore on the prospects of Trump in Foreign Policy</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2024/07/pity-uk.html' title='Pity the UK today. I lived there for fourteen years, five years under the Blair/Brown hate-hate partnership (oh they loathed each other, but needed each other) and then watched as the Conservatives squandered multiple electoral mandates by, in most cases, doing little substantial to address the growing issues the country faced.It seems most likely the UK wil […]'>Pity the UK</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2024/03/diversity-equity-inclusion-is.html' title='Sunday Telegraph editor, and vehement classical liberal, Allister Heath, writes about the "DEI" movement, which has spread like a cancer around US universities and corporates, in scathing terms:DEI is only interested in racial or gender diversity. It doesn’t really care about poverty, class or geography. It loathes diversity of thought; it preaches […]'>Diversity, Equity, Inclusion is a fundamentally low-grade, Orwellian anti-liberal project</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2024/03/wellington-is-in-funk.html' title='The general election has knocked Wellington for six and has put a great deal of public servants and more than a few in the consultancy-industrial complex in a funk, because philosophically and culturally, the change in government has shown up the gulf between them and the government. It has also demonstrated two major issues:• The dearth of strategic and int […]'>Wellington is in a funk</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2024/03/it-might-be-farewell-newshub-but.html' title=' I do have a shred of sadness if it turns out that TV3 wont have a news service anymore. A shred because it really is a shadow of its former self. It seemed like New Zealand had finally joined the rest of the developed world when finally private enterprise had been permitted to broadcast television news in competition with the state-owned enterprise, TVNZ. […]'>It might be farewell Newshub, but intelligent TV news disappeared over 30 years ago</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474710" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://openparachute.wordpress.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://openparachute.wordpress.com" title="">Open Parachute</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://openparachute.wordpress.com/2025/03/24/can-we-now-find-out-who-the-real-vladimir-putin-is/' title='Regardless of our opinions about the politicians involved, I believe that every rational person should welcome the reestablishment of contacts between the USA and the Russian Federation. While this is only the beginning and there are no guarantees of success, … Continue reading →'>Can we now find out who the real Vladimir Putin is?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://openparachute.wordpress.com/2025/03/18/nuclear-ukraine-budapest-memorandum-what-it-says-and-is-it-relevant/' title='A prevalent narrative suggests that Ukraine once possessed the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal and relinquished it in exchange for Russia’s promise not to invade, as outlined in the Budapest Memorandum. With Russia allegedly violating this agreement, some argue that Ukraine … Continue reading →'>Nuclear Ukraine: Budapest Memorandum – what it says and is it relevant?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://openparachute.wordpress.com/2025/03/03/trump-political-partisanship-and-world-peace/' title=' Trump is not a nice person. If I were a US citizen I couldn’t have voted for him – but I couldn’t have voted for the other side either. (No, that’s imprecise – there were several “other sides” in … Continue reading →'>Trump, political partisanship, and world peace</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://openparachute.wordpress.com/2024/11/08/the-trump-victory-do-people-accept-democracy/' title='I didn’t have a dog in the fight—if I were a US voter, I would not have voted for either Harris or Trump. So, from this distance, I don’t have any strong hopes or fears for the result of that … Continue reading →'>The Trump victory – do people accept democracy?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://openparachute.wordpress.com/2024/09/05/who-should-we-thank-for-the-defeat-of-the-nazis/' title='As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late … Continue reading →'>Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://openparachute.wordpress.com/2024/04/18/what-happens-after-the-war-mariupol/' title='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 … Continue reading →'>What happens after the war – Mariupol</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://openparachute.wordpress.com/2024/03/31/in-journalism-facts-should-be-verifiable/' title='I like this comment from Julian Assange: “Journalism should be more like science. As far as possible, facts should be verifiable. If journalists want long-term credibility for their profession, they have to go in that direction. Have more respect for … Continue reading →'>In journalism facts should be verifiable</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://openparachute.wordpress.com/2024/03/15/elections-in-russia-and-ukraine/' title='Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X Media comments on the Russian Presidential elections have really amused me. Today I watched a “Russian expert” on UK Times Radio … Continue reading →'>Elections in Russia and Ukraine</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://openparachute.wordpress.com/2024/02/07/why-has-journalism-and-tucker-carlson-become-so-controversial/' title='So it appears that the well-known US journalist Tucker Carlson will interview President Putin. On the positive side, this is a good thing – many people are expressing interest in seeing the interview. But on the negative side, this is … Continue reading →'>Why has journalism, and Tucker Carlson, become so controversial?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://openparachute.wordpress.com/2024/01/13/rip-gonzalo-lira/' title='Very sad today to hear of the death of Gonzalo Lira, who was being held in prison in Ukraine. I wrote about his imprisonment last August (see Free Gonzalo Lira!) Then I expressed a simple compasionate plea that he should be … Continue reading →'>RIP Gonzalo Lira</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474716" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/sciblogsnz" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://sciblogs.co.nz" title="Farewell to Sciblogs">Sciblogs</a></h2> <ul><li>An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.</li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474711" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/typepad/liberationbybryceedwards" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/" title="">Liberation</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2021/05/cartoons-about-budget-2021.html' title='Slane - Listener 21 May 2021 Murdoch - Stuff 23 May 2021 Murdoch - Stuff 26 May 2021 Hubbard - 22 May 2021 Emmerson - Herald 22 May 2021 Emmerson - Herald 23 May 2021 Hubbard - 21 May 2021 Bell - Stuff 21 May 2021 Yeo - ODT 21 May 2021 Emmerson - NZ Herald 21 May 2021'>Cartoons about Budget 2021</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2021/05/cartoons-about-public-sector-worker-and-ceo-pay.html' title='Emmerson - NZ Herald 9 May 2021 Murdoch - Stuff 9 May 2021 Body - NZ Herald 8 May 2021 Emmerson - NZ Herald 7 May 2021 Yeo - ODT 7 May 2021 Cook - Stuff 7 May 2021 Hubbard - 9 April 2021 Hubbard 31 October 2019 Hubbard - 24 August 2018 Hubbard - ODT 26 March 2018 Emmerson - NZ Herald 13 February 2018 Hubbard - 21 December 2017 Hubbard - 19 December 2016 Yeo […]'>Cartoons about public sector worker and CEO pay</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2021/04/cartoons-about-the-national-party-since-the-election.html' title='Daron Parton - NZ Herald 10 August 2021 Yeo - ODT 10 August 2021 Body - NZ Herald 9 August 2021 Cook - Stuff 6 August 2021 Murdoch - Stuff 8 August 2021 Emmerson - NZ Herald 7 August 2021 Body - NZ Herald 7 August 2021 Parton - NZ Herald 3 August 2021 Scott - Stuff 24 July 2021 Hubbard - 15 July 2021 Cook - Stuff 18 July 2021 Scott - Stuff 10 July 2021 Hubba […]'>Cartoons about the National Party in 2021</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2020/06/cartoons-about-national-party-leader-todd-muller.html' title='Hubbard - 2 June 2020 Yeo - ODT 28 May 2020 Body - NZ Herald 28 May 2020 Body - NZ Herald 23 May 2020 Hubbard - 30 May 2020 Murdoch - Stuff 29 May 2020 Hubbard - Stuff 28 May 2020 Hubbard - Stuff May 2020 Hubbard - 27 May 2020 Hubbard - 26 May 2020 Bell - Stuff 25 May 2020 Bromhead - NZ Herald 24 April 2020 Murdoch - Stuff 24 May 2020 Emmerson - NZ Herald 23 […]'>Cartoons about National Party leader Todd Muller</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2020/03/john-moore-podcast-on-the-politics-of-the-coronavirus-crisis.html' title='John Moore's podcast on the Politics of the Coronavirus crisis Or download here: Download Episode_audio_616C593E-14F7-4673-9F32-E739F6684F80'>John Moore: Podcast on the Politics of the Coronavirus crisis</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2020/03/john-moore-podcast-on-international-working-womens-day.html' title='Podcast by John Moore on: International Women's Day'>John Moore: Podcast on International Working Women's Day</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2020/03/john-moore-podcast-on-fgm.html' title='John Moore's new podcast: Episode One on FGM'>John Moore: Podcast on FGM</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2019/11/cartoons-about-the-politics-of-law-and-order-in-nz.html' title='Murdoch - Stuff 27 November 2019 Tremain - ODT 28 November Hubbard - 28 November 2019 Emmerson - NZ Herald 27 November 2019 Slane - Listener 23 August 2019 Bell - Stuff 19 August 2019 Murdoch - Stuff 21 August 2019 Slane - Listener 3 May 2019 Murdoch - Dominion Post 13 June 2018'>Cartoons about the politics of law and order in NZ</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2019/11/cartoons-about-the-nz-first-donations-scandal.html' title='Hubbard - 25 November 2019 Tremain - ODT 25 November 2019 Craig - 23 November 2018 Murdoch - Stuff 22 November 2019 Emmerson - NZ Herald 22 November 2019 Hubbard - 20 November 2019 Emmerson - NZ Herald 21 November 2019 Emmerson - NZ Herald 20 November 2019 Tremain - ODT 14 November 2019'>Cartoons about the NZ First donations scandal</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2019/09/cartoons-about-metoolabour.html' title='Slane - Listener 13 September 2019 Emmerson - NZ Herald 13 September 2019 Emmerson - NZ Herald 13 September 2019 Murdoch - Stuff 11 September 2019 Hubbard - Stuff 12 September 2019 Emmerson - NZ Herald 12 September 2019 Hubbard - 12 September 2019 Emmerson - NZ Herald 11 September 2019 Previous Labour Party Summer Camp cartoons Scott - Dominion Post 20 March […]'>Cartoons about #MeTooLabour</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474750" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://yournz.org/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="" title="">YourNZ</a></h2> <ul><li>An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.</li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474725" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://imperatorfish.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="" title="">Imperator Fish</a></h2> <ul><li>An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.</li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474743" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/" title="">Life Behind the Iron Drape</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/2015/12/signing-off-my-last-blog-post-nicky.html' title='The secret of being a bore is to tell everything – Voltaire. When the last human who understands individualism passes, so will pass the entirety of human art - that absolute necessity to express a Self. – Me (Below). Sadly the huge welfare states we've emoted through the voting booth foster a crippling dependency by subsidising (allowing) dreadful life […]'>Signing off - My Last Blog Post | Nicky Hager; Heather Du Plessis-Allan; Deborah Hill-Cone; Giovanni Tiso - Individualism & the Tyranny of Each Other. </a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/2015/11/nationals-anti-money-laundering.html' title='This piece of Soviet legislation took down the brilliant iPredict today: Prediction website iPredict is to be closed down, with the Government deciding it represents a money laundering risk. The site, run by Victoria University of Wellington's commercialisation arm, VicLink, issued a statement to its website and on Twitter on Thursday. According to the […]'>National’s Anti-Money Laundering & Countering Financing of Terrorism Monster - iPredict the State Gulag</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/2015/11/paris-has-changed-me-logic-bombing-left.html' title='The post in which I sadly stumble my way from a position of support for open immigration, despite Islam, to a position that has to admit defeat in the face of Paris reality. George Orwell: To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle. — Charles (@orwellguy) November 18, 2015 "We cannot keep on saying: this has nothing to do with […]'>Paris Has Changed Me – Logic Bombing the Left on Multiculturalism.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/2015/11/todays-letter-to-editor-for-anthony.html' title='I suspect this letter has zero chance of seeing publication. Anthony Green of the Muslim Association of Canterbury says, quote, "the teachings of Islam forbid the killing of civilians...', (17/11), which is great to know. However, although I agree not every Muslim is a terrorist, (obviously), every terrorist currently is a Muslim, so can the Press […]'>Today’s Letter to the Editor | For Anthony Green, Muslim Association of Canterbury.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/2015/11/i-have-answer-individualism-paris.html' title='The answer to the overnight senseless slaughter of the innocent in Paris is known as a reasoned set of integrated ideas: classical liberalism. A philosophy and economics hard fought for from the Enlightenment that took the West to the pinnacle human civilisation once reached. Although more simply, the answer is that unit-of-philosophy which informs classical […]'>I Have the Answer: Individualism … #Paris</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/2015/11/1-billion-to-tinker-with-bit-of-out-of.html' title='Looks like it’s an early Christmas. IRD think they'll be able to bring their software upgrade in for about NZ$1 billion. Unfortunately for your private life, this will necessitate re-writing, again, the powers of their access to your private data and the further weakening of tax secrecy [to allow sharing of your information with a range of government de […]'>$1 Billion To Tinker With a Bit of Out-Of-The-Box Stasi Software | Women MPs Go Walk About</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/2015/10/if-you-support-voluntary-transactions.html' title='Quite apart from MP Judith Collins’ monstrous Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act making banking at times damned near impossible, and hugely inconvenient always, even on the simplest of transactions, (try opening a bank account for your kid), this post references the philosophical quagmire individuals find themselves in with a […]'>If You Support The Voluntary Transactions of Capitalism, Avoid NZ Banks. #Privacy</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/2015/10/todays-letter-to-editor-christchurch.html' title='To the naysayers against euthanasia – including Chris O’Brien (28/10/15) - you will find not one instance of abuse of euthanasia in the jurisdictions it is legal. Your generalised surmisings of abuse with no factual proof is scurrilous fear mongering and offensive. And you all conveniently forget euthanasia will be voluntary (with many safeguards). You can s […]'>Today's Letter to the Editor - Christchurch Press | Euthanasia</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/2015/10/mils-muliaina-and-reversing-burden-of.html' title='Mils Muliania should be able to sue the Welsh police for the harm they have done him. The judge hearing his sexual assault case has thrown it out, and on the face of the reportage, I find it incredible this former All Black has had his life, and reputation, shredded over the last seven months on the basis of this: Proceedings in Wales have ended because the […]'>Mils Muliaina and Reversing the Burden of Proof in Sexual Assault Cases.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://lifebehindtheirondrape.blogspot.com/2015/10/health-minister-jonathan-coleman-stand.html' title='Nanny statism has its strongest foothold in the Health Ministry (and medical commissariat at Dunedin University). Our Big Brother of Health, Jonathan Coleman, has spent the last year coming up with this: More than 60 per cent of pregnant women gain more weight than is recommended, which has implications for a child's weight later in life. It's the […]'>Health Minister Jonathan Coleman Stand Down Please – Obesity to the Police State. </a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-233664921" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/" title="">PM of NZ</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/2025/01/mr-luxon-what-will-it-be.html' title='Mr Luxon and others are today at the native-fest up the creek somewhere in the mid-North Island. Vote buying lubricated with copious wads of your hard earnt taxes. Corruption and god-bothering with marching bands. Bread and circuses...Rātana’s long-standing position that Te Tiriti o Waitangi was anchored in partnershipNo doubt he'll tell attendees on […]'>Mr. Luxon: What will it be? </a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/2025/01/and-band-played-waltzing-matilda.html' title='Cruise Director Chris Luxon rearranges the deck chairs whilst NZ Inc sinks ever deeper.With rabid separatists railing daily against their colonising masters, New Zealand is damaged beyond repair, I fear.Oh, for a Milei or a Trump.'>And the band played Waltzing Matilda...</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-latest-bs-from-climatard-hq.html' title='Hydroclimate whiplash – a term for the phenomenon of savage seasonal swings between catastrophic rain and sapping drought – is increasing, fast.WTF???Ever desparate to insert the planet is boiling or whatever is the latest religion to garner more $$$$ that BS takes the cake.Driven by an atmosphere stoked hotter by the burning of fossil fuels, the whiplash is […]'>The latest BS from Climatard HQ</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/2025/01/mr-luxon-question-for-you.html' title='Have just sent in my submission on the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. Easily done and submitted. Was surprisingly in the common language of New Zealand, namely English, except as usual for the website landing page. Not one word of pidgin seen during the process.However the 'do-not-reply' email noting receipt of said submission opened with a 'Kia […]'>Mr Luxon: A question for you</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/2024/12/a-small-step-in-right-direction.html' title='in the news...The PM will not attend the Waitangi shenanigans.Baby steps.But I'd be ever watchful of his token native, one Mr. Potaka. In my opinion one that speaks and acts like a snake in the grass. Still, the man of the moment, ACT leader Mr. Seymour will attend to watch the Navy do their thing on the lawn. His mere presence should further rile th […]'>A small step in the right direction</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/2024/12/oh-dear-harden-up.html' title='allegations made against him of sexually inappropriate conduct came from a “handful of middle-class women of a certain age” The cancellation of Gregg Wallace, ex MasterChef and various other shows, is now fully under way as he doubles down and digs a bigger hole.Others are distancing themselves from previous endorsements as the said harridans continue full […]'>Oh dear. Harden up!</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/2024/11/long-live-freedom-damn-it.html' title='The best video one might see on such matters:Javier Milei is removing a few ministries. Only a few...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUYPNsTpO4Y&t=8sExactly what is required as bare minimum in New Zealand.via Not PC'>"Long live freedom. Damn it!"</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/2024/11/msm-lies-continue-apace-talking-up-game.html' title='An aerial picture was given today of the protesting natives and sundry supporters next to Trevor's playground in front of The House. (flogged from NZ Herald. Peak walkabout they'd have you believe.Some pesky details (via Google earth).A maximum forecourt area of about 120m x 35m give or take a few square metres like the grass and trees being parti […]'>MSM lies continue apace talking up the game</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/2024/11/luxon-time-for-you-to-man-up.html' title='Mr Luxon, today is the day for you to man up and lead the country.No amount of platitudes will do. Time to put the errant natives in their place. Tell them there is no sovereignity on the table, no co-governance or partnerships. As well as zero principles.Middle New Zealand is watching you closely for you to do the right thing.'>Luxon - time for you to man up!</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://pmofnz.blogspot.com/2024/11/not-right-kind.html' title='On Monday we witnessed deluded natives on walkabout being given escort throughout the Queen City courtesy of Mr Plod. Even closed the Harbour Bridge during peak traffic. Working stiffs paying for the walkabout were warned that their working day was to be interrupted. All followed by despicable outbursts in Parliament on Tuesday with stoneage theatrics.Tod […]'>"Not the right kind"</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-209458163" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://halfdone.wordpress.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://halfdone.wordpress.com" title="International Cat Speculators Since 2006">Something Should Go Here</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://halfdone.wordpress.com/2023/07/20/the-ardern-files/' title='I’m working on it, but you can see a lot already. Click here. Update: links acting weird. If you can’t see them, click on the post title.'>The Ardern Files</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://halfdone.wordpress.com/2022/02/24/crickets/' title='Back when NZ had a major city leveled by and earthquake, No Right Turn cried foul when the government declared a national emergency. The question we should all be asking is whether this is really necessary. No insult to current inhabitants of my former city, who obviously want everything possible to be done, but a […]'>Crickets</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://halfdone.wordpress.com/2021/12/11/labour-chooses-to-be-fair-to-beneficiaries/' title='No Right Turn says “Labour chooses to be cruel to beneficiaries“. So we must fisk. RNZ reports that WINZ is systematically racist and misogynist about debt, with Māori being forced deeper into debt, and women and Māori forced to repay at a higher rate than men and Pākehā. Here’s the elephant in the room: no one has […]'>Labour chooses to be fair to beneficiaries</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://halfdone.wordpress.com/2021/11/27/morgan-godfery-and-the-mystery-of-the-inflated-job-title/' title='On Kiwiblog today, someone pointed to this column about Jacinda Ardern by one Morgan Godfery. Former president Donald Trump, British prime minister Boris Johnson, Italy’s Matteo Salvini, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, and their contemporaries across the world are reactionaries and authoritarians even the most committed accelerationist would […]'>Morgan Godfery, and the mystery of the inflated job title</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://halfdone.wordpress.com/2021/10/25/fact-checkers/' title='I’m so old, I remember when fact checkers were respected by everyone. Those days a long gone. It was not a “border visit” by any stretch of the imagination any more than the drive home to North Carolina a friend and I took from New York City after 9/11 constituted a “visit” to Tennessee even […]'>Fact Checkers</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://halfdone.wordpress.com/2021/10/08/another-church-farrier-could-raise-concerns-about/' title='It’s one thing to use church facilities to hold meetings. It’s quite another to hold your election night party in the sanctuary of a church! Given these parties go late into the night, how is the church supposed to be ready for services in the morning? Seems like they’re putting politics way in front of […]'>Another church Farrier could raise concerns about</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://halfdone.wordpress.com/2021/10/06/david-farrier-churches-are-the-problem-and-let-me-throw-in-some-racism-too/' title='I read this today and wanted to put down some thoughts, so here goes. OPINION: Over the weekend in New Zealand there was a large anti-lockdown protest – and as you can see from the headlines above, the focus was all on Brian Tamaki of Destiny Church. You get the idea. And this isn’t the first […]'>David Farrier – “churches are the problem (and let me throw in some racism too)”</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://halfdone.wordpress.com/2021/07/03/no-right-turn-how-disgusting-that-national-defends-me/' title='(Yes, I’m way late on this one) Someone merely accused of extremism shouldn’t be denied rights on that basis. That’s not a disgusting position, that’s a principled one. And one that protects him, as someone who openly supports the extremist environmentalists extinction rebellion. Heck, even the Make it 16 campaign is pretty extreme, with a […]'>No Right Turn – how disgusting that National defends me!</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://halfdone.wordpress.com/2021/01/13/suspended-from-twitter/' title='Looks like I’m off twitter for the foreseeable future. Not sure if they’ll let me back on, but I’m on Gab (where possible) and registered with Parlor.'>Suspended from twitter</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://halfdone.wordpress.com/2019/12/18/still-around/' title='The revival of this blog has been a little short-lived. However, I’m still quite active in twitter at the moment, and I do have a project I’m working on that will be published here. So do pop in every once in a while.'>Still Around</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-232811033" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.pundit.co.nz/rss.xml" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="" title="">Pundit</a></h2> <ul><li>An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.</li></ul></li> <li id="rss-325896871" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.kiwipolitico.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="https://www.kiwipolitico.com" title="">kiwipolitico</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2025/04/the-greens-identity-bubble-problem/' title='The scurrilous attacks on Benjamin Doyle, a list Green MP, over his supposed inappropriate behaviour towards children has dominated headlines and social media this past week, led by frothing Rightwing agitators clutching their pearls and fanning the flames of moral panic over pedophiles and and perverts. Winston Peter decided that it would be good to … Conti […]'>The Green’s Identity Bubble Problem.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2025/03/signalling-deliberate-reckless-disregard/' title='Some thoughts on the Signal Houthi Principal’s Committee chat group conversation reported by Jeff Goldberg at The Atlantic. It is obviously a major security breach. But there are several dimensions to it worth examining. 1) Signal is an unsecured open source platform that although encrypted can easily be hacked by signals intelligences agencies as well … Con […]'>Signalling Deliberate Reckless Disregard (updated with a NZ angle).</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2025/03/a-return-to-a-us-gilded-age/' title='I have been trying to figure out the logic of Trump’s tariff policies and apparent desire for a global trade war. Although he does not appear to comprehend that tariffs are a tax on consumers in the country doing the tariffing, I can (sort of) understand that he may think that this is a good … Continue reading "A Return to a US Gilded Age?"'>A Return to a US Gilded Age?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2025/03/personal-link-the-cool-one-is-gone/' title='Most KP readers will not know that I was a jazz DJ in Chicago and Washington DC while in grad school in the early and mid 1980s. I started at WHPK in Hyde Park, the U. Chicago student radio station. In DC I joined WPFW as a grave shift host, then a morning drive show … Continue reading "Personal Link: The Cool One has Gone."'>Personal Link: The Cool One has Gone.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2025/03/thinking-about-life-in-a-nuclear-armed-crowd/' title='The title of this post comes from Albert Wohlstetter’s 1976 seminal essay Moving Towards Life in a Nuclear Armed Crowd. In that essay he contemplated a world in which several nations had nuclear weapons, and also the strategic logics governing their proliferation, deployment and use (mainly as a deterrent). For years after his essay was … Continue reading […]'>Thinking about life in a nuclear armed crowd.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2025/03/school-meals-as-human-capital-investment/' title='Although I do not usually write about NZ politics, I do follow them. I find that with the exception of a few commentators, coverage of domestic issues tends to be dominated by a fixation on personalities, scandals, “gotcha” questioning, “he said, she said” accusations, nitpicking about the daily minutia of pretty trivial matters and clickbait … Continue read […]'>School meals as human capital investment.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2025/02/scholarly-link-the-comparative-notebook/' title='I am pleased that the under-recognized scholar (and previous co-author of mine) Kate Nicholl has decided to join Substack and publish her thoughts on comparative politics. By using Substack she wants to bridge the gap between scholarly articles and opinion editorials (op eds). Her gift as a writer is to make the complicated seem simple. … Continue reading […]'>Scholarly Link: The Comparative Notebook.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2025/02/empty-vessel-and-strategic-disruptor/' title='I have been trying to make sense out of the shifts in US foreign policy under Trump 2.0. I understand his admiration for authoritarians and supination to Putin (which I believe is because Putin has dirt on him), and I also understand the much vaunted “transactional” nature of his view of foreign relations. Moreover, it … Continue reading "Empty vessel a […]'>Empty vessel and strategic disruptor?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2025/02/about-that-plan-flotilla-in-the-tasman-sea/' title='Here are some thoughts about the hysteria surrounding a Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) flotilla conducting freedom of navigation exercises in the Tasman Sea, including live fire drills. 1) The flotilla has been tracked for over a week by New Zealand and Australian forces. The tracking began when the flotilla was well NE of … Continue reading […]'>About that PLAN flotilla in the Tasman Sea.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2025/02/a-presidential-crypto-pump-and-dump/' title='This may be rhetorical but here the question goes: did any of you invest in the $Libra memecoin endorsed and backed by Argentine president and darling of the global Right Javier Milei (who admitted to being paid a fee for his promotion of the token)? You know, the one that soared above $4 billion in … Continue reading "A presidential crypto pump-and-dum […]'>A presidential crypto pump-and-dump.</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-279252171" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/" title="">Watching Brief</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/2024/05/latest-curia-poll.html' title=' Anyone notice that there is no coverage of the latest TPU Poll headlining TV1 News tonight?I guess the results don't suit Maiki Sherman!!'>Latest Curia Poll</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/2016/01/please-struggle-through-this.html' title='Please struggle through this contribution from Martin Thrupp who is head of Te Whiringa School of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Waikato. It was published in the NZ Herald today. We have made some comments Recently a group that brings together various organisations concerned with poverty and inequality in New Zealand society sent out […]'>Untitled</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/2015/09/outrage.html' title='England have launched their own war dance to try and neutralise the All Blacks' haka - its a bit of a send up called the the Hakarena. WB awaits the predictable chorus from the usual suspects about cultural insensitivity, racism and utter outrage that will surely be faithfully reported by the MSM. '>OUTRAGE</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/2015/08/prince-charles-new-rank.html' title='Prince Charles has been appointed to three honorary positions in the New Zealand Defence Force. Prime Minister John Key said today that Queen Elizabeth had approved the Prince of Wales’ appointments. The honorary positions are Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army Field Marshal, and Marshal of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. W […]'>PRINCE CHARLES' NEW RANK</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-anthem.html' title='WB has tried very very hard to recall a time, any time where it was preferable to sing the Aussie Anthem rather than God Defend NZ. The very thought is incomprehensible and as much as WB thinks that Andrew Little is little more than a tried and true socialist cloth cap wearing union hack with severe chip on shoulder deficiencies, one cannot help wondering if […]'>The Anthem</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/2015/06/nz-herald-wrong-again-or-just-plain-bias.html' title='WB refers to the article on so called Ponygate http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11465613 The article included the statement; "Mr McCready was quick to file papers. The litigator, who successfully prosecuted former Act leader John Banks, filed with the Human Rights Review Tribunal claiming sexual harassment by Mr Key. […]'>NZ HERALD WRONG AGAIN OR JUST PLAIN BIAS?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/2014/09/uk-comment-on-nz-election.html' title='WB suggests the following article from afar (Telegraph UK) shows a detached but accurate view of the how the election played out. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11117207/New-Zealand-shows-the-UK-how-tax-cuts-can-revive-our-economy.html '>UK COMMENT ON THE NZ ELECTION</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/2014/09/sunday-star-times-is-on-ball.html' title='This on their website 0700 21/09 http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10525483/Laila-Harre-the-3m-woman WB calls this an epic fail or a repeater showing what the MSM really do think???? "Laila Harre - the $3m woman MATT NIPPERT Harre's return to Parliament is all Kim Dotcom has to show for more than $3 million in donations to the Internet Party […]'>SUNDAY STAR TIMES IS ON THE BALL</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-nicky-hager-bullshit.html' title='If WB was in the PM's shoes he would tell everyone to just STFO. Here is a guy that took a salary decrease to enter Parliament, who has no agenda other than what he thinks works for NZ, yet time and time again he is castigated, pilloried and belittled. The venous minds of the left cannot understand someone who is in politics for New Zealanders, compared […]'>The Nicky Hager Bullshit</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://watchingbrief.blogspot.com/2013/12/for-immediate-release-north-korean-news.html' title='PYONGYANG (KCNA) — With the people clamouring for justice, the organizing committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly announced that Mayor Len Brown will meet the serious punishment of history. The world public will never forget the malignant slanders uttered by Brown, the enemy of the party and the revolution and a servant of the fascist clique of the NZ Lab […]'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NORTH KOREAN NEWS AGENCY</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-232832661" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/" title="">Stellar Cafe</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/2024/04/this-sheet-connects-theme-with-each.html' title='This sheet connects the theme with each title of the book. Each of my books has a theme - or "big idea" for my readers to think about, talk about, and explore. While "bravery" might be a main theme in "The Dot," it is not the only one. It is just a starting point. It is also about self confidence, great teaching,kindness, and cr […]'>Untitled</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/2023/12/youre-weird-thank-you.html' title='I remember telling a wild story to some kids in an art class I was teaching about 20 years ago. The details of the story have long since evaporated, but I DO remember what a girl about eight years old with a puzzled look on her face said to me in response to my whimsical rambling. "You're weird," she said.I smiled."Thank you!" popped […]'>"You're weird." ""Thank you."</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/2021/02/protect-your-sparkle.html' title='This is an image from our book PLANT A KISS (published by Harper Collins) written by my sweet friend and collaborator, Amy Krouse Rosenthal. The whole book was an absolute joy to create, but this is one of my favorite pages in the book. It reminds me of Amy. She was famous for her yellow umbrella and her magical way of motivating people to share their own m […]'>Protect Your Sparkle</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/2021/02/collaborating-with-cat-stevens.html' title=' Hopping on the Peace TrainOne of the first albums I ever bought was Cat Stevens' Teaser and the Firecat. It was 1971. I remember placing it on the turntable and as the vinyl spun, my twin brother, Paul and I feasted on each song. Fifty years later, Cat Stevens reached out to ask me to illustrate his song, "Peace Train." Pinching myself, I rea […]'>Collaborating with Cat Stevens</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/2020/08/international-dot-day-september-15-ish.html' title='International Dot DaySeptember 15-ish. International Dot Day. To learn more, visit The Dot Club. A day to celebrate creativity - for all ages - in school - out fo school. It is a day t think about the words: Making my mark. What does that mean? How will you use your creativity, time and resources to make the world a better place? Millions have joined us for […]'>International Dot Day</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/2017/10/i-am-peace-i-have-teamed-up-once-again.html' title='I have teamed up once again with author Susan Verde, my collaborator on THE MUSEUM, YOU & ME and THE WATER PRINCESS. "I AM PEACE: A BOOK OF MINDFULNESS" (Abrams Books for Young Readers), is a sequel to the book "I AM YOGA." It celebrates the power of connecting to our inner peace and sharing that positive energy with others to inspir […]'>I AM PEACE </a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/2017/06/thank-you-for-saving-my-life.html' title='I saw this photo and it reminded me of a dramatic moment in my life. This is what I saw as a child (I am guessing I was about five or six). I had wandered away from the shore of the lake where my family was camping. I had suddenly found myself unable to touch the bottom of the lake. I remember looking up--as I slipped deeper. Unable to figure out how to […]'>Thank You for Saving My Life</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/2017/06/inside-mind-of-dreamer.html' title='I wrote and illustrated my book, The Dot back in 2002 and it still keeps rolling along with wonderful initiatives like International Dot Day and Celebridots. The book celebrates the power of great teaching. Vashti's teacher notices her student's frustration, but also her determination. She creatively inspires Vashti to bravely make her mark. I wan […]'>Inside the Mind of a Dreamer</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/2016/10/omran-it-has-been-weeks-since-i-drew.html' title='Omran Daqneesh It has been weeks since I drew this image after seeing the heart-wrenching news footage. I saw this little boy, covered in dust, dazed and confused, rubbed his head as blood flowed from a wound. He looked at his hand and then rubbed the blood onto the orange seat of the ambulance. Perhaps it resonated more deeply because I have a son about the […]'>Omran... #ThisIsStillAleppo </a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/2016/04/rare-moments.html' title=' I painted this in Bologna, Italy. April 2016. I love my Bologna time... the book fair happens each spring.... the week gives me a chance to put the brakes on and spend a week quietly listening to myself think. '>Rare Moments</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474706" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/" title="">Oamaru Opera House</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/2011/03/mad-march.html' title='Well, they say March is mad, and this month is definitely one for the books.Not only have we one show from The Royal New Zealand Ballet with Tower Tutus on tour but three shows. One on Thursday evening and two on Friday for the schools. The Christchurch Earthquake Concert With a strong line up of local artists this concert has a country theme with some fanta […]'>Mad March</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/2011/02/message-from-ooh-director.html' title='Due to the Christchurch Earthquake the South Island Leg of the Micheal Jackson Tour has been postponed. This includes the intended performance at the Oamaru Opera House on March 5th 2011.We appreciate the inconvenience postponements of shows create but also acknowledge this is trivial compared to what many of our friends, relatives and industry partners are […]'>A message from OoH Director</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-start.html' title='Wow! I am exhausted and the year has only just started. The OoH is kicking off 2011 with an explosion of events. Preceding a successful year in 2010 The Ooh is positive that 2011 will be bigger and better. It is already shaping up to be that way. The first of many conferences for 2011 booked is for The Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group. They are […]'>What a Start!!!</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/2010/12/so-this-is-christmas.html' title='It has been a huge year this year with shows, events, conferences, meetings, seminars and even weddings at The Oamaru Opera House (OoH). There are many more great events booked in for 2011 and with just over a week to go until The OoH is closed over the Christmas break, things are still all go. The ticket office is busy selling tickets for shows on the way i […]'>So this is Christmas...</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/2010/12/aoraki-polytechnic-oamaru-campus.html' title='Wow! Over 250 people attending the graduation at the Oamaru Opera House last night. Congratulations to all who graduated, especially Viv Gamble our Administrator and Ron Harris and Wally Macaulay our Encore Staff.'>Aoraki Polytechnic Oamaru Campus Graduation</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/2010/12/shows-at-oamaru-opera-house-in-2011.html' title='LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS Southern Sinfonia's Last Night of the Proms The annual Last Night of the Proms in Dunedin and Oamaru will this year feature internationally-acclaimed Dunedin Soprano Anna Leese. Although based on the British version, with the enthusiastic singing of traditional Proms numbers by all, the Southern Sinfonia's version has a dist […]'>Shows at The Oamaru Opera House in 2011</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/2010/11/oamaru-victorian-heritage-celebrations.html' title='Tickets are selling fast for the Oamaru Victorian Heritage Celebrations. Here is what is still to come...Victorian Oamaru Passport TourEnjoy a guided tour along Harbour and Tyne Street, Victorian Oamaru and receive your own Victorian Oamaru Passport as a souvenir.Roger Blackburn will take you on a journey through the history of the century old warehouses, an […]'>Oamaru Victorian Heritage Celebrations Programme</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/2010/11/trash-n-treasure-this-sunday.html' title=''>Trash n Treasure This Sunday!!</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/2010/11/tim-beveridge-performs-at-oamaru-opera.html' title='Music of the Night Tim is thrilled to announce his return to Oamaru for a special one off concert, a wonderfully intimate evening of music from the star of "Les Miserables"."Music of the Night" features highlights from Beveridge's career including songs from "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables" as well […]'>Tim Beveridge at The Oamaru Opera House this Saturday night.</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://oamaruoperahouse.blogspot.com/2010/10/great-trash-n-treasure-garage-sale.html' title='Sellers are busy pulling trash and treasure out of the cupboard and out of the bottom drawer and getting ready for the "Great Trash 'n' Treasure Garage Sale" Sunday November 14th at The Oamaru Opera House.One seller: Pauline Webber will have a whole range of crafts and retro clothing on sale, and along with her sister, will also have a wh […]'>The Great Trash n Treasure Garage Sale November 14th</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-417474704" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/" title="">Keeping Stock</a></h2> <ul><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2015/03/were-back-because-its-very-special-day.html' title='UPDATE (the morning after the night before): So near, and yet so far away. Australia comprehensively outplayed New Zealand, and are deserved World Cup champions. But take nothing away from the New Zealand side. The players can hold their heads high. They defied our world ranking of #4 to make the final ahead of India and South Africa. They played wonderful c […]'>We're back, because it's a very special day</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-last-hurrah.html' title='Last night was like no election night we can ever remember. The 2014 General Election may just as well have been a First Past the Post election as National stormed to an outright majority; 61 seats in a Parliament of 121 MP's. New Zealand will have the stable, centre-right government it needs. The sideshows were largely ignored, and people focused on th […]'>The last hurrah</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2014/08/what-has-andrew-williams-done-to-upset.html' title='The release of the New Zealand First party list is imminent. But somehow, Stuff has seen a copy of the draft list, and it's fair to say there will be some unhappy campers with one in particular; check this out: NZ First MP Andrew Williams is set to be dumped to a seemingly unelectable position on the party list, and former MP Ron Mark is set to rejoin t […]'>What has Andrew Williams done to upset Winston?</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2014/08/prefu-economy-on-track-for-surplus.html' title='In a far cry from the Decade of Deficits Day in 2008, the 2014 Prefu, the symbolic pre-election opening of the books, has passed with barely a ripple; Stuff reports: The economy is growing strongly, but Treasury has cut the amount it expects to raise in tax and with it, the size of future surpluses. Today the Treasury released the pre-election economic and f […]'>Prefu; economy on track for surplus</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2014/08/dpf-on-last-week-and-on-changes.html' title='David Farrar blogs: Over the last week or so I have seriously considered walking away from Kiwiblog. While some will take huge pleasure in what has happened, let me say that it is genuinely traumatic to have hacked e-mails to and from yourself (even if you were not the one hacked) floating around, and to also realise that because you are a blogger and pollst […]'>DPF on the last week, and on changes</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2014/08/working-for-whanganui.html' title='The National Party's campaign slogan for 2014 is Working for New Zealand. But on Friday, National showed it is Working for Whanganui as well. Retiring Health Minister Tony Ryall was in town to help launch Chester Borrows' campaign for a fourth term as MP for Whanganui. Whilst he was here he made a very significant announcement which has delighted a […]'>Working for Whanganui</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2014/07/haere-ra-tariana.html' title='Tariana Turia has mellowed since she first entered the public consciousness. In the mid 1990's, she was one of the faces of Maori activism in and around Whanganui, and was one of the leaders of the occupation of Moutua Gardens/Pakaitore in the city. Mrs Turia became a Labour list MP in 1996. She famously left the Labour Party in 2004 to form the Maori P […]'>Haere rā Tariana</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-golden-start.html' title='The Commonwealth Games are off to a flying start for the New Zealand track cycling team. The world champion men's sprint team of Sam Webster, Ethan Mitchell and Eddie Dawkins has added a Commonwealth Games gold medal; the Herald reports: New Zealand struck gold for the first time at the Commonwealth Games in real style at the Chris Hoy velodrome today. […]'>A golden start</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2014/07/well-done-wellington-phoenix.html' title='When Newcastle United beat Sydney FC four-nil on Tuesday night, the gulf between the English Premier League and the A-League was there for all to see. So expectations were modest for the Wellington Phoenix when the side took on West Ham United at Eden Park last night. But it was fairytale stuff for the 'Nix; Stuff reports: West Ham United have had their […]'>Well done Wellington Phoenix</a></li><li><a class='rsswidget' href='http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-tale-of-two-bowlers.html' title='One of these two bowlers has been deemed by the ICC to have an illegal bowling action. The other has not: So whose action is illegal then? Stuff reports: Black Cap Kane Williamson has become the first New Zealand cricketer to be suspended from bowling in international cricket because of an illegal action. It was announced today that Williamson, a part time o […]'>A tale of two bowlers</a></li></ul></li> <li id="rss-232813791" class="widget widget_rss"><h2 class="widgettitle"><a class="rsswidget" href="/cropped-Naruto-Tsunade-Render-24-180x180.png" title="Syndicate this content"><img style="background: orange; color: white; border: none;" width="14" height="14" src="https://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png?m=1354137473i" alt="RSS" /></a> <a class="rsswidget" href="" title="">Dave Gee life from right field</a></h2> <ul><li>An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. 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