General Debate 6 June 2011

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Say Goodbye to Hollywood

Happy Birthday Queenie

Oh…first
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June 6, 2011 8:03am
jaba

well done SGTH .. watching CNN and the US really are in trouble and unemployment is the major issue .. lets hope we don’t go there.
I KNOW for a fact, major industry in NZ (no many here anyway) will suffer and possibly close due to the ETS alone
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June 6, 2011 8:09am
hj

If the economy can’t run without turning the planet into something not seen since the age of the dinosaurs, that’s a limits to growth issue?
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June 6, 2011 8:16am
KevinH

The Queens birthday honours list is out today, http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/list.asp?id=58, and as usual it contains the names of many noteworthy New Zealanders who have all made significant contributions to these lovely isles.
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June 6, 2011 8:24am
tristanb

and as usual it contains the names of many noteworthy New Zealanders who have all made significant contributions to these lovely isles.

“CNZM: The Honourable John Archibald Banks, QSO, of Auckland. For services to local body affairs.”

He gets an award for doing his job badly, and being generally unliked?
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June 6, 2011 8:31am
Pauleastbay

Daniel Vettori, Casey Williams, Pero Cameron , why are professional sportmen and women getting honours? FFS

Why are ex-politicians ( even though I like him) like Banksie getting honours ? FFS.

In my opinion the only people who should get this sort of recognition are those who consistently give of there own time to help others, i.e Rosie Horton she being a high pro-file one but there are thousands who do voluntary work for nothing.

And Howard Broad, over weight, over rated and a labour sop as a Police Commissioner, disgraceful.

So many of these honours are dished out to people for doing their job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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June 6, 2011 8:36am
hj

The ‘Copenhagenization’ of Christchurch – that is: promoting the use of bicycles in a city.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2490401/david-haywood.asx

Copenhagen 36% commute by bike. Chch on average 9degress warmer in winter less rainfall 2/3rds of rainfall and 50% more sunshine. Median commute is 5km. Fuel savings if same as Copenhagen (ie 36%) 146million liters of 91/year = $31.4m. NZTA have quantified things like congestion and vehicle emissions … come to $7.1m and health savings at $87.5 . Total economic benefits $101m/year.
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June 6, 2011 8:39am
calendar girl

In this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list there’s a surprising number of citations for “services to Maori” or similar:
– 1 new Dame created for “services to the Maori language”
– 14 citations for “services to Maori”
– 3 citations for “services to Maori and the community”
– 1 citation for “services to Te Kohanga Reo”

Despite the very good work that most of these people must have done over a long period to earn their awards, the shear number of Maori awards leaves me slightly uneasy. It seems to be unbalanced, for whatever reason. Perhaps it’s simply a catch-up after many years of Maori being disregarded by the previous Government.

There are also citations for services to other ethnic or immigrant groups: the Asian community, the Chinese community (2), the Korean community, and the Indian community (2).

For the record, I’m all in favour of having a strong Honours List, and I certainly don’t want to see the introduction of “quotas” or the like.
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June 6, 2011 8:41am
Pauleastbay

HJ

Have a look at Danish tax rates and then see if we want to be anything like them
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June 6, 2011 8:43am
hj

Gawd… kiwibloggers opposed to the bicycle….. Surprise, surprise! We can all be John Travoltas with our own international airport and fleet of jets (including 737) Just need to extend the urban limits?
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June 6, 2011 8:54am
Manolo

Intelligence runs in the family, after all: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10730520
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June 6, 2011 8:55am
Manolo

Howard Broad honoured? Since when do we reward incompetence, professional lackeys and arselickers?
Oops, this is New Zealand.
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June 6, 2011 8:57am
Manolo

Some boys in Cairo and Bangkok will share Chris’ happiness:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/5102272/Carter-tipped-for-job-at-United-Nations
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June 6, 2011 9:00am
tristanb

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10730469&ref=rss

“Mr Banks, whose first term was marked by asset sales and the ill-fated eastern highway, said saving Westhaven Marina from foreign ownership was the single biggest achievement of that tumultuous period.”

then:

“…he is most proud of the focus he put on arts and culture – progressing the $121 million upgrade of the Auckland Art Gallery”

This guy is joining the ACT Party!? Will he help save us from National’s asset sales? And bolster the tax dollars we spend on “the Arts”? Goodbye ACT.
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June 6, 2011 9:01am
Pauleastbay

Hj

You’ve lost me with the Vinne Barbareno reference

I just love how things are “quantified” —— 87.5 million on health savings, please enough
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June 6, 2011 9:03am
Tanstaafl

It turns out that the cause of the E.coli outbreak in Germany was locally-grown beansprouts. This is no big surprise: beansprouts have been implicated in numerous E.coli outbreaks around the world, including 17 deaths in Japan in 1996. Such outbreaks can be avoided by using antibacterial chemicals or irradiation, but organic growers refuse to do this.

Perhaps Sue Kedgley should stop worrying about GE foods (which have killed nobody) and start lobbying for a ban on organic beansprouts (which have killed dozens of people and caused serious illness in thousands).
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June 6, 2011 9:03am
Michael

NY and QB Honors lists are fantastic – if you read the QSM and QSO lists. Lots of people making difference in our communities for decades without any recognition outside the little circles they are in – now getting publicly honoured. They are worth more than any knighthood!
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June 6, 2011 9:07am
hj

Hj

You’ve lost me with the Vinne Barbareno reference

I just love how things are “quantified” —— 87.5 million on health savings, please enough
……….
because some things are estimates and estimates are inexact, the argument is wrong?
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June 6, 2011 9:08am
Falafulu Fisi

I just seen the following upcoming event advertised here on kiwiblog. It is a conference on internet technology which includes speakers on its use in education.

Net Hui – Education

What others think? I think that there has been a miss-allocation of money for ICT development in education by Govt. This was started by former Minister of Education, Trevor Mallard during Labour and I believe it is still being continued on today by National. What has it achieved? Umm, Trevor Mallard claimed (when I asked him at RedAlert last year), that it has shown to improved students academic achievements nationwide. I doubt his claim because any slight uptrend since the programm started about6 or 7 years ago, is indistinguishable from noise which can be regarded as statistically insignificant. The Govt has spent 10s of millions on this program, since it started.

There is no doubt that internet technology makes learning in education more convenient, where kids can find materials on the net more easily (abundant of them), however the proper question for experts to concentrate on, is, does the use of internet by students & schools raise their understanding of the contents/topics of the subjects they’re learning? From my anecdotal I have seen, it doesn’t. Technology is merely there to assist learners, but learners must understand of what they’re trying to learn first (help from teachers, home or community or perhaps being self-driven) then technology can be used to push further the limitations of their understandings to new grounds. This is when technology helps. If learners don’t understand what they’re learning in the first place, then the adoption of technology is useless for them. It means that technology will not lift their achievements at all.

Here is one example. The Ministry of Education, developed learning materials (for maths and I think other subjects) to be used by NZ schools where students can log in during school hours and use. Here is the thing. There are already books which published exactly the same topics (with more depth than online version) that students can use rather than using MOE website instead. But why spent this millions on developing online content, when in fact (text) books or student handouts/notes are already perfect?

Any education expert/teacher here that wants to discuss this issue?
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June 6, 2011 9:11am
cha

Lead exposure and crime.

In a recent essay, the political scientist James Q. Wilson outlines several possible explanations for the falling crime rates, from better policing to a shrinking market for crack cocaine. He also references one of the hypotheses that I’m most interested in, which is that reductions in exposure to lead gas and paint have reduced levels of aggression and improved impulse control in young men:
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June 6, 2011 9:14am
nasska

Commemorating the wanker Banks pathetic achievements on behalf of the long suffering ratepayers of Auckland with a CNZM downgrades the awards made to people who genuinely deserve recognition for their service to the community.
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June 6, 2011 9:23am
shady

Sorry – have to disagree with you Falafulu Fisi. The use of IT and internet for education is essential – the sooner fast broadband comes on the better. Books and handouts are not perfect. They cost a lot of money to publish, become obsolete quickly. Technology is the way forward for bringing better, relevant education which has a much better ability to engage the kids in (and out of) the class.

It also should not be the sole domain of the more wealthy.

That should not detract from the need for early childhood learning in the way of books (which kids love being read to and mastering reading themselves).

The subject that helped the most in school in the 70’s (apart from learning to read and count) was typing – which I took as a fill in subject in 6th form. School C and UE subjects had no use in my future in IT and sales/marketing.
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June 6, 2011 9:27am
Pauleastbay

HJ

because some things are estimates and estimates are inexact, the argument is wrong?
….

Why not say we will save 150 dollars in health, why the big noting $87.5 million,?…..

Secondly, while you are promoting this from that well known unbiased broadcaster RadioNZ have you factored in increased ACC costs due to death and injury or the lose of business productivity due to said deaths and injuries and how this will l affect the economy

Personally I think it would be brilliant if we could all bike to work for health and economic reasons, but I get seriously pissed off when quantifications are spread around and proported to be real numbers when in fact they are mostly bullshit spread by the barrow pusher
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June 6, 2011 9:28am
krazykiwi

@shady, I’m not sure the use or otherwise of IT in the classroom will make too much difference. The sooner we challenge the whole concept of a physical classroom led by a teacher the better.
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June 6, 2011 9:32am
Pete George

I had an interesting exchange with Andrew Geddis yesterday, when he started with:

When your party appears to have less policy that the New World Order Party, you definitely have a problem.

How many policies should a small party have? Are they anything more than window dressing?

How much of a problem are inflexible Policies decided on and set in concrete maybe a year before the last election? Doesn’t time and circumstance require continual review? If they manage to get into coalition most of their policies will be ignored, at best they will get a few crumbs agreed to. Is that why small parties in coalition struggle to survive with any credibility?

Is there room in the mix for a party like Your NZ that’s honest and says “we’ll deal with policies/issues as they arise and as the electorate says it wants to deal with them”?

We can’t have government by referendum (what government would give us that?)

We can have one party at least that responds to and acts for the electorate via meetings, social media and polls. I think it’s the next best thing – actually, it’s better, because it can be done under the existing rules. All it needs is for enough people to give it a go.
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June 6, 2011 9:33am
Other_Andy

New Zealand can be Energy Independent….

Australia-New Zealand has the fifth largest reserves of fossil fuel in the world with (approximately) 314.6 Billions of Barrels of Oil Equivalent.
This includes oil, gas, coal and coal deposits like lignite and shale.
Australia-New Zealand’s fossil fuel reserves are greater than Saudi Arabia.
http://blackjackoak.wordpress.com/2011/04/07/which-country-has-the-most-fossil-fuel/

Through a process called GTL, Gas to Liquid, natural gas can be converted into synthetic fuels (Petrol and diesel)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_to_liquids
This is not a new process but has recently been improved to make it viable.
Shell, have technology proven to work on a commercial scale.
http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/06/04/arabian-alchemy-shell-makes-black-gold-in-qatar/?singlepage=true
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/615ade02-8f92-11e0-954d-00144feab49a.html?ftcamp=rss#axzz1ORLidL6o
Sasol in South Africa uses the same principle (CTL – Coal to Liquids) to refine fuel oils from coal.
http://www.globalenergymagazine.com/2010/09/sasol-conducts-world%E2%80%99s-first-coal-to-liquids-flight/

New Zealand could be energy independent if the Gaia worshippers (Greenies) would allow it.

Saudi Arabia understands this, admitting that with oil at $100/barrel countries will find an alternative.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/05/29/us.saudi.prince.oil/

Will we keep sponsoring Middle East ditatorships?
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June 6, 2011 9:46am
Falafulu Fisi

Krazykiwi said…
The sooner we challenge the whole concept of a physical classroom led by a teacher the better.

I agreed KK.

Shady, I’m not saying that technology is bad. I’m saying that the fixation by Govt to spend millions on the development of ICT in education may be a wrong focus. I think that it should start in the classroom first, ie, focus on teachers (or perhaps the curriculum), then technology can be brought in to help.
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June 6, 2011 9:51am
starboard

“A Tauranga man whose wife and daughter were brutally murdered a year ago has been attacked by thugs.
Dev Sangha, who is marking the one-year anniversary of the death of his wife Ravneet and 2-year-old daughter Anna, is still recovering after being set upon by a group of five people when he refused to give them a free taxi ride.
Mr Sangha had returned to fulltime work as a taxi driver just three weeks before the May 21 attack on him and his car.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the incident, Mr Sangha said that he now planned to give up taxi driving.
Mr Sangha, 38, said he was punched in retaliation after he refused the group a free ride from Mount Maunganui to Bayfair”

Another typical day in the socialist paradise NZ. Bloody disgusting. The poor bastard’s only trying to earn a living. I bet he rues the day he left India. Much safer there than the wild wild west of good ‘ole Nil Ziland. Hundred bucks the offenders are our peaceful natives. Makes me fuckin puke.
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June 6, 2011 9:52am
shady

Ha – krazykiwi – not sure that I’m quite liberal enough thinking to challenge the classroom/teacher scenario. School, classrooms and early childhood education are an essential part of socialisation (IMO) of children in order for them to be social members of society. As are sports and/or arts. Just one good teacher can make such a difference to a child – and most of us experience that. And then there are those that the school/class environment are the only introduction to any sort of structure.

Perhaps you have other ideas – I’d be keen to hear them.

FF – why not a combination – technology is essential to the growth of NZ.
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June 6, 2011 9:52am
Pauleastbay

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/5104147/Henry-Kissinger-offered-FIFA-anti-corruption-role

Sepp Blater ………… named 88-year-old Kissinger as someone he would like to see involved in the anti-corruption watchdog.

Well, if FIFA don’t want Kissinger perhaps ACT will snap him up, he appears to be in the correct age demographic for a candidate
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June 6, 2011 10:00am
nasska

Pauleastbay

Just what ACT needs….new fresh talent to rejuvenate the party. Kissinger could head the youth wing.
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June 6, 2011 10:11am
LC

Fala and Shady, the use of technology, especially in education and schools is a distraction. We pander to entertaining our kids (hey maths should be fun!) rather than educating them. To think that kids are self educating (learn at their own pace) is nonsense. The economics also dont stack up. Maths hasnt changed in say, 200 years. That $20 book will outlast your $1000 computer with its $40/month internet fees. I’d rather the money spent on technology for education be spent on teachers for education.
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June 6, 2011 10:21am
cha

I doubt Kissinger would be interested in a job that involves travelling in Europe.
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June 6, 2011 10:21am
Mark

If people want to ride bicycles in a city then there is nothing to stop them.

However in Wgtn while some poeple do bike to work they are in a very, very small minority.

However I have seen a greater shift in people moving to motor bikes and mopeds. Maybe in Wgtn it time to expand the number of areas where these people can park.
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June 6, 2011 10:28am
adze

..“CNZM: The Honourable John Archibald Banks, QSO, of Auckland. For services to local body affairs.”

..”The Honourable John Archibald Banks..”

..”John Archibald Banks”

..”Archibald”

..Really? O.o
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June 6, 2011 10:30am
Inventory2

Named after his father Adze; Archibald Banks; well known criminal and back-street abortionist. To John Banks’ credit, he didn’t follow the example set by his parents.
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June 6, 2011 10:35am
shady

My question to LC would be – do you have teenagers about to enter the workforce? Are they or are they not of a mind to go on to further education. If not, would their literacy and ability to use a computer enable them to widen their ability to find higher paying jobs – whether in a call centre, office – or indeed having the confidence to go on to further education. If our educators have the ability to utilise technology in order to engage with more students – is not that a better than limiting to the same old stuff. Utilize every tool in the toolbox, don’t just use the spanner.

We all know that current internet and line connection costs to the home and business are exhorbitant, and hopefully the direction with fibre and competition on delivering connection to the country will address this.
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June 6, 2011 10:35am
tvb

I was very touched to see one of my old teachers Gwen Fairbrother get an award for her generous donations to the Dannevirke District. Gwen!! we always called her with a note of terror. She was and still is a very formidable person. Congratulations and warm best wishes to her.
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June 6, 2011 10:43am
Bevan

We can all be John Travoltas with our own international airport and fleet of jets (including 737) Just need to extend the urban limits?

Your flagrant disregard to the appropriate usage of the question mark is disappointing.
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June 6, 2011 10:45am
TripeWryter

To Pete George:

I liked the simplicity and design (restrained, I thought) of your website.
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June 6, 2011 11:01am
reid

This could be interesting. A metaphor modelling software project sponsored by IARPA (Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity) which is to the NSA what DARPA is to the Pentagon.
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June 6, 2011 11:20am
hmmokrightitis

Just back from 4 weeks cycling in France – what a great holiday, perfect model: cycle hard for 6 to 8 hours a day, 3 hour lunch, gourmet 5 course meal plus drinks each night, lose weight 🙂 – and have seen the success of the public cycle projects in places like Lyon and Avignon. Cycling isn’t ingrained enough into our culture yet to take off like it has in Europe. The drivers there respect cyclists and treat them with courtesy nearly all the time. Here, completely different, and until these things change, these schemes will not work here.
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June 6, 2011 11:26am
reid

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/06/apple-is-now-worth-more-than-microsoft-and-intel-combined/239925/

Cycling isn’t ingrained enough into our culture yet to take off like it has in Europe.

What are the roads like over there? Are there wide cycle lanes so they don’t have to even come close to the traffic stream?
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June 6, 2011 11:28am
103PapPap

If you look at all the great cycling cities of Europe you will immediately notice one major characteristic – they are all flat. I haven’t yet seen a hilly city that is cycle predominant.

So don’t try and force cycling onto a city that is hilly.

Auckland, Dunedin and Wellington spring to mind as essentially hilly cities that should not try and force the citizens to become lycra wearers. Christchurch, on the other hand, is a natural cycle city.
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June 6, 2011 11:41am
wreck1080

Taupo complaining about visitor drop…

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/new-zealand/5103444/Taupo-can-t-bypass-visitor-campaign

Taupo is a joke if they need to ask why.

It is not because of the new road, but because of the sky high accommodation prices which seem to have held up despite the huge recession. Taupo must be the most expensive town in New Zealand for a family of 5 to visit. Even Queenstown is cheaper.

Most places in taupo seem to charge per person above 2 people. It makes a crappy old $150 / night room shoot to over $200 in many cases. It is ridiculous , for 2 bedroom apartments to quote the ‘2 person’ rate, when the apartment is clearly aimed at families of 4 or 5 people.

Just my experience when I visited Taupo recently.

Rotorua is much more affordable and probably has just as many attractions, if not more.
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June 6, 2011 11:48am
Falafulu Fisi

Reid, that’s the domain of Computational Linguistics. The use of mathematics is quite heavy (ie, statistics, calculus, optimization, etc,…). Scientists at Los Alamos have done great amount of work in this area for a number of years. Their published work/research is publicly available in various computing/engineering/scientific literatures. One can only assume that since they’re a Govt agency, their work is primarily for building/developing systems for defense or security purposes, ie, they develop sophisticated software like those described in the article you linked to, for deployment at the CIA, FBI or Pentagon, etc…
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June 6, 2011 11:48am
wreck1080

@hmmokrightitis : If you lot kept to single file allowing traffic to flow normally maybe you’d get more respect.

Also, why do you assume motorists can see you all the time? When I’m riding, I always assume that cars cannot see you and often this is the case.
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June 6, 2011 11:55am
grumpyoldhori

calendar girl if you are against quotas why mention the number of Maori who have been recognised ?
No doubt you would like to see twelve VCs dished out to pakeha to make the quota up.
So are you saying that a hori should not have got a knighthood because the next GG has just got one ? or should forty pakeha get knighthoods ?
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June 6, 2011 12:02pm
reid

The use of mathematics is quite heavy (ie, statistics, calculus, optimization, etc,…).

Thanks for that Falafulu. I did an overview course recently in the mathematics used in speaker recognition, it’s quite an interesting area. The whole biometrics field – voice, face, iris, finger prints etc – is receiving huge attention now due of course to the security advantages of being able to identify and track security risks via integrated technology platforms.

You know how NZ is used as a test market. Ever wondered why we have a much greater EFTPoS penetration than virtually anywhere else?

I think it’s possible they’re trialling the use of it to track people, via the Elchelon technology. They could easily use Echelon to break into the banking systems and ISP systems and create an integrated real-time profile of anyone at all and imagine how useful that would be, for tracking an identified security risk. Frankly I’d be quite surprised if they weren’t doing it.
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June 6, 2011 12:08pm
Falafulu Fisi

Reid, here is also one domain that scientists at Los Alamos has been working on for the last 10 years or more to develop secure communications system for the US government.

Secure Communication Now and Forever

I know that the Quantum Optic’s Group at Auckland Physics Department have been doing R&D on this very same area of Quantum Cryptography.
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June 6, 2011 12:13pm
reid

This Academy award-winning documentary about the 2008 global crash looks really really good, but for some reason, the US MSM doesn’t seem to have much coverage of it at all. Isn’t that peculiar.
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June 6, 2011 12:20pm
Falafulu Fisi

Reid, I’ve seen that documentary and you’re right. It is really good. I think that the documentary are still banging about capitalism indirectly as somehow it is the cause. Look no further than finger pointing at Wall St.

I think that Austrian’s economics’ thoughts have pointed out the problems for a long time, but politicians & lawmakers don’t listen or even keen to look at it and make change. Here are some excellent videos from the Austrian’s School of Thoughts. Good educational videos to watch on a public holiday.

VIDEO 1
======
Compilation: Peter Schiff was Right
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I0QN-FYkpw

VIDEO 2
=====
Interview with F.A. Hayek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV7-2Aua4_4&feature=player_embedded

Video 3
=====
Professor George Reisman identifies the root cause of the crisis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb5z1pM6q7c

Video 4
=====
John Allison, Chairman and CEO of BB&T provides an insiders view of the financial crisis and possible solutions. His thesis contrasts with those in the mainstream.

http://arc-tv.com/the-financial-crisis-causes-and-possible-cures/
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June 6, 2011 12:34pm
Rex Widerstrom

Pete George notes:

I had an interesting exchange with Andrew Geddis yesterday, when he started with:

When your party appears to have less policy that the New World Order Party, you definitely have a problem.

When someone as astute as Andrew completely misses the point like that, I suspect the fault lies in the communication, not the receiver. Because we’ve batted ideas round on here over some considerable period I read the website and knew exactly what you’re on about, and fell into the common trap of assuming the average reader would come armed with, if not the same depth of knowledge as myself, at least that of the casual Kiwiblog reader.

But perhaps, for someone who hasn’t at least observed if not participated in the debates here, it’s not at all clear that the members will create and control policy?

Remember we’re in an era where one man can hoist the Jolly Roger (no pun intended) and capture an entire elected political party as a vehicle for his own obsessions, then bring aboard a man who (as people are noting above) behaves in a way diametrically opposed to those obsessions and yet still be viewed as a credible political force.

The idea that you (and whoever stands with you in this venture) may not actually be a self-aggrandising megalomaniac is difficult for the average political observer to grasp, given they’ve been conditioned to dictators for so long.

I suggest a short, cogent explantion on the front page, under a heading such as “Looking for policy? It’s BYO” or something that will capture the attention of the gadfly political observer.

You might also offer to write a guest post at Pundit…
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June 6, 2011 12:36pm
reid

Aposite to my 12:20, this is what Americans now face…

Falafulu you’ve seen Commanding Heights haven’t you? If not, PBS, it’s on their site, all six hours of it. Explains globalisation and Reagan/Thatcher years and the Chicago School and Sachs in Poland, Freidman in Chile etc.
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June 6, 2011 12:36pm
calendar girl

GOH: “calendar girl if you are against quotas why mention the number of Maori who have been recognised ?
No doubt you would like to see twelve VCs dished out to pakeha to make the quota up.
So are you saying that a hori should not have got a knighthood because the next GG has just got one ? or should forty pakeha get knighthoods ?”

You’re talking nonsense, Grumpy, and you know it. Don’t try to put your words in my mouth.
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June 6, 2011 12:40pm
krazykiwi

@shady –

Ha – krazykiwi – not sure that I’m quite liberal enough thinking to challenge the classroom/teacher scenario. School, classrooms and early childhood education are an essential part of socialisation (IMO) of children in order for them to be social members of society. As are sports and/or arts. Just one good teacher can make such a difference to a child – and most of us experience that. And then there are those that the school/class environment are the only introduction to any sort of structure.

Perhaps you have other ideas – I’d be keen to hear them.

Not knocking the importance of socialisation, more the idea that socialisation should be intrinsically linked with education led by a teacher. Schools should be a place of academic advancement – were kid’s natural curiosity about their world can be encouraged and guided. The primary source of social development of kids should be their own parents.. and if these people are not stepping up, the solution is to fix that gap, rather than assume the state will step in within the classroom context.

Back to IT, the really big issue that IT should be focused on is solving the problem where the very best math teacher in NZ has 30 pupils rather than 400,000, and also that the very worst English teacher’s performance is not surfaced for attention. Unlike 100 years ago, kids are growing up in a world where they don’t lack information, but rather they lack the resources and wisdom to filter the abundance information at their disposal and turn it into actionable knowledge. I think this is a pressing need, yet however our classrooms broadly look, function (and even smell!) just like they did 100 years ago.
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June 6, 2011 12:45pm
reid

So many of these honours are dished out to people for doing their job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paul where do you stand on the long-standing practice of political ambassadorial appointments to Washington and the Court of St James, and to various other countries as well?

Agree with you on the job honours, shouldn’t happen, ever.
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June 6, 2011 12:51pm
reid

The carbon cost of a google search on the internet. Bet the Greens get all excited about this. Let’s hope this time, they smear themselves with excrement instead of molasses. Oh dear.
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June 6, 2011 12:58pm
Dave Mann

Net Hui? What a fucking ignorant joke these people must be…… Like Falafulu Fisi I have also just seen a banner ad made by these illiterate goofs ON THIS VERY BLOG which says:

Education
Internet at school – is it
helping kids learn (sic)

Any organisation which cannot understand the basics of english punctuation and yet talks about ‘education’ deserves to be out of business immediately. Are these people funded by the government? I bet they are. Fuckwits.
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June 6, 2011 1:03pm
Johnboy

Shit that was a close shave the other night. We all got away with typing the N word. Even SlightlyTannedWithAGripe, Who typed it a lot. 🙂

Just as well David was off swimming with the Orca’s. 🙂
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June 6, 2011 1:19pm
hmmokrightitis

reid:

There is both: Avignon is a real tourist town, Lyon almost as much, but its mostly the locals who use the bikes, or that’s what I saw anyway. The real difference is as noted cars and drivers attitudes to cyclists. Oh, and Avignon isn’t dead flat, does have a couple of hills, but yes, Lyon is largely flat, which also helps uptake. The only drivers we had problems with who didnt give us loads of room, or wait for traffic to pass before passing? Bloody Belgians. Bastards.
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June 6, 2011 1:20pm
Johnboy

Blazing saddles was on the Comedy Channel last night. They used the N word a lot there. Still the Indian Chief (Mel Brooks) took the piss out the Jew’s as well.

Happy Days. 🙂
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June 6, 2011 1:27pm
krazykiwi

Makes sense reid, they’ve managed to tax and/or regulate the energy that’s lifted civilization out of the swamp, the very breath that sustains us .. so now the focus turns to our access to knowledge that empowers us. Pffffft. The very notion of killing the planet is complete nonsense.
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June 6, 2011 1:29pm
reid

Personally I think cyclists do bring a lot of it on themselves. I live in Eastbourne and to get into town via road you have only the one which wends around right beside the beach so it’s quite narrow and sadly quite often the traffic is held up by an inconsiderate cyclist.

I think one thing cyclists need to remember is that no motorist wants to have someone’s death or injury on their conscience. It must be hell, for those who have it. But it is a two-way street and frankly, the roads are designed mostly and specifically for cars, not for you when you’re on a bike, if you want the brutal truth. At the same time if a motorist is EVER aggressive OR careless toward ANYTHING soft and squishy well they are instantly in the wrong.
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June 6, 2011 1:30pm
Johnboy

Sur le pont d’Avignon.

I was hoping to meet Yvette there one day. 🙂
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June 6, 2011 1:32pm
Johnboy

“ANYTHING soft and squishy when they are instantly in the wrong.”

Hope you are ever watchful for the little chubby, squishy, Penguins on that very dangerous road reid? 🙂
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June 6, 2011 1:34pm
nasska

One of the bigger problems with cyclists are that many of them are thick, or arrogant, or both. Regardless of what I’m driving I’m content to give one cyclist room to ride in safety even if that means slowing to a crawl or stopping but that is where my magnanimity ends. Two cyclists travelling abreast get the same room as one. They can decide how to share it.
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June 6, 2011 1:41pm
wat dabney

Walter Williams – always worth reading and watching – shows how the minimum wage hurts poor minorities most in the US:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjexfiF25Gk
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June 6, 2011 1:44pm
reid

Hope you are ever watchful for the little chubby, squishy, Penguins on that very dangerous road reid?

I’ve been hoping to see one of the damn things for ages Johnboy but sadly, not yet. I’m certainly not slowing down, if I do. It just says we have to watch out for them, it doesn’t say anything about swerving to avoid them, you see.
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June 6, 2011 1:49pm
Johnboy

It’s pretty simple nasska.

If you are a pedestrian you give way to everything.

If you are a cyclist you give way to everything except pedestrians.

If you are a motorist you give way to trucks.

If you are a truckie you give way to nothing, unless it is made of concrete, and berate everyone else for not being a bloody professional driver like you.

Why are the lycra clad so fucking thick?
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June 6, 2011 1:50pm
hmmokrightitis

nasska: Youre not Belgian are you? Fucktard. What shit “many of them are thick, arrogant, or both” is the sort of stupidity that Im talking about. Yes, cyclists who ride badly are not helping anyone, but labeling the majority because of a minority is sloppy.

Johnboy: I rang my wife from the bridge over the Rhone, as we crossed into the old town. Glorious day it was, and riding into and through the old town was amazing. And there was this gorgeous girl on a bike that my mate and I followed, slowly, le sigh, happy memories…
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June 6, 2011 1:51pm
Johnboy

I think you get demerited here for pissing off Penguins reid. 🙂
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June 6, 2011 1:51pm
Johnboy

“And there was this gorgeous girl on a bike”

Was she called Yvette? 🙂
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June 6, 2011 1:53pm
nasska

Johnboy

Used to be called the size rule & the game hasn’t changed.

You missed a good show last night….FES & Aquawoman head to head.
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June 6, 2011 1:54pm
Johnboy

Yes I missed it nasska.

I have gone off the both of them really since Penny hasn’t delivered the barbed wire and Lord Birkenhead the second has been unable to get me off my parking ticket because he has really pissed off the Judges with his spitting and hissing.

I was faced with either defending myself or trying to get GPT1 away from his shoeshine stand (where he is reputably doing far better than he ever did as a ambulance chaser). 🙂

I just paid the fine.
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June 6, 2011 1:59pm
laworder

As a cyclist myself I can see both sides – and as nasska says, riding two or three abreast or even worse in packs on a road with only room for single file riding is stupid. There’s also the “cyclists” that I see at night riding wearing dark clothes, no helmets and no lights. That’s asking for trouble too

That said, there are people driving who clearly should not be. Their vision is so impaired they cannot see a flourescent cyclist on a flourescent bike with 60 odd watts of lighting all flashing away from 20 metres. And then there are the drunks. Cycling to and from work at night (I do a lot of shift work) I see a LOT of drink drivers. Have seen one pull out in front of a bus that had to lock up all four wheels to avoid T-boning him.

I suspect that the solutions that will do most for cyclist safety are the same as those for road safety in general, i.e. get all the unwarranted unregoed cars off the road, especially those with unlicensed/ disqualified drivers, and a three strikes regime for drink drivers with reading more then double the current limit. Doing these things will also have far more of an environmental payoff then the emissions regulations on imports of the last few years

Regards
Peter Jenkins
see http://www.sensiblesentencing.org.nz
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June 6, 2011 2:07pm
MT_Tinman

hmmokrightitis (54) Says:
June 6th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
nasska: Youre not Belgian are you? Fucktard. What shit “many of them are thick, arrogant, or both” is the sort of stupidity that Im talking about. Yes, cyclists who ride badly are not helping anyone, but labeling the majority because of a minority is sloppy.

Personal observation (I’m a professional driver) suggests it is the majority labeling the minority, and “sloppy” ain’t the word on that label.
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June 6, 2011 2:19pm
nasska

laworder

There’s definitely fault on both sides but it is not hard to appreciate that the cyclist who has most to lose should for his/her own sake be taking the most care.

I dare say I’m now offside with every cyclist on this forum so I might as well finish the job. Many years ago I used to regularly drive stocktrucks over the Rimutaka Hill. Most of you will know that it is pretty steep & in the days of the old D series Fords & TK Bedfords once you had to slow down, you were in crawler gear for the rest of the climb.

Cyclists (or road lice as they were affectionately known to drivers) were the bane of our lives as they wobbled all over the narrow road rather than just get off & push. Quite often although you could get revenge if you were able to pass them on a wide corner. These were the days before truck & trailers were fitted with effluent tanks & often just an extra twitch of the steering wheel was enough to cover a cyclist with the results of a load of incontinent cattle.

Those were the days.
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June 6, 2011 2:28pm
krazykiwi

“Two cyclists travelling abreast get the same room as one. They can decide how to share it.”

That is a moronic thing to say. The road code allows cyclists to travel 2-abreast. Still, once you kill someone remember that line for your defence.

It’s pathetic hearing motorists cite the existence of stupid cyclists in order to justify their intolerance and impatience. We all share the road, and cyclists are exposed to significantly more risk not being wrapped in protective steel.

And for the outraged who scream “Where’s the roading tax for cyclists!?!”, I’ll come back to you once I’ve paid my tax on petrol for my lawnmower and my boat.

I wish more motorists were cyclists. You’d see what we have to put up with … ie the small minority of drivers who are terrifyingly dangerous.

Quite often although you could get revenge…

Turn in your licence. No driver should share the road with a driver who takes revenge.
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June 6, 2011 2:36pm
reid

We should see if we could get the Green Party to organise a cycle race over the Rimutaka Hill. It would be such fun. I’m going to suggest it on Frogblog, right now.

We all share the road, and cyclists are exposed to significantly more risk not being wrapped in protective steel.

The way I see it kk, you share our road. Out of the goodness of our heart, we let you hold us up with slow, fragile machines which inhibit efficient arterial movement.
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June 6, 2011 2:37pm
Manolo

A demented warmist writes:
Surely it’s time for climate-change deniers to have their opinions forcibly tattooed on their bodies.

Not necessarily on the forehead; I’m a reasonable man. Just something along their arm or across their chest so their grandchildren could say, ”Really? You were one of the ones who tried to stop the world doing something? And why exactly was that, granddad?”

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/the-dangers-of-boneheaded-beliefs-20110602-1fijg.html
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June 6, 2011 2:38pm
Rex Widerstrom

nasska:

Cyclists attempted the Rimutaka Hill Road? That gives weight to my thesis… name a category of people who dress in shiny, tight-fitting clothing and indulge in acts which cause intolerable pain to themselves and others, with more exreme proponents sometimes risking death, all the while proclaiming their right to indulge their peculiar obsession. You could answer “S&M freaks” and “cyclists” and be right in either case 😀

I particularly like the attitude that ringing their stupid little bell while coming up behind me at ~30km/h on a path through the local park will automatically cause me to leap immediately aside and wave them on their way, pausing only long enough to either scrape the bog off my shoes or unwrap the snake from my calf (depending on the time of year).

First, I can’t hear their bell, as I am loudly expostulating my collected wisdom to my walking companion, who then starts tugging urgently at my sleeve. And second, they are considered to be indulging in a sport, which means I refuse to take any notice of them whatsoever. They’d have more luck on both counts if they came up behind me playing a grand piano.
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June 6, 2011 2:46pm
Mark

Read an article today @ http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/the-dangers-of-boneheaded-beliefs-20110602-1fijg.html
has an email address richard@richardglover.com.au

About surely it’s time for climate-change deniers to have their opinions forcibly tattooed on their bodies.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/the-dangers-of-boneheaded-beliefs-20110602-1fijg.html#ixzz1OSYC7c54

I emailed him back

If I had too I would wear it with pride

Hi Richard

The debate about climate change (aka. global warming a.k.a climate disruption) has not been proven. Could you at least stick to only one name, next it will be my tomatoes had a poor yield argument.

In fact there are climate scientists now saying they got it wrong. They are saying the evidence does not back up the theory and when that happens no much you love the theory you cannot you ignore the evidence.

Will you wear a tattoo as well that you believe man causes global warning and you can show it to your grandchildren as how wrong you were?

Or do you require us to wear a Star of David? or something else?

Cheers
Mark Ellis

I would recommend other to join me to say we will not be bullied into silence.
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June 6, 2011 2:46pm
krazykiwi

.. you share our road ..

Why is it yours, reid? Last time I checked it was public property, and like you I’m a member of the public irrespective of whether I’m cycling, walking, driving.
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June 6, 2011 2:46pm
nasska

krazykiwi

…”No driver should share the road with a driver who takes revenge…..

I bet you’re a ton of fun at parties. A cyclist covered in cow shit is revenge in its lightest sense of the word. It was just a bit of harmless fun.
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June 6, 2011 2:47pm
nasska

Rex

I’m warming to the idea of the grand piano….makes perfect sense to me.
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June 6, 2011 2:50pm
Rex Widerstrom

Manolo notes:

A demented warmist writes…

Oh but he’s apparently a “broadcaster and writer”, Manolo. That’s the kind of rigorous, peer-reviewed intellectual heft we need in the debate. But, humble fellow that he is, he acknowledges this depth of wisdom is insufficient and thus quotes an actress:

As Cate Blanchett put it this week…

This is of course the same Cate who’s recently been paid an awful lot of money to front a TV campaign trying to ~~save Julia Gillard’s arse~~… sorry, promote the need for a whopping great carbon tax despite the Australian economy being in the doldrums and its sharemarket having lost $30 billion in a single afternoon last week.

And for our next commercial, dietary advice from Colonel Sanders…
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June 6, 2011 2:56pm
Pete George

Trypewriter – thanks. Someone on DimPost said “Dude, when your party website is uglier than the New World Order Party website, you may have a problem.” They didn’t respond to my reaction, I think it was just an attempted diss.

Rex – I’m aware of trying to get the message across simply and quickly, still seeking the magic formula. I’ve noticed there’s two main reactions (apart from the attempted political hatchet jobs):
– most political blog reaction is critical, some notable exceptions
– with a more general audience I’ve had a much better reception

People on political blogs are not really the prime target, most have fixed ideas and/or associations, their own soapboxes. Party people have a vested interest in retaining the status quo – until something builds enough momentum to force a change.

At least Andrew noticed and took the time to comment, he came back with a couple of responses, I thought that was helpful.

The key target is the masses. I’ve not even attempted that yet, I wanted to get the structure and presence established online, but with the non-political is really where the message has to work. The next novelty…albeit with serious intent.
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June 6, 2011 2:57pm
reid

[me] you share our road ..

[kk] Why is it yours, reid?

The road is designed for cars not bikes. It just is. A pedestrian has allocated areas beside roads, so walking doesn’t count, it’s only cyclists that use the same part of a road that cars do. If there weren’t any bikes at all ever, the road would work more efficiently. It just would. Regardless of the ethical perspectives in the issue those are the simple bald physical facts, aren’t they.

Therefore if you want to justify the right of cyclists to travel on a road, any road, you have to do so via ethics, which is all I’m saying. And since it is an ethical argument, ethical things like consideration become relevant factors.

But the thing about cyclists is, there is no utilitarian purpose to the wider community beyond some etheral environmental saving the planet piece of bollocks. That is the only utilitarian benefit that cyclists can point to. On the negative side of the utilitarian spectrum, is the hold-up to traffic which you collectively cause which is widespread. I doubt a single motorist in the world, has never not at least once escaped being held up by some cyclist somewhere. You got all of that negativity to balance, against the ethereal saving-planet benefit. And that’s it.

So really, cyclists are simply a selfish bunch who insist on selfishly getting themselves fit and taking that benefit which is a personal one and not utilitarian at all, all of which is at a significant collective cost to all the rest of us, in terms of travel efficiency.

Thanks a lot.
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June 6, 2011 2:59pm
Johnboy

Shit this is good. GD is starting to shape up like Dave Moores blog.

All cyclists despite age, religion, sex, race or whatever, if they wear lycra should be instantly squashed by as many tons of metal as us petrol/diesel snorting road hogs can muster. 🙂 🙂
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June 6, 2011 2:59pm
krazykiwi

@nasska – It’s not so much the cyclist – cartoon style – covered in shit that’s the issue. It’s the bike & rider sliding sideways under the wheels of an oncoming car/truck that’s the problem. You probably didn’t notice though… your head thrown back in fits of laughter I should imagine.
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June 6, 2011 2:59pm
Pauleastbay

Pete George

“Aristotle knew what Plato did not, that politics and good intentions do not mix”

Joseph Heller
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June 6, 2011 3:02pm
Rex Widerstrom

Pete George & others interested:

Bob Katter, one of the independents in the Australian Federal Parliament, has concluded his fellow independents have achieved nothing (that’d be because they’re not independent. One is a Green. One is such a political prostitute, accepting huge barrels of pork, that he makes Peter Dunne look principled, etc) and has announced the formation of “Katter’s Australian Party”.

Its main target is rural Australians. Its policies:

– Repeal a carbon tax, if in place;
– Legislate to limit Woolworth and Coles to 22.5 per cent market share each;
– Deregulate industries like dairy;
– Make ethanol mandatory to reduce petrol prices;
– Significantly increase customs duty on products coming into Australia; and
– Relax recreational fishing rules.

I can see such policies resonating with a sizeable section of the NZ electorate, would they not?

Pauleastbay:

So Aristotle was a cynic. Doesn’t mean he was right 😉
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June 6, 2011 3:04pm
Johnboy

“So really, cyclists are simply a selfish bunch who insist on selfishly getting themselves fit ” 🙂

It’s their bloody sneering at us unfit buggers who choose to destroy the planet with our pollution that I can’t stand reid. 🙂
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June 6, 2011 3:05pm
krazykiwi

Oh reid, where to start?!? Nope not going to .. other than challenge your assertion that my fitness is a selfish pursuit. I’m saving you future health costs. Your forbearance at not wanting to angrily squash me like a bug because you’ll be 20seconds later to your next destination would help keep those costs down.
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June 6, 2011 3:05pm
laworder

Rex Widerstrom wrote;

I particularly like the attitude that ringing their stupid little bell while coming up behind me at ~30km/h on a path through the local park will automatically cause me to leap immediately aside and wave them on their way,

Which is why I have two 110dB airhorns fed with small refillable bottles… I figure that the blind drivers out there cant be deaf as well. IIRC $20 each at a local marine supplies shop (why there of all places I dont know, but thats the only place I could get em) one of the best investments I’ve made, and has resulted in a few dropped coffees, cellphones and morning awakenings for slumbering motorists

Regards
Peter
see http://www.sensiblesentencing.org.nz
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June 6, 2011 3:06pm
Johnboy

Fucking the duopoly that is Progressive and Foodies would go down well here Rex.
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June 6, 2011 3:06pm
krazykiwi

@Johnboy – I drive a 5.5L 4×4 one day and ride a bike the next. No sneering from me. I love my car.
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June 6, 2011 3:08pm
Pauleastbay

Dear Abby

What I particuarly loath about bloody cyclists is I’m driving along ,see a cyclist and think, ‘thats not a bad arse on her there ” and then get up beside it and see its some bloke from the footy club… does this happen to antone else or is just me…….?
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June 6, 2011 3:08pm
Johnboy

I’ve have a 12G street sweeper laworder. I don’t normally carry it in my Hummer.

I your case I will make an exception in case I miss you with the wheels. 🙂
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June 6, 2011 3:09pm

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