General Debate 04 January 2024

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mikenmildagain

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Happy World Braille day!
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January 4, 2024 8:02am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Not feeling it, Mikey
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:08am
- Paulus
  
  And my wife’s 8? Birthday (same as me for 45days), sad though, as she lost her two Brothers in one week in UK.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:13am
- rjay
  
  Can’t see that taking off.
  
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  January 4, 2024 5:48pm
mikenmildagain

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Also, a happy 60th birthday to Dame Susan Devoy.
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January 4, 2024 8:02am
- Benedict Yu
  
  She should have stuck with squash. 😅
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:07am
  - Blog-aholic
    
    Really was the only thing she was good at….
    
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    January 4, 2024 8:09am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Definitely. I still can’t understand why she was appointed.
    
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    January 4, 2024 8:23am
    - Pineapple Lumps
      
      I would say that her stint as RRC does not look so bad now in light of the next appointment – Meng Foon
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:21am
      - MCōs
        
        It’s a hiding to nothing, that job
        A bit like Minister of Health or Education where five million people have opinions on the best way to do the job
        
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        January 4, 2024 11:48am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Her problem is she is driven, not woke, it was tgd wrong job for her, she would have excelled in a different role I am sure
      
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      January 4, 2024 12:10pm
      - Sarkozygroupie
        
        She was pretty woke on some issues at times!
        
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        January 5, 2024 12:19am
pdm

Have a Friday laugh.

The cheapest meat you can get is Deer Balls.

They are under a buck.
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January 4, 2024 8:03am
- Gravelroad
  
  I think it is Thursday today, pdm.
  Will wait until tomorrow to laugh.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:16am
  - pdm
    
    Thanks Gravel – can I lame the holidays for the faux pas?
    
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    January 4, 2024 8:26am
    - Gravelroad
      
      No.
      “Holidays” are no excuse for not knowing what day it is pdm!
      (Meant in a “kind” way, of course.)
      It is up to us older people to maintain credibility at all times.
      Speaking of “kind”, I see it is reported that Ms Ardern is getting married to someone in a week or so.
      In an exclusive venue in Hawkes Bay.
      Anyone from up there got the invite yet and can report back?
      
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      January 4, 2024 9:02am
      - Gravelroad
        
        Sorry, I see from scrolling down that the upcoming Royal wedding has already been announced on here.
        We should all get a new hat.
        
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        January 4, 2024 9:07am
      - pdm
        
        Always nice to have company in the dunderhead stakes Gravel. lol.
        
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        January 4, 2024 9:10am
      - stewmar
        
        Would anyone in this country apart from a few Women’s Weekly readers give a damn?
        
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        January 4, 2024 9:13am
      - marcw
        
        @ Gravelroad
        
        Just wear the fox hat.
        
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        January 4, 2024 9:21am
      - Liberty
        
        The wedding is a really big secret only the special people know about it.
        Such as Stuff, TVone, Newshub. After being kind and rewarding (With other peoples money) to my media comrades over the last few years, I would like/expect/demand the front page.
        
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        January 4, 2024 9:40am
      - Pineapple Lumps
        
        The global communist youth leader will happily be paid by the glossy mags for exclusive coverage of her big day. No doubt, a condition of the contract is that she will have final editorial control. A narcissist can’t be too careful with their image.
        
        Perhaps the date coincides with some of the DJ friends being here already to perform at summer concerts?
        
        Of course it is pure misogyny that we are picking on Jacinda.
        
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        January 4, 2024 10:32am
      - ecco
        
        Wonder if her mate Prince William is attending. She’s a trustee on his Earth Shot board.
        
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        January 4, 2024 3:28pm
      - G152
        
        How about filming it all from a helicopter.
        Nice and noisy
        
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        January 5, 2024 11:06am
- Biscuit
  
  My first ‘Groan!’ of 2024, pdm!
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:17am
  - pdm
    
    Did you miss the DELIBERATE (cock up) with what day it is today Biscuit.
    
    Most unlike you to let something like that slip past the keeper.
    
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    January 4, 2024 8:27am
    - Colville
      
      if you are selling deer balls (under a buck!) is that for the pair?
      I would expect the pick your own option to require skill and some daring…!
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:47am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Especially if that deer is a moose!
        
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        January 4, 2024 2:04pm
  - Sarkozygroupie
    
    Dear Biscuit. I much prefer you as Scone. I know you’ve got some long-held affection for that moniker but you really ought to consider dabbling in some confected identity politics. It is a new year after all and a change of pastry gender is as good as a holiday!!
    
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    January 5, 2024 12:29am
- thirteenstars
  
  Under a buck? That’s not much doe.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:28am
  - pdm
    
    Clever 13stars.
    
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    January 4, 2024 9:12am
    - Cassandra
      
      Fauning on him?
      
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      January 4, 2024 11:15am
      - Don Beckett
        
        Wow, just bloody WOW. 😆 😆
        We are full of funny puns to start the new year.
        Hope it augers well for an amazeballs year.
        
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        January 4, 2024 11:50am
  - otago-man
    
    I thought it was deer enough , the country is in a period of stagflation though I suppose
    
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    January 4, 2024 10:49am
    - thirteenstars
      
      At that price I’d hoof it to the butcher in case you’re left behind.
      
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      January 4, 2024 11:41am
Simon

Airliners piloted by DEI aircrew will just fall out the sky. The air accident investigation will be closed due to claims of racism.
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January 4, 2024 8:07am
- thirteenstars
  
  After decades of infecting and metastasising in the Humanities, DEI, critical theory and Maori “science” is now becoming fully involved in the hard sciences and technical trades.
  
  The engineers and technicians that work on complex things, like, oh, jet engines, will one day screw up because of the cognitive load and dissonance caused by their indoctrination.
  
  The true cause will never be found because by then the investigation teams, the regulators and the bosses will all be likewise infected.
  
  Today’s frantic development in the field of technology has a quality reminiscent of the days preceding the economic crash of 1929: riding on the momentum of the past, on the unacknowledged remnants of an Aristotelian epistemology, it is a hectic, feverish expansion, heedless of the fact that its theoretical account is long since overdrawn—that in the field of scientific theory, unable to integrate or interpret their own data, scientists are abetting the resurgence of a primitive mysticism. In the humanities, however, the crash is past, the depression has set in, and the collapse of science is all but complete.
  
  The clearest evidence of it may be seen in such comparatively young sciences as psychology and political economy. In psychology, one may observe the attempt to study human behavior without reference to the fact that man is conscious. In political economy, one may observe the attempt to study and to devise social systems without reference to man.
  
  It is philosophy that defines and establishes the epistemological criteria to guide human knowledge in general and specific sciences in particular.
  
  Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal — Ayn Rand
  
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  January 4, 2024 12:13pm
  - Notsofast
    
    Orchestras blind audition.
    This works. There is a call in New York to cease this as there is only one black player of 106 in the New York philharmonic.
    I suspect the solution is to make violin a compulsory skill.
    
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    January 4, 2024 1:21pm
    - Notsofast
      
      Here is a link that seems unpaywalled
      
      https://web.archive.org/web/20200716091407/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/arts/music/blind-auditions-orchestras-race.html
      
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      January 4, 2024 1:39pm
    - thirteenstars
      
      There’s a thing that could happen. The data is overwhelming that with blind auditions few blacks are chosen. The woke selector would therefore give higher points to a middling player in the hope they would select a non-white and probably non-Asian.
      
      Degenerate times we live in.
      
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      January 4, 2024 2:46pm
      - coge
        
        They could try blind auditions in jazz trios.
        
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        January 4, 2024 2:56pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

Just W 0 W 0 W 0 0 W 0 W W!

India lose 6 wickets for zero runs, but still end on top on a day when 23 wickets fall.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/india-in-south-africa-2023-24-1387592/south-africa-vs-india-2nd-test-1387604/match-report-1
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January 4, 2024 8:07am
- Tempist
  
  And suddenly sending an uncapped RSA team doesn’t look so bad…. More selection than rotation
  
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  January 4, 2024 1:40pm
Cassandra

Stuff clinging to its principles: referring to a gang assault in Auckland where the victims waited 8 hours in A&E it quoted “The Te Whatu Ora spokesperson for Te Toka Tumai”. I’ve worked out that that is probably Auckland Hospital although I may well be wrong. Biggest mistake? Me reading Stuff, I know.
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January 4, 2024 8:11am
- Southern Raider
  
  What’s worse is a week ago Auckland Council announced a multi million dollar light display installation was planned for Myers Park.
  
  Anyone who has lived in Auckland for a while knows 1) if you walk through Myers Park during the day take extreme caution 2) you never walk through Myers Park after dark. The place is surrounded by emergency housing, homeless, gangs and druggies.
  
  But Council wants to encourage more people to get beaten and robbed at ratepayers expense
  
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  January 4, 2024 10:03am
Benedict Yu

The Black Caps are shortly to play two tests against South Africa. Unfortunately, South Africa is sending a makeshift team, with the captain and eight other players never having played Test cricket, and in some cases only a handful of first class matches.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/jan/02/steve-waugh-accuses-cricket-chiefs-of-hastening-death-of-tests

The reason is that the matches clash with a high profile T20 franchise series in South Africa.

I recognise that everything changes. However IMO it would be more honest for South African authorities to say “Sorry we are unable to tour at that time.” It is disingenuous to claim that these matches will constitute legitimate test matches.
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January 4, 2024 8:15am
- Biscuit
  
  Five Day Tests, One Day Internationals, T20 fixtures … it can only be a matter of time before T5 and T1 matches get scheduled for our entertainment…
  
  The shorter versions all get very tedious, no?
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:22am
  - pdm
    
    I never watch T20, hit and giggle, cricket.
    
    It is not proper cricket.
    
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    January 4, 2024 8:29am
    - Liberty
      
      Real cricket is watching the grass grow for 5 days.
      
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      January 4, 2024 9:46am
      - Raphael
        
        a 5-day test is a game of strategy and endurance. there is nothing more thrilling than a 5-day test that comes down to the last couple of overs on day 5.
        
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        January 4, 2024 12:47pm
      - Liberty
        
        It’s not like the golden years of cricket.
        When Richard Haddlee was bowling.
        The country stopped in anticipation.
        
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        January 4, 2024 10:06pm
  - thirteenstars
    
    There’s already a T100 (100 balls bowled) and a T10.
    
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    January 4, 2024 8:29am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    All the money is in T20.
    
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    January 4, 2024 8:35am
    - pdm
      
      Therein lies the problem BY.
      
      Short attention spans in society these days.
      
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      January 4, 2024 9:14am
- mikenmildagain
  
  After their current test lineup was rolled for 55 overnight, I can’t wait to see their second stringers in action.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:26am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    You are not telling the full story. 23 wickets fell in the first day of the Test. Looking at the scorecard, either team could win the match.
    
    BTW the team to tour New Zealand is far from second string. Maybe “fourth string”. The Black Caps are stuck. If they win their first ever test series against South Africa, it will be a hollow victory. If the Black Caps lose, folk will laugh at them.
    
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    January 4, 2024 8:43am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      With the “full-strength” South African side being bowled out for 55 by India overnight, perhaps the team of no-names will actually be an improvement!
      
      As for New Zealand being “stuck”, I disagree; you can only play the opposition that is up against you.
      
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      January 4, 2024 8:53am
    - Colville
      
      Goundsmans head should be on a pike over the front gate for the punters to throw fruit at.
      
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      January 4, 2024 8:57am
      - pdm
        
        I watched until the Yarpies were 5 down Colville.
        
        The track looked okay but Siraj in particular bowled very very well. Although I would not have said he was unplayable.
        
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        January 4, 2024 9:16am
      - Matt Long
        
        PDM, perhaps the bookies had a miscommunication about which side was to throw the match and both sides are trying to out do each other in taking the fall.
        
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        January 4, 2024 9:32am
    - crikey
      
      The real danger for NZ cricket is ‘does anyone care’.
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:49am
      - Paulus
        
        Like New Zealand Rugby – not League though.
        
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        January 4, 2024 1:51pm
- thirteenstars
  
  Lots of teams coming this summer but a weird fixture list:
  
  https://www.nzc.nz/schedules?tab=fixtures&team=b7fd78e1-05ff-441b-be11-dbb4f0323a4f
  
  We’ve just had Bangladesh for one dayers and T20 but Pakistan is next with only 5 x T20, then SA with only 2 x tests, then Aussie with 3 x T20 and 2 x tests, which should be the best of the bunch, and all of that before the middle of March.
  
  At least playing a second-string SA we might have a chance of thrashing someone. Maybe.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:34am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Most of the focus is on the T20s, with the world cu approaching. If the Saffers and Aussies weren’t bound by the WTC schedule, they might not be coming for tests at all.
    
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    January 4, 2024 9:16am
  - MCōs
    
    There are a lot of two or three test series now because of the Test Championship
    As always it’s the big three who dictate proceedings and everyone else has to work around them
    
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    January 4, 2024 9:34am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Ben, I don’t think the ICC would let SA screw with the tours agreements. They are agreed years in advance and fine are levied for not showing. NZ should send a team of minor association players (none of whom should have represented NZ before) to SA for their next tour there. See how their Board like the money making potential.
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:37am
- Flossie
  
  I recall NZ netball being offended at being sent a 2nd tier team of English players. Silver Ferns then went on to NOT beat them.
  
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  January 4, 2024 11:21am
  - MCōs
    
    They beat them 2-1 as I recall
    However not as bad as the Jamaican team that fronted up that was so depleted the coach was roped in to play.
    
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    January 4, 2024 12:21pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      A link would be nice
      
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      January 4, 2024 3:57pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Rubbish, it’s a good time for them to blood players, we have been going that against Bangladesh and some other short form games before Christmas
  
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  January 4, 2024 12:15pm
  - greybeard
    
    I agree.
    Why not just accept that SA is sending a team to play a NZ team and stop being so judgemental and affronted. And overconfident.
    I predict that the SA side will beat NZ to take the series.
    
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    January 4, 2024 5:18pm
Souvlaki

Reading the literally deranged rantings of Bradbury…I hope Luxon does what Bill English and Helen Clark did and avoid Waitangi at all costs. Attendance will be a no win situation and possibly dangerous! Lets hope the SIS will be onto things?😳. The Karl du Fresne article fanning Bradbury’s psychosis is worth a read too!
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2024/01/03/mediawatch-liam-hehirs-5-stages-of-liberal-grief-are-5-stages-of-conservative-crap/
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January 4, 2024 8:17am
- John Loveridge
  
  “The role of the Fourth Estate is not to became the vassal of the new Government, the role of the Fourth Estate is to critique, challenge and criticise public policy that is not in the public good, and the journalist is the professional decider of that line.”
  
  Where was Bomber these last six years?
  
  However I was unable to read much further as he became increasingly unhinged and unintelligible.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:22am
- pdm
  
  Souv.
  
  Bradbury should get his Doctor to change his medication.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:33am
- Im Right
  
  Souvlaki….the whole left is in meltdown, not just The Daily Blog, The Standard is too (although that bar is set very low and only has about a Doz posters everyone else is banned it seems)
  The posters are increasingly getting more and more delusional, example: one posting that work tea/lunch breaks will be a thing of the past under this new Govt….others comment as though it’s a fact, and will happen, the left blogs allow this to happen, allow the posters to believe utter nonsense and get them all riled up/angry at nonsense.
  The left sure do hate losing elections!!
  Believe it or not, I’m pleased Winnie/Seymour are part of this Govt as I don’t believe Luxon has the fortitude to smack any journalist down (metaphorically of course) who comes up with a nonsense question/statement…the other two will.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:34am
- David Garrett
  
  Jesus H..Surely he was on meth when he wrote that diatribe?
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:38am
  - Cassandra
    
    Bradbury has always tended to over egg his pudding. He’s more a comedian than a serious political agitator. Best to ignore him.
    
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    January 4, 2024 8:50am
    - newview
      
      Cassandra. My problem was he ignored me. I couldn’t get published. I enjoyed giving an alternative view. He didn’t. I had no problem when agreeing with him but that wasn’t often.
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:40am
      - Cassandra
        
        Indeed. He does not tolerate any other pov.
        
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        January 4, 2024 11:18am
  - Philview
    
    The NZ media have spent years slagging of Donald Trump for not accepting the US election result but are themselves now exhibiting the very same behaviour over the NZ election.
    
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    January 4, 2024 11:16am
    - MCōs
      
      I don’t think that’s quite right
      I haven’t read any media reports of wholesale cheating
      
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      January 4, 2024 12:28pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Phil didnt mention cheating
        He is talking about how both Trump and the NZ MSM dont like their respective Election results and complained about it.
        Is that a helpful explanation for you?
        
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        January 4, 2024 3:56pm
      - MCōs
        
        Here’s a link in which Trump says
        “But there’s been a lot of shenanigans, and we can’t stand for that in our country.”
        To the best of my knowledge our media has not said there was a lot of shenanigans in our election
        FYI
        Shenanigans means cheating
        https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-election/
        
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        January 4, 2024 10:19pm
    - Ghost
      
      Not really. The nz media accept our election results, they just don’t like it.
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:29pm
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  Martyn describes NZ’s new government as “hard right”, “racist”, and even “fascist”.
  
  I can laugh about that. What’s not so easy to laugh about is the fact that a lot of my workmates agree with him (I work in tertiary education).
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:45am
  - David Garrett
    
    Have a read of this disgrace:
    
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/301033933/awful-and-traumatic-mum-shocked-after-sons-attacked-in-auckland-park
    
    Note the cops’ inaction, even though the perps were still in the park when they arrived. And the fact that the article does not name the gang, identified by one of the victims (from verbal communications between the gang members)
    
    Perhaps because the gang in question was one of those whose members are mainly the Special People, and those gangs are supposed to be “just another form of whanau”?
    
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    January 4, 2024 9:08am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Time for Cuddles Coster to receive a ‘please explain’ letter. One 18 year old arrested.
      Hang on, it takes more than one 18 year old to deal to 7 people.
      Police are just ornaments these days.
      
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      January 4, 2024 9:39am
    - Ra Henare
      
      From the article in stuff. I detect that from the Mothers name, the sons are Russian…..????
      
      Boys in their 20s mother arrived 17 years ago etc etc
      
      So would be more to the story methinks than the mothers description.
      
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      January 4, 2024 3:49pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Pope: Describing the current government as “hard right” is both ludicrous and demonstrates just what an ignorant idiot Bradbury is.
    
    Spain under Franco and Chile under Pinochet were “hard right”. Perhaps Bradbury really does believe that Luxon will order detention without trial, and dropping opponents into the sea from helicicopters?
    
    I am far from confident they will reinstate the moderate and sensible – and very effective – three strikes law, which a poll three years ago showed – to my amazement – that 48% of Green voters supported it Overall support was about 80% IIRC.
    
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    January 4, 2024 9:45am
    - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
      
      Ah yes, the esteemed General Pinochet
      
      “as God’s my witness, I thought that Communists could fly”
      
      (with apologies to WKRP)
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:09am
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Les Nesman
        
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        January 4, 2024 2:44pm
    - Tom Hunter
      
      It’s not ludicrous or delusional, it’s his fucked-in-the-head approach to political argument where you just keep repeating the same phrases again and again and again and….
      
      I read the diatribe a few days ago and counted “hard right racist Government” used seven times. One of his other faves is “hard right, fascist romper-stomper government”.
      
      He really does seem to think that online forums are just like a protest crowd that you can whip into a frenzy with a bullhorn and chanting.
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:22am
    - crikey
      
      Sorry DG, fat finger gave downtick instead of intended uptick.
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:52am
      - David Garrett
        
        crikey: No worries mate…I always assume the two downticks I get for whatever I say are the two time killer and Milky…an perhaps one or two others who STAB that keyboard and wish they could be stabbing me!
        
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        January 4, 2024 11:34am
  - Terry Dalee
    
    Bradbury has a historical record as a loser. Exactly what has he achieved since his Auckland university days, which is mid 1990s…
    
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    January 4, 2024 5:46pm
- imalwaysright
  
  On Waitangi day Luxon should visit some poor families and ask what help they have received from the treaty gravy train.
  Then he should visit the streets where the gravy train passengers live and show us what they have received from the gravy train.
  
  It would make for an interesting comparison .
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:47am
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    I like the idea. But can you see Luxon doing that?
    
    25 1
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    January 4, 2024 9:36am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Only the Elite Maori benefit from the Gravy Train. The poor are just activist pawns.
    
    28 2
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    January 4, 2024 9:43am
  - Jethrod
    
    Yes….. the Te Atatu peninsula, cityside. This is what a Trust can produce.
    
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    January 4, 2024 10:53am
- Benedict Yu
  
  How can the Treaty form a stable basis for the constitution of New Zealand? We are in a never-ending cycle of hysterical argument about what the Treaty means. IMO we are a long way from peak argument and an event like Waitangi Day could well end in violence.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:51am
  - Grunter
    
    I agree – the race debate is New Zealand’s ticking time bomb IMO. We are now past the point of being able to constructively debate. Over the Christmas break I tried twice to debate a couple of lefties over the race issue. Both times I was called a racist within 2 minutes of talking. (Of course I stated that all Kiwis should have the same rights and personal responsibilities – “YOUR A RACIST!!! Wah, wah, wah)
    
    How is this resolved? Can it be resolved without violence? How bad will it get? I have no idea.
    
    Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
    
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    January 4, 2024 9:09am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      I honestly don’t think that it can be resolved. Not in any foreseeable time frame, say 20 to 30 years.
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:18am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      The “racist” comment comes out when they have run out of any argument to carry on the debate.
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:21am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    How can the Treaty form a stable basis for the constitution of New Zealand?
    
    Of course, it can’t. The Treaty is some form of agreement between The Crown and the Chiefs of the Tribes and subtribes of New Zealand in 1840.
    
    The Tof W isn’t an agreement between the Government and all the folks of NZ. Neither is it a guide as to how our country and people are governed.
    
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    January 4, 2024 9:25am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      It would be more accurate to say that the treaty is part of our constitution. Or, at least, has great constitutional significance.
      
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      January 4, 2024 9:33am
      - David Garrett
        
        Good God, three times in two days…
        
        The first part of your sentence is probably accurate – that the treaty is, mostly by virtue of Maori Council v. the Attorney General, and subsequent legislation,”part of our constitution” which I think you know is made up several Acts, and many conventions.
        
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        January 4, 2024 9:52am
      - Flossie
        
        Can you please provide a link so I can read our Constitution?
        
        11 3
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        January 4, 2024 11:24am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        @ Flossie…
        
        Work your way through these Acts:
        https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/regulatory-stewardship/regulatory-systems/constitutional/foundations-for-the-state/
        
        https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0114/latest/whole.html
        
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        January 4, 2024 1:05pm
    - Yvette
      
      The Treaty is unfit for the re-purposing it is now given: to serve as a founding document for a nation of vastly different composition than at the time it was written, and now is unable to even be widely discussed, as any attempt to do so is labelled as racist.
      And it is a little difficult to discuss something you are not allowed to talk about.
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:00am
  - Ra Henare
    
    Having been to Waitangi twice on Waitangi days.
    
    I can say one of the most harmonious places and times lots of friendly banter and it was a pleasure to be there.
    
    The activists(on both sides) only do their thing when TV cameras are rolling which is a very short period of time at the beginning of festivities.
    
    I would guess 99% of people on the Treaty Grounds and surrounds wouldnt be aware of any such shenanigans.
    
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    January 4, 2024 3:56pm
  - rouppe
    
    So be it. That’s the perfect action on which to hang the demise of Waitangi, the tribunal and Maori being a “partner”.
    
    Because who would remain a partner with someone who treats you like that
    
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    January 4, 2024 7:41pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  He is going this year, but let’s hope the bastards try something on, Hd can then do the high almighty thing like Key and English, remembering of course that Key went till he was jostled, English wouldn’t go because banned from Ti Ti
  
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  January 4, 2024 12:17pm
- Observer of Life
  
  Could our resident troll be Bomber in disguise?
  
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  January 4, 2024 12:19pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Could be, with different pseudonyms and VPNs.
    
    4 3
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    January 4, 2024 2:56pm
MCōs

All the people escaped alive from the burning Japanese aeroplane that was on fire on the runway at Tokyo
The evacuation was made a whole lot easier because the obedient passengers left their hand luggage behind as instructed
I saw a clip once of an evacuation in another country that turned into a shambles because people insisted on opening overhead lockers and grabbing their stuff to take with them.
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January 4, 2024 8:25am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  I’m guessing most of the passengers were from disciplined, Asian countries, rather than independent, free-thinking Westerners.
  
  Might just be prejudice, though.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:31am
  - Che Guava
    
    “I’m guessing most of the passengers were from disciplined, Asian countries, rather than independent, free-thinking Westerners.”
    
    It’s not a bad microcosm and an excellent metaphor: when a society has a collective identity and sense of unity and will make sacrifices for the common good, they all survive the calamity; when a society cares little about the collective, has little unity and its people are excessive “independent” and “free-thinking” it all turns to shit in a burning wreck on the runway.
    
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    January 4, 2024 9:22am
    - David Garrett
      
      not a bad microcosm and an excellent metaphor:
      
      Oh dear…it is neither a microcosm – a small sample which mirrors another much larger one – nor a metaphor. Never use “big” (or uncommon) words unless you are completely sure what they mean.
      
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      January 4, 2024 9:55am
      - Che Guava
        
        Wrong. It’s both, David.
        
        metaphor /mĕt′ə-fôr″, -fər/
        noun
        
        1. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in “a sea of troubles” or
        
        2. One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol.
        
        microcosm /mī′krə-kŏz″əm/
        noun
        
        1. A small, representative system having analogies to a larger system in constitution, configuration, or development.
        
        2. A little world or cosmos; the world in miniature; something representing or assumed to represent the principle of universality: often applied to man regarded as an epitome, physically and morally, of the universe or great world (the macrocosm).
        
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        January 4, 2024 11:13am
- Benedict Yu
  
  Indeed. The Japanese generally obey rules. The situation was even more dangerous because only three of the eight slides could be used and the plane was jam packed with 379 passengers.
  
  The A350 apparently landed on top of the coast guard plane. Fortunately it was a small plane, a military variant of the Q300, the smallest plane in the Air New Zealand fleet.
  
  https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/seat-map-de-havilland-q300
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:59am
  - Yvette
    
    On each time I have been in a flight landing at Japanese airports, a view of the landing is channeled to all screens in the plane so passengers would know about the same time, if not even before the pilots, what has happened.
    It may be some sort of latent kamikaze mind-set or the height (sic) of reality television
    
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    January 4, 2024 10:10am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      I disagree. It was night. The coastguard plane would have invisible to the pilots of the A350. Otherwise they would have gone around. I doubt that they knew what had happened even after the collision.
      
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      January 4, 2024 12:49pm
    - Ghost
      
      No the passengers didn’t know what was coming which is obvious listening to them talk about what happened.
      
      It may be some sort of latent kamikaze mind-set Vile
      
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      January 4, 2024 1:06pm
      - Yvette
        
        Yes,’vile’ as you say, Ghost, definitely on re-consideration – as odd as I do find the screening of take-off and landing on internal Japanese flights –
        I deeply apologise for the offence.
        
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        January 4, 2024 3:18pm
- Tony Stuart
  
  They’re now saying the Coast Guard plane hadn’t been cleared for take-off. The pilot was the sole survivor. For everyone to have escaped the JAL plane unscathed is an absolute miracle, given the speed at which the fire took hold.
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:00am
- Benedict Yu
  
  BTW you may be recalling the evacuation from a burning plane in Russia. The passengers were evacuating carrying their hand luggage.
  
  https://youtu.be/zubndM2hrpE?si=nC2rMWmNLz9jWoK6
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:08am
- marcw
  
  I was concerned at the apparent ineffectiveness of the fire crews. There was little extensive burning when the evacuation took place, but subsequently the entire fuselage was in ashes. Scenes showed fire crew wandering around doing nothing, and foam dribbling from snorkel engines, alternating with new arrivals which gave another 30 seconds of smothering and retardation, then the fire was just left to erupt further. Ultimately, the fire progressed over about an hour to a total combustion, even the cockpit was slowly involved without any apparent attempt to stop the fires slow progress.
  
  Is this the standard we should expect from fire departments at a major international airport?
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:40am
Biscuit

Just rushed out to the letterbox.

STILL no invite to the Jacinda/Clarke nuptials in 10 days time…

Sniff, eh?
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January 4, 2024 8:28am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Any word on the location? Is Gizzy to be disappointed?
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:32am
  - Pineapple Lumps
    
    Safe to say it will definitely not be on Waiheke.
    
    14 1
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    January 4, 2024 10:36am
- pdm
  
  Have you checked whether the Cat got an invite Biscuit – you could go as it’s primary caregiver.
  
  BTW local gossip (mrspdm) says the venue is Craggy Range.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:37am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    That’ll be convenient for you to wait outside the cheer the happy couple.
    
    7 20
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    January 4, 2024 8:39am
    - pdm
      
      Mikey where I live in Central Hastings is about 10ks from Craggy Range – even that will be too close for me.
      
      No doubt there will be a big influx of para gliders off Te Mata Peak on the day.
      
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      January 4, 2024 8:59am
      - Colville
        
        pdm.
        Are you on the Tuki by chance? got any spare deer wandering around? 🙂
        I am 5kms North of Craggy…
        
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        January 4, 2024 10:54am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Per the Post
    
    Former prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern is set to marry long-term fiancé Clarke Gayford in a small, highly secure ceremony in Hawke’s Bay in 10 days, The Post understands.
    
    The wedding is believed to be taking place on January 13 at an elite venue.
    
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    January 4, 2024 8:46am
    - Che Guava
      
      I predict they’ll be divorced in 5 years or less.
      
      18 7
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      January 4, 2024 9:24am
      - David Garrett
        
        Che: I give their union less time than that…unless Jacinda is one of those very rare women who can ignore the dog often being off the porch.
        
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        January 4, 2024 9:57am
      - Che Guava
        
        There’s also a pair bonding issue that commonly results in divorce, and particularly when the clock is running down, the idea of marriage (as seen on TV, movies and romance novels) exceeds the reality. Aside from his behaviour, she is a “modern woman” so has probably been around the block herself. They’ve already got the kid, now they’re getting married … it’s all downhill from here.
        
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        January 4, 2024 10:04am
      - Ghost
        
        You know nothing of his behavior, you just know rumors. It’s downhill from here? Judgemental much?
        
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        January 4, 2024 10:16am
      - Che Guava
        
        “Judgemental much?”
        
        Absolutely.
        
        Everyone on this blog is expressing a judgment every time they comment – like you, who, ironically, judged me for being judgmental.
        
        I think the main reason people are against the idea of “being judgmental” is because it means they will be judged too.
        
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        January 4, 2024 10:29am
      - imalwaysright
        
        I don’t think it’s as stable as we are led to believe .
        Once he realises he’s saddled with her he’s going to shy away.
        
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        January 4, 2024 3:05pm
    - JackRabbit
      
      Wow, a new series will be coming out on the ongoing fiction series.
      
      https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9013671/
      
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      January 4, 2024 9:42am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Never,
      
      If she’s marrying the fishermans friend then a small highly secure environment would be appropriate for both of them.
      
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      January 4, 2024 9:50am
  - Jethrod
    
    Have heard also it is local pdm.
    How many of Clarke’s exes will be there?
    
    7 2
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    January 4, 2024 11:01am
  - ecco
    
    Typical champagne socialist having her wedding at a high end venue.
    
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    January 4, 2024 3:32pm
- thirteenstars
  
  Security might outnumber the guests.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:38am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    More than 6 security will be guests?
    How the mighty have fallen.
    
    4 1
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    January 4, 2024 3:05pm
- Local Miller
  
  Really, are they finally getting married? I hadn’t heard, but then I don’t watch TV or read a lot of popular news.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:39am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Parole?
    
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    January 4, 2024 8:55am
  - Blog-aholic
    
    Not to worry. It will be all over the No Idea or the Womans Wokely.
    
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    January 4, 2024 9:23am
- Im Right
  
  Don’t worry Biscuit, the most important invites were sent to the woman’s magazine photographer and writer, the rest of the invited are just seat fillers.
  It’s all about the cash now, seems the ‘pretty little socialist’, has become what she once despised…RICH!
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:40am
- David Garrett
  
  I see the event has gone from one that was to occur in a blaze of publicity to a quiet and very private affair.
  
  Someone should do a Masters thesis on the change from “Jacindamania” to a woman who was so unpopular that her party had to hide her away overseas prior to the election.
  
  I wonder if any politician anywhere has suffered such a quick reverse in popularity? Mussolini came to mind, but it took several years for him to go from the adored Duce to being shot and hung upside down at a Milan gas station.
  
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  January 4, 2024 8:50am
  - MCōs
    
    You skipped the mania part and went straight to hung out to dry . . . .
    
    8 4
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    January 4, 2024 9:44am
- wsk12345
  
  Are they actually doing it? Got a link?
  
  8 2
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  January 4, 2024 8:51am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Best search ‘Woman’s Daze’ or ‘No Idea’
    
    4 1
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    January 4, 2024 3:11pm
- krazykiwi
  
  Amateur tyrant. Given how she behaved in public one can only imagine (and cringe) at how she must behave in private. Either Gayford has a very long leash or he’s a moron, or both.
  
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  January 4, 2024 11:54am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Luxon will know of her behaviour being ex Air NZ.
    
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    January 4, 2024 3:13pm
- Paulus
  
  Is the wedding in New Zealand, unless she has been arrested on arrival surely.
  I am surprise she will show herself back here !
  
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  January 4, 2024 2:15pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Just find the arrival time at Auckland Airport, and we can have a ‘welcome home’ for her….
    
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    January 4, 2024 3:15pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

So much to unpick.

“New Zealand has a high drowning rate compared to other Western nations like Australia, Canada and the UK”.

Well, yah. It’s freezing most of the year in Canada, and have you seen the North Sea?

“Older males and Maori are both over-represented in the statistics”.

Intersectionalism still at work, I see. I’m guessing that ‘older males’ means migrant East Asian & Pacific Islanders fishing off the rocks, not realising the power of West Coat sea surges.

‘Rob Hewitt from Tangaroa Ara Rau – a collective of Maori water practitioners – said Maori have a unique relationship with water’.

Horseshit. And what’s with ‘a collective of Maori water practitioners’? More woo-woo?

‘… Hewitt said with colonial displacement, some had lost that mātauranga or knowledge of water safety’.

Really? Just really? Perhaps Rob should reflect on the pakeha knowledge & kit that enabled him to float for a couple of days off Kapiti Island before he blames colonialism for the inadequacy of many Maoris around water.

http://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/505997/we-need-change-calls-to-curb-summer-drownings
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January 4, 2024 8:43am
- Blog-aholic
  
  People don’t drown in Aotearoa, the die from water related incidents……They might still drown in NZ but who knows.
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:25am
  - Bridgenag
    
    no life jackets……..
    
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    January 4, 2024 1:35pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      That is a small part.
      They just can’t fucking swim. Never been taught.
      Who are the fuckwits that decided school swimming pools were dangerous?
      So sad for Islands surrounded by water.
      
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      January 4, 2024 3:19pm
- Benedict Yu
  
  I can’t be bothered digging up the records. However IIRC in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the drowning rates in New Zealand were horrendous. Many people could not swim. As a result in the 1930s the Government started a major programme to teach children to swim at school.
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:57am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    …and since the 1990s schools have closed and filled in their swimming pools because of “liability issues”.
    
    Not teaching your kids to swim is a very predictable point of failure.
    
    24 1
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    January 4, 2024 10:13am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      All of the fundraising I did as a kid to get a school pool has gone down the drain.
      
      11 2
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      January 4, 2024 10:43am
- Yvette
  
  Rob Hewitt from Tangaroa Ara Rau – a collective of Maori water practitioners – said Maori have a unique relationship with water.
  “You would not find a lot of Maori going to the beach and swimming between the flags, because their interaction with the water isn’t recreationing. There’s no recreational vocabulary within te reo Maori, it’s ‘okay, we’re going down there to do a job, we’re going down there to collect kai’.”
  However, Hewitt said with colonial displacement, some had lost that mātauranga or knowledge of water safety. The collective aimed to fill the gaps through practical water skills education, and more research on how Maori interact with water.
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/505997/we-need-change-calls-to-curb-summer-drownings
  
  A diver was beginning to decompose alive when he was rescued after three nights in the sea off Porirua’s coast in 2006.
  Rob Hewitt’s epic endurance feat was “one of New Zealand’s great survival stories”, The Dominion Post said.
  “Severely dehydrated, nibbled by sea lice, cooked by the sun and covered in boils, he was in bad shape, with his skin peeling off him but, nonetheless, miraculously alive after 75 hours of bobbing in the water.”
  Navy diver Hewitt proved even tougher than his brother, former All Black Norm, who famously captained the Hurricanes with a broken arm, the paper said.
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/71783737/rob-hewitt-survives-three-nights-lost-at-sea-in-wellington—150-years-of-news
  
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  January 4, 2024 10:45am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  NMTB, if you ever get the chance, go on a boat out through the Manukau Heads bar. You will see reasonably regularly tinnies packed with Islanders|Maori that have just inches of freeboard (and often with no lifejackets). Its and accident waiting to happen, if the wind gets up a bit, they are in deep shit.
  
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  January 4, 2024 12:18pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    It is bad enough in a 20 footer (not mine)
    Dinghy out there is plain stupid with the way the NZ weather changes.
    With a skipper who knows how to cross it is a breeze.
    Never turn half way going out.
    
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    January 4, 2024 3:24pm
Bridgenag

Florida Surgeon General calls for a Complete Halt
on the use of mod-mRNA COVID-19 “vaccines”.

https://open.substack.com/pub/rwmalonemd/p/florida-surgeon-general-calls-for?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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January 4, 2024 8:45am
- Pineapple Lumps
  
  Anything Covid related or anti-mRNA medication suffers from tribalism, reader fatigue and a desire to bury the whole unpleasant experience. But this is a really interesting development posted by Bridgenag.
  
  Interestingly, the Florida Surgeon General had banned mRNA vaccines due to insufficient testing for DNA integration.
  
  “DNA integration poses a unique and elevated risk to human health and to the integrity of the human genome, including the risk that DNA integrated into sperm or egg gametes could be passed onto offspring of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine recipients. If the risks of DNA integration have not been assessed for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, these vaccines are not appropriate for use in human
  beings.”
  
  Perhaps some of those conspiracy theorists who worried about contamination impacting on the gene pool weren’t so wrong to be concerned after all?
  
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  January 4, 2024 10:51am
  - ISeeRed
    
    Five hardest things to say:
    1. I love you
    2. I was wrong and I’m sorry
    3. I need help
    4. Worcestershire sauce
    5. My conspiracy theorist friend was right
    
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    January 4, 2024 3:16pm
Grunter

The US Treasury celebrated the New Year by announcing the latest Govt Debt figure……..

US$34,001,493,685,565.48

Or in NZD $54.4 Trillion

What could possibly go wrong? Projected to keep going up by at least US$2 Trillion in 2024.
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January 4, 2024 8:53am
- mikenmildagain
  
  It’ll be alright. The US will probably apply the infallible formula for economic success: tax cuts and increased military spending.
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:20am
  - Colville
    
    As they will remain the number one military in the world (by some margin) for the foreseeable future who is going to force them to pay it all back??
    
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    January 4, 2024 10:18am
    - Grunter
      
      It will never be paid back. It is mathematically impossible. They will default in some way eventually. Check your retirement funds/KiwiSaver and see how much US Bonds they are invested in directly or indirectly.
      
      It might be you they default on!
      
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      January 4, 2024 12:28pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      Maybe #1 in Budgetary spend.
      But #1 in efficiency and experience?
      
      Maybe Russia just took that spot after its actions in Ukraine.
      
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      January 4, 2024 4:05pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    They adjusted tax thresholds on Jan 1 as they should
    
    3 1
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    January 4, 2024 12:31pm
  - Paulus
    
    And Print Money, like Labour New Zealand !
    
    8 1
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    January 4, 2024 2:19pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Joe has done that. Commandeered all printers in the US, and it is still not enough.
      Run out of Chinese ink I guess.
      
      5 3
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      January 4, 2024 3:27pm
- Burtland
  
  US Debit $34T
  Interest $1T
  
  Taxation income 5T
  Welfare 3T
  Defense 1T
  Interest 1T
  
  nothing left
  
  10 1
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  January 4, 2024 12:24pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  According to economist Peter St Onge, the USA is now spending more on debt servicing than it spends on the military (which is a shipload).
  
  https://rumble.com/v44c7m3-debt-interest-payments-passes-military-spending.html
  
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  January 4, 2024 7:32pm
  - krazykiwi
    
    I subscribe to his substack. Recommended.
    
    1 1
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    January 4, 2024 8:05pm
Matt Long

Fascinating story about the reintroduction of fake wild cattle into Europe. They’re so good for the environment!!!! Dung for bugs to eat feeds a whole ecosystem, and presumably they emit the heating free methane that swamps and estuaries do.
What a pity those stinking polluting farmers can’t produce that kind.
Anyhow, it’s very exciting news.
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/prehistoric-aurochs-are-back-from-extinction-and-spreading-across-europe-and-they-could-be-heading-to-the-uk
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January 4, 2024 8:54am
- John Loveridge
  
  I’ve said it before, maybe here: there used to be something like a hundred million bison roaming the plains of North America, all farting, belching, and shitting in the waterways. The greenies would happily exterminate all six million of New Zealand’s cows, but should a hundred million bison suddenly reappear and start heating up the atmosphere it would be celebrated as a major conservation victory.
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:12am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    IIRC the peak bison population in America was about 40 million. Yes they do produce methane but it is not on the scale of a dairy cow.
    
    However I agree with your fundamental point. The number of dairy cows is driven by the demand for dairy products, which is increasing. If New Zealand killed all its dairy cows, Brazil, China, and other dairy exporters would fill the gap. A couple of years ago I made this point to someone who was advising the Government on agricultural emissions. He told me “those countries would not do that because they also care about climate change” 🙄
    
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    January 4, 2024 10:15am
    - Matt Long
      
      Can you post your source for a Bison produces much less methane than a dairy cow please Benedict?
      
      13 2
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      January 4, 2024 11:28am
      - Benedict Yu
        
        “Dairy cows emit between 181 and 218 kg/year of methane…”
        
        “According to the research, the high end for the methane production of a single bison under controlled conditions and fed sun-cured alfalfa pellets (not prairie forage) is up to 30 kg per year….”
        
        https://mrdrscienceteacher.wordpress.com/2019/09/21/bison-vs-cow-greenhouse-gas-emissions/
        
        No I have not corroborated this research and I can’t be bothered doing so. However it does stack up with what a scientist told me when I was working on climate change policy professionally – Dairy cows are something else when it comes to methane 🙂
        
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        January 4, 2024 12:57pm
      - Taieri
        
        the high end for the methane production of a single bison under controlled conditions and fed sun-cured alfalfa pellets
        ———
        
        All those millions of bison roaming in the American prairies ate nothing but sun-cured alfalfa pellets…
        
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        January 4, 2024 1:52pm
      - Benedict Yu
        
        “All those millions of bison roaming in the American prairies ate nothing but sun-cured alfalfa pellets..”
        
        Not important. They will produce more methane eating sun-cured alfalfa pellets than they will eating grass. That is why the result is referred to as a “high end” estimate.
        
        Anyway who cares? There will never again be millions of bison. Just hundreds of millions of cows being methane factories.
        
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        January 4, 2024 2:54pm
    - cmm
      
      We think of ourselves as a big sheep country.
      Not so.
      We’re only 14th on the list.
      https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/sheep-population-by-country
      
      Cattle and sheep do not produce methane. It is the bacteria in the gut that makes the methane. This is mainly a byproduct of the fermentation process required to break down the plant fibres, especially cellulose, in ruminant digestion.
      
      Is the fermentation biochemistry in cattle really different from that of other bovine ruminants such as antelope, bison, wildebeest, goats and deer?
      
      It might make sense that non-ruminant herbivores (eg. horses, zebras, camels, elephants and rabbits) have a different methane profile, but ultimately anything that can break down cellulose must be doing something pretty similar.
      
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      January 4, 2024 12:08pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        I dont know the answer.
        
        Cows eat grass and produce meat.
        
        Humans eat grass and produce meat.
        
        So if I am a vegetarian and eat beef, am I just eating grass that has been processed? and remain true to the vegetarian ethos?
        
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        January 4, 2024 4:10pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Humans can’t digest grass leaves and won’t get any nutrition to build muscle (meat) from eating grass…
        They will get loads of fibre in their poos, though.
        
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        January 4, 2024 8:33pm
  - Taieri
    
    Less well known breed is the European bison. Brought back from the brink of extinction, just over 7000 of these magnificent animals remain, but their population is growing, both, in captivity and in free range herds. I’ve had an opportunity to see a free roaming bison herd. It’s a sight never to be forgotten.
    
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    January 4, 2024 10:52am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Did you see the story about rewilding beavers in Italy? Done by environmental activists, so the government is planning to eradicate the new beaver populations, despite the ecological benefits.
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:22am
  - imalwaysright
    
    A rewilded beaver grows back twice as thick.
    
    23 3
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    January 4, 2024 10:08am
    - Pope Punctilious II
      
      I see what you did there.
      
      8 1
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      January 4, 2024 2:35pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Reminds me of the Radio with Pictures interview with Dick Driver interviewing Beaver.
      
      0 1
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      January 4, 2024 7:55pm
  - ISeeRed
    
    Why can’t you post more like this?
    
    3 1
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    January 4, 2024 3:19pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    The bald beavers are interesting.
    
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    January 4, 2024 4:01pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Don’t mention the Nazis…. in particular, Hermann Göring…and his hunting “parks”.
  
  https://affiliate.wcu.edu/tuckasegeevalleyhistoricalreview/spring-2019/the-heck-brothers-1920-1945-legend-becomes-reality/#:~:text=The%20newly%20introduced%20aurochs%20provided,the%20heroic%20ecology%20of%20Germany.
  
  The Greens like to forget their Nazi/fascist links.
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:45am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Please explain how the Greens are like the Nazis.
    
    4 34
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    January 4, 2024 9:53am
    - Colville
      
      Other than being Jew hating authoritarian control freaks you mean?
      
      43 4
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      January 4, 2024 10:21am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      It might take a long time..
      Perhaps I can get you up to speed with a bit of light reading:
      
      https://facingtoday.facinghistory.org/examining-nazi-environmentalism-during-earth-week
      
      and a bit more detail here:
      https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/janet-biehl-and-peter-staudenmaier-ecofascism-lessons-from-the-german-experience
      
      25 3
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      January 4, 2024 10:33am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      The Nazis having (some) environmental policies does not mean the Green Party are fascists.
      
      4 30
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      January 4, 2024 10:45am
      - Matt Long
        
        One Brendan Tarrant described himself as an eco fascist, IIR. Cannot confirm as his manifesto is Verboten to plebs.
        There was something about wanting to get guns banned that he seems to have achieved.
        
        19 3
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        January 4, 2024 10:56am
      - Taieri
        
        The Nazis having (some) environmental policies does not mean the Green Party are fascists
        ———
        
        Considering that there’s very little in the way of environmental policies displayed by the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, it’s a bit hard to tell what it actually stands for.
        
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        January 4, 2024 10:56am
      - Cassandra
        
        It’s the antisemitic bit that makes the Greens Nazis.
        
        16 3
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        January 4, 2024 11:27am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      “Please explain how the Greens are like the Nazis.”
      
      How much time have you got?
      
      2 1
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      January 4, 2024 7:43pm
  - Che Guava
    
    I don’t see the connection. The Nazis were actually genuine environmentalists, unlike the Greens who use it as a pretext. Nationalism and a closed society is demonstrably far better for the environment than internationalism, cosmopolitanism and near-open borders.
    
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    January 4, 2024 10:23am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      The Nazis were actually genuine environmentalists
      
      good grief
      
      8 13
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      January 4, 2024 10:37am
      - Che Guava
        
        Of course they were. If you are fanatical about your “soil” (in addition to your “blood”) then of course you’ve got a strong interest in protecting it.
        
        4 11
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        January 4, 2024 10:40am
      - Jethrod
        
        Oh God……. another rabbit hole has just opened…
        
        12 0
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        January 4, 2024 11:17am
      - Che Guava
        
        No rabbit hole, Hitler was also a vegetarian.
        
        7 5
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        January 4, 2024 11:49am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        A vegetarian meth-head I believe.
        
        3 2
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        January 4, 2024 7:44pm
    - Scott
      
      Che – my dear old thing. Are we in praise of the Nazis now? Surely not!?
      
      6 3
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      January 4, 2024 1:04pm
      - Che Guava
        
        I wouldn’t say that I admire or praise the Nazis (mainly because they were nihilists), but I’m also not going to get on board with the absolutism that surrounds the repudiation of them. Most of that rests on simplistic self-serving propaganda.
        
        For a start, recognise that we live in a world created by the victors of WW2 – but we live in degenerate societies with few virtues, and things are clearly falling apart at the seems.
        
        The world is much more complicated than we like to believe and are encouraged to believe for political reasons. I actually don’t think that Hitler and the Nazis are exceptional as an individual or a regime in the broad scope of history, but we are told they are because, in a way, our current system of progressive liberalism is defined negatively as “not-Nazis.” Every system needs a Devil against which to define and justify itself against, and our Devil is Hitler. Who’s our God, though? That’s the 6 million dollar question.
        
        6 7
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        January 4, 2024 3:04pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Guava: “Who’s our God, though?”
        
        By all indications, that appears to be a total mystery to me. It almost seems like we are simply not meant to know what the true nature of our existence is.
        
        And for those Christians who think they know all the answers, try this for size:
        40 problems with Christianity.
        https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2014/08/26/40-problems-with-christianity/
        
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        January 4, 2024 7:53pm
      - Che Guava
        
        Of course there’s a God, in the sense of an Absolute, or necessary Being or metaphysical first principle. But since the “Death of God,” as predicted by Nietzsche in the 19th century, I had in mind a popular substitute, a corporeal “God” (or Gods, collectively) who set the moral framework and who we are supposed to unquestioningly worship, kind of a like a foil to “the Nazis,” if you will.
        
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        January 4, 2024 8:01pm
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Aurochs were one of the most terrifying beasts you could meet in the forest – right up there with the bears and wolves…
  
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  January 4, 2024 10:14am
vand

Will it be: Comrade I take you for my husband to have and to hold until the revolution comes, when all bets are off
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January 4, 2024 8:55am
Tony Stuart

In a couple of hours time someone named Luke will be the World Darts Champion. Will it be “Cool Hand” Luke Humphries, or can “Luke the Nuke” Littler’s fairytale run last for another session? It’s going to be a great watch; one of the treats of this time of the year!
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January 4, 2024 8:55am
- Colville
  
  While chucking spears in the pub can be a bit of fun a spectator sport it is not!
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:01am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    The thousands of people who have attended at the Ally Pally over the last three weeks would disagree with you Colville. I’ve also been told that the TV ratings in New Zealand are off the charts given the evening sessions in the UK are perfectly times for a breakfast-time watch during the Christmas holidays.
    
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    January 4, 2024 9:07am
    - Colville
      
      TS. With respect but bullshit. He has been compared to Tiger Woods for the same reasons, he will attract people for the novelty of youth and not the sport.
      
      2 7
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      January 4, 2024 10:23am
      - Ra Henare
        
        Sort of like Jacinda Mania.
        Nothing about policy and ability.
        All about youth and a big mouth.
        
        If Luke the Nuke was 57yo with a beer belly, ratings in NZ would hardly register.
        
        Hype always wins the day in modern society
        
        2 1
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        January 4, 2024 6:01pm
    - Jethrod
      
      Just there for the beer
      
      3 0
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      January 4, 2024 11:18am
    - RichardF
      
      They’re there for the pissup, really. I can’t think of anything more boring to watch than darts. No offence to dart lovers everywhere but it’s not my cup of tea.
      
      6 0
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      January 4, 2024 12:01pm
  - John Loveridge
    
    Back in the day, when they started chucking spears in the old Mangamuka Pub, spectators were best to get as far away from the place as possible.
    
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    January 4, 2024 9:13am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    As hard as I try, I can not see cricket as anything more spectacular than watching paint dry. It even stacks up as a mostly civilised game (OK Aussies exempted) but that doesn’t help.
    
    1 1
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    January 4, 2024 8:35pm
- Happy1
  
  Thanks for the reminder Tony. Yup the missus is at golf so time to settle with a coffee and watch the drama.
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:53am
Matt Long

A devastating comment from last week that confirmed just how real climate change is, compared people who don’t believe in climate change with people who believe insulation in your roof doesn’t keep your house warm.
How true!!!
Of course, then you have the people who think that a nanometre of dust settling on your insulation will cause catastrophic warming in your house making it unlivable and suggest the best way to avoid this is to introduce some blend of fascism and communism, with a side dish of poverty, I’m sure they’re 100% correct.
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January 4, 2024 9:00am
David Garrett

Have a read of this disgrace:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/301033933/awful-and-traumatic-mum-shocked-after-sons-attacked-in-auckland-park

Note the cops’ inaction, even though the perps were still in the park when they arrived. And the fact that the article does not name the gang, identified by one of the victims (from verbal communications between the gang members)

Perhaps because the gang in question was one of those whose members are mainly the Special People, and those gangs are supposed to be “just another form of whanau”?
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January 4, 2024 9:04am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Anyone else getting déjà vu reading this?
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:24am
  - David Garrett
    
    By “getting deja vu” I assume you mean that violent crimes such as the one described in that link now happen virtually ever day?
    
    If you refer to “just another whanau”, Tariana Turia – who sat directly in front of me in parliament – murmured that phrase every time I or anyone else made a speech referring to gangs as primarily criminal organizations.
    
    She murmured it so the Hansard girls couldn’t pick up what she was saying, and therefore she could deny she said it if called out on it.
    
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    January 4, 2024 10:04am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      No, just wondering why you posted the same comment twice.
      
      2 19
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      January 4, 2024 10:09am
    - imalwaysright
      
      D.g
      “Just another whanau”
      
      Was Turia saying all maoris are of the same ilk as gang members.
      
      If I were a maori I would be extremely pissed off.
      
      19 4
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      January 4, 2024 10:26am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Pretty sure a lot of people with Maori ancestry cringe bigly at all the insane crap going on courtesy of the racist fanatics claiming to be speaking for “their people” (whatever the hell that means).
        
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        January 4, 2024 8:04pm
- Inandout
  
  DG, until Jan 20th when parliament awakens NZ crime will carry on regardless. Last year I heard Mark Mitchell was Minister of Police.
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:43am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    What will the MPs do on 20 January that will stop crime?
    
    5 18
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    January 4, 2024 10:15am
- MCōs
  
  Last year Labour was soft on crime now the malaise has spread to the Nats, Act & NZF
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:51am
- BananaLlama
  
  The new government needs to deal with this promptly or it is going to tank their support, people have all had a gutsful.
  
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  January 4, 2024 10:01am
  - Burtland
    
    will National allow cuddles to tank their support ?
    
    7 2
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    January 4, 2024 12:36pm
    - BananaLlama
      
      That’s the elephant in the room isn’t it, i thought Winston and Seymour would have wanted him gone by lunchtime yet he is still there …
      
      7 1
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      January 4, 2024 1:54pm
- surfing
  
  And at the big end of town Māori are ripping off the taxpayer through the newly invented principles of the treaty of waitangi… between Māori crime and Maori financial demands the average kiwi is being pummelled.
  
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  January 4, 2024 10:55am
  - Burtland
    
    pummelled or taken for an idiot ?
    
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    January 4, 2024 12:38pm
bennerg

The “wedding” was announced in the NZ Herald here today:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/jacinda-ardern-wedding-former-prime-minister-due-to-marry-clarke-gayford-this-month/LWCCLN4I3BEW3KLT7O4WTQK2XM/

“The Herald understands the former Prime Minister, 43, and her TV presenter beau Clarke Gayford, 47, will wed this month. Gayford laughed when the Herald asked about the nuptials this week.”

“I can’t believe you thought you could call up and I’d just tell you all.”

“The Gisborne native said he had “nothing to add”, while Ardern couldn’t be contacted.”

So it is one of those inflated articles based on rumour, and padded out with past reporting and photos.

As an aside, can anyone else see what is wrong with the photo in that article, of mother, father and daughter on a “family walk” back in 2022?
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January 4, 2024 9:12am
- Benedict Yu
  
  The caption does not say that they are on a family walk. The word “walk” is being used as a verb.
  
  So tell us what is wrong. 🙂
  
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  January 4, 2024 9:52am
  - bennerg
    
    Benedict, grammatically you are correct – the text under the picture says “pictured as the family walk to a memorial event”. I simply paraphrased it in the context of my comment.
    
    However as a “family” I thought it odd that neither father nor mother are holding the child’s hand. And the child seems quite happy about that.
    
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    January 4, 2024 10:58am
- Scooter
  
  I’ll believe it when I see it, how many times now has the marriage and ceremony been announced and yet never eventuates. The sceptic in me thinks this is just to boost her image and good will while in NZ over the summer. She knows how much she is disliked and needs good PR while here.
  
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  January 4, 2024 10:33am
  - MCōs
    
    ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’
    I somehow doubt you’ll be seeing it for yourself
    
    8 4
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    January 4, 2024 11:00am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      She’s an incredible VIP now. 🙄
      
      All the lefty posers will be big noting about they know someone who knows her or went to her wedding.
      
      2 2
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      January 4, 2024 8:08pm
  - bennerg
    
    A reliable source passed on that Jacinda and her security detail were asked to leave a retail outlet in Auckland by the owner, who let her know in no uncertain terms that she was not welcome in his shop after she had “f***ed” the country and left.
    
    If that has been repeated elsewhere, she will be on the PR offensive again, bringing out the Jacindamaniacs to make her feel good again.
    
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    January 4, 2024 11:07am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Same thing happened in Tarras 2 years ago, lots of cheering witnesses
      
      8 0
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      January 4, 2024 12:38pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Dan Andrews (former Premier of Victoria, Aus) of the world’s longest lockdown infamy is apparently also getting the cold shoulder from various quarters.
      
      1 0
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      January 4, 2024 8:39pm
  - Paulus
    
    It is because she now regrets having quit the PM role, but not the Labour Party, whom would welcome her back with open arms, as they still believe that they are winners with her and women again.
    Watch this space and see how she ingratiates herself with the Media Party again – eh Tova and Jessica and others of the Parliamentary Press Gallery.
    
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    January 4, 2024 2:26pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Not Jessicah. She’s flipped to the dark side.
      
      4 0
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      January 4, 2024 2:57pm
  - Ghost
    
    It’s only been postponed once
    
    4 1
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    January 4, 2024 2:29pm
- Srikaya
  
  Reported by accident, sorry! Please ignore
  
  4 1
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  January 4, 2024 11:12am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Hopefully the mods will call off the swat team.
    
    1 1
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    January 4, 2024 8:09pm
- NothingLeft
  
  Like most kiwis I am hoping that this is the last I will have to hear about it. I’ve less than zero interest.
  
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  January 4, 2024 11:18am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  43, eh. No spring chicken.
  
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  January 4, 2024 2:56pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Past the ‘gigglely’ stage though.
    Oh wait…
    
    1 1
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    January 4, 2024 4:13pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      With enough surgery and SPF100 you can be youf adjacent until you are 60.
      
      1 1
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      January 4, 2024 8:11pm
Gravelroad

Re education:
Can’t claim to be an expert in any sphere of this topic, except from kids point of view perhaps.
Have been minding grandchildren and came across school book of younger one who has just completed his first year at primary school.
The title of the “exercise” book was “Literacy”.
This should be interesting thought I, having read a few of the posts by Mr Alwyn Poole and others likeminded about the failures of the education system.
The book was bare- not a word in it, except for a rough sketch of an aeroplane.
No intention to complain because the school attended is very good IMO and anyway, this kid who has just turned six wouldn’t know what literacy even meant anyway.
But if the book had been titled:
Minecraft
Hunting
Deer, Goats and fallow
Which biscuits and fizzy are best, or
How to play rugby, sing the National Anthem and do the haka , and that Richie Mounga lives in Christchurch-
The book would have been completely filled up.
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January 4, 2024 9:33am
- mikenmildagain
  
  If your grandchild hast started to read and likes you reading stories, it’ll be alright.
  
  5 17
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  January 4, 2024 9:40am
  - Pineapple Lumps
    
    The good readers make good writers myth!
    
    Sitting in a car as a passenger does not make you a great driver. Writing is a skill, comparable to learning a musical instrument or batting at cricket. The more you do, with a focus on skill acquisition, the better you will become.
    
    Our children should be doing writing every day. Unfortunately, we have an inter generational issue where todays teachers were never taught the skills of writing. The great experiment in the 1970’s and 80’s in NZ education was ‘process writing.’ Get them writing, and don’t let the rules get in the way of creativity. But it was a flawed strategy, akin to giving children the kitchen and through creativity they turn out magnificent food. It doesn’t work!
    
    If we want great writers we must teach them skills. Give them the opportunity to practice them over and over to hone them. So the teacher of writing must be good at coming up with ways to make that engaging and fun- great teachers do this lots in NZ classrooms. So you are correct in your statement about picking topics of interest to your grandson. But the teacher must also understand the craft of writing and how to teach this – this is a big gap in our system.
    
    Schools can apply for professional development money to assist their teachers with the skills of writing. But preference is given for PD for cultural competency and other BS. Many schools apply for PD for writing but most are turned down. Also, like many things in education there are a number of different writing gurus offering the solution to the writing gap. These gurus are approved by MOE yet there approaches are in many cases contradictory. The MOE needs to be better at determining with data which approach to the teaching of writing is the most successful and back that horse fully.
    
    Your Grandson is never going to be a good writer if he doesn’t learn the skills and practice them. This issue is plaguing our schools – many of them good schools. It has become an area surrounded in mystic and myth. Too hard to solve. The real issue is the lack of a cohesive strategy and leadership to fix the problem. Too many other ‘more important’ priorities. Loss of morale – Giving up in the face of adversity from the troops on the ground. But it is infinitely solvable.
    
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    January 4, 2024 11:21am
    - cmm
      
      It is exactly the same myth as playing with gadgets and facebook will make you into a good IT person.
      
      9 2
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      January 4, 2024 12:18pm
    - Burtland
      
      for the MoE, determining anything from data is a joke – its about DEI ideology not data.
      
      Case in point – PISA scores dropping for 20yrs …
      4,000 people in the MoE, 70,000 school teachers, 30,000 university staff, 10,000 polytech people all seem quite happy with this.
      
      The future of NZ lies in the hands of a rotten industry.
      
      9 1
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      January 4, 2024 1:15pm
    - wsk12345
      
      I disagree. Reading widely absolutely teaches you to write – and in a way that learning writing from a technical perspective does not. Unfortunately most kids that do read stay within a single genre or author, or read only the crap end of fiction, so they never learn what a really good piece of writing sounds like.
      
      Personally, I never learned “how to write” at school, beyond what a noun and a verb are. Later in my schooling I took up a second language where I learned considerably more about language structure and components. But I was a good writer prior to that because I was a voracious reader.
      
      7 0
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      January 4, 2024 1:36pm
      - Pineapple Lumps
        
        You make some good points. Being a good reader is a literacy skill and reading widely can expose you to a greater variety of the writing craft. But it doesn’t in itself teach you the craft of writing. I know plenty of good readers, who read extensively and widely, that aren’t good writers – myself included.
        
        Learning to write from reading is similar to going to a good restaurant and then making a reasonable attempt at copying the food at home. Anyone that can do that is able to because of experience and a knowledge of food technology and cooking techniques. There are plenty of other people that dine out that still struggle to boil water. Observing the results of skills and experience are not the same as being taught those skills and gaining that experience.
        
        In your case you are a good writer. Perhaps with more explicit teaching of writing you could have been a greater writer. Perhaps you are an exception, like one of those people who can just see music and play the piano without any tuition. But for the masses there are ways to teach the skills of writing to give most a good standard of writing.
        
        3 1
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        January 4, 2024 5:23pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      It seems that the modern way of communicating is moving from blogs to podcasts.
      
      I much prefer reading that sitting thru a rambling podcast.
      
      Maybe people are too lazy to write, so why teach youngsters a lost art??
      
      Falls in to the same argument as to why to teach children Te Reo. /sarc
      
      6 0
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      January 4, 2024 6:29pm
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      “or batting at cricket. The more you do, with a focus on skill acquisition, the better you will become.”
      Take issue with that Pineapple. Well, at least for some people. There are those that have to work hard to be good, and those that don’t, because it is natural. I played with and against some pretty decent players. I had to work bloody hard as I was average at best. Others didn’t work at all and made it look dead easy. Plus, when you get older, it doesn’t make much difference how much you work if someone is trying to knock your block off at 140km|hr + and your reflexes aren’t what they were. As you get beyond 30, you start not being able to play like you did when you were 25.
      
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      January 4, 2024 10:00pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Stop Co-Governance. Julian Batchelor.

Democracy is unfair?
Australians learnt from the separatist Policies of NZ.

https://stopcogovernance.kiwi/blog/terry-opines-produces-another-great-video-about-the-dishonesty-of-maori-activists/
11 4
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January 4, 2024 10:00am
greybeard

Stuff is really hard-up for news, or any article of interest.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130548607/the-toilet-block-and-changing-rooms-that-cost-37m-to-build
This is on their main page.
It is actually dated Dec 27th 2022 !
15 1
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January 4, 2024 10:06am
slightlyrighty

Lost among the litany of Labour Failures has been the decline in our Defence force, who were overworked beyond breaking point during Covid, and is now at the point where they are unable to put planes in the air or ships to sea.

It’s command structure is too top heavy.

Case in point, 40 years ago, we had a 4 frigate navy, and 3 flag officers (Commodore rank or higher)

We now have 2 frigates, but 7 flag officers!
20 0
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January 4, 2024 10:17am
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vreTD-r0kh8
Jimmy Kimmel Slightly Concerned Over Release of Epstein Client List.
We have a right to know. They all need to be held accountable for their association with Epstein. The facts and where they lead us, accountability. [15:19]
9 3
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January 4, 2024 10:32am
- MCōs
  
  Why do you have a right to know?
  “They all need to be held accountable for their association with Epstein.”
  Being associated with this person is not a crime, but it sounds like a witch hunt
  
  9 5
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  January 4, 2024 1:05pm
  - Inandout
    
    MC, you are correct in that those visitors to the island cannot be held accountable for a crime merely by flying there. Then we get to the meat of the matter and that is those who associated with minors for sex. As yet I can’t figure why Ghislaine Maxwell has chosen to take the rap and serve 20 years behind bars. She must have a store of knowledge of the goings on.
    
    9 2
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    January 4, 2024 1:51pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      I am astonished you even have to explain to MCos that the list could contain those who participated in the trafficking by using the girls
      wow
      
      7 3
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      January 4, 2024 3:43pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Some of these people probably had, or have positions of responsibility. Those not on the list will be able to point to the fact. The peasants need to know what the ‘great and the good’ are up to. Its one of the building blocks of social cohesion.
    
    5 2
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    January 4, 2024 3:02pm
- Philview
  
  He was it seems a wealthy man so would have had a lot of high powered contacts for legitimate reasons.
  
  4 2
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  January 4, 2024 1:26pm
- Ghost
  
  Not really. People can have an association to him and not know what he was doing. Those that need to be held to account are those who were involved with the girls
  
  I see Michael Jackson is listed, the witness simply says she didn’t massage him. Copperfield was named as being hired to do magic tricks at a dinner
  
  The client list won’t be what was approved for release, that will still be well protected
  
  7 1
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  January 4, 2024 3:08pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIhMqYI8Urs
Breaking News! Thousands Of Truck Drivers Boycotting Colorado Until Trumps Name Is Back On Ballot .
I wonder what effect this will have. Will they run out of Starsucks, and aragula?
17 3
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January 4, 2024 10:32am
- Ghost
  
  I was listening to a radio show the other day, the host said there are 20 states currently looking at removing Trump. That if the Supreme Court allows it the republican states will follow and remove Biden or whoever the Democrat running is
  
  14 4
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  January 4, 2024 10:44am
  - kevn
    
    Ghost… aka ‘The Streisand Effect’. In this case, a very successful demonstration.
    
    10 3
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    January 4, 2024 11:09am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Exactly that.
      
      6 3
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      January 4, 2024 11:15am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Do Biden or other Democrat contenders lack constitutional qualification for the office?
    
    8 17
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    January 4, 2024 11:16am
    - Pineapple Lumps
      
      What level of mental function constitutes a lack of constitutional qualification?
      
      11 4
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      January 4, 2024 11:23am
      - Ghost
        
        https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gop-reps-from-swing-states-announce-plan-to-have-biden-removed-from-ballot/ar-AA1lV5AZ
        
        6 3
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        January 4, 2024 11:39am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        That’s unlikely to go anywhere, Ghost. Passing a law purporting to remove a candidate from the ballot would be swiftly ruled unconstitutional.
        
        3 3
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        January 4, 2024 3:49pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Well he is being questioned for corruption in the big house, tell me, what has Trump been found guilty of? Never charged over any insurrection
      
      5 2
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      January 4, 2024 12:48pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Yeah, that’s what they are threatening. What goes around comes around.
    
    3 3
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    January 4, 2024 3:03pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Colorado will come to a grinding halt.
  The Democrats will suffer in the end. Taking away the right to have a vote of your choice. “We The People” will win in the end.
  
  15 5
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  January 4, 2024 11:14am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Dems will simply blame the republicans
    
    5 2
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    January 4, 2024 12:41pm
  - MCōs
    
    Win what?
    
    3 5
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    January 4, 2024 12:51pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      You really dont know?
      
      3 2
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      January 4, 2024 3:47pm
  - cmm
    
    They should look to their north….. Don’t piss off the truckers!
    
    Truckers are already at the end of their tether having BEV trucks forced down their throats.
    
    6 2
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    January 4, 2024 2:45pm
Tasman devil

Marriage Celebrant: Do you Jacinda take Clarke to be your husband?

Jacinda: We need to have that conversation.
22 2
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January 4, 2024 11:03am
- Cassandra
  
  I think a working group would probably recommend no. BTW if it is Craggy Range then for once she’s made a good choice.
  
  13 1
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  January 4, 2024 11:32am
  - Burtland
    
    seems the local Trade Union Hall isnt good enough for the comrades
    
    13 1
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    January 4, 2024 1:20pm
- Inandout
  
  Jacinda: I reject the premise of that question.
  
  9 1
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  January 4, 2024 1:40pm
Chuck Bird

The darts tournament was great to watch. The younger Luke will have another chance.
8 2
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January 4, 2024 11:39am
- septic skeptic
  
  I was rooting for Humphries. He has been playing well and is a nice humble guy. That said I have nothing against Littler who could be great.
  
  9 0
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  January 4, 2024 12:22pm
- All_on_Red
  
  Younger Luke got 200,000 for his trouble
  
  7 2
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  January 4, 2024 3:49pm
Ghost

Hundreds of pages of unsealed documents from a lawsuit connected to accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein were publicly released on Wednesday. The documents are expected to include nearly 200 names, including some of Epstein’s accusers, prominent businesspeople, politicians and potentially more

Article
4 2
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January 4, 2024 2:56pm
- sungsamning
  
  Bill Clinton definitely didn’t kill himself…. yet.
  
  4 4
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  January 4, 2024 3:07pm
  - Ghost
    
    Have you seen him, looks like the walking dead…..
    
    5 3
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    January 4, 2024 3:10pm
    - Che Guava
      
      That’s what being completely corrupt and immoral does to a person. He has to live with Bill Clinton every day.
      
      5 7
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      January 4, 2024 3:13pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        I suspect you mean Hillary but this is another example of your confusion
        
        9 7
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        January 4, 2024 3:50pm
      - kevn
        
        Che/All_on… Both are ghastly options.
        
        3 2
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        January 4, 2024 4:29pm
      - Che Guava
        
        “I suspect you mean Hillary but this is another example of your confusion.”
        
        Not at all, I meant he has to live with himself, in that “living with yourself” means dealing with your conscience. I’m sure the sophisticated readers got it.
        
        6 1
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        January 4, 2024 4:49pm
- Ghost
  
  Sounds like the king might have a headache. It appears Andrew had a life sized puppet made of himself. He would have underage naked girls sit on his lap, the puppet on the girls lap and both him and the puppet would abuse the girl.
  
  5 7
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  January 4, 2024 3:57pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Any solid evidence for this? You’d have to be spectacularly stupid to do stuff like this as a royal person.
    
    1 1
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    January 4, 2024 8:44pm
    - Ghost
      
      It’s been reported on Before
      
      But here’s from the papers released today
      
      At the time, Ms Sjoberg testified that Maxwell called her to an upstairs closet where they pulled out a puppet of Prince Andrew that had been made for a BBC programme.
      
      “It looked like him,” Sjoberg said. “And she brought it down and presented it to him; and that was a great joke, because apparently it was a production from a show on BBC.”
      
      “And they decided to take a picture with it, in which Virginia and Andrew sat on a couch.
      
      “They put the puppet on Virginia’s lap, and I sat on Andrew’s lap, and they put the puppet’s hand on Virginia’s breast, and Andrew put his hand on my breast, and they took a photo.”
      
      Article
      
      1 1
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      January 4, 2024 9:14pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Seems unlikely that anything sensational will be revealed. Probably a few more names who accepted donations or hospitality from Epstein. Any further details on associates like Trump or Clinton would be unlikely.
  
  6 2
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  January 4, 2024 4:02pm
Paul Marsden

This would have been interesting watching Hawking doing the wild thing…

“Epstein offered to reward Giuffre’s friends and family for proving allegations were false
In an email to Ghislaine Maxwell , Jeffery Epstein said she could reward any of Virginia Giuffre’s friends and family who come forward to prove her allegations are false.

Particularly, Epstein said the strongest was the Clinton Dinner and an underage orgy that Stephen Hawking participated in.”
6 4
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January 4, 2024 3:27pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  I’m not surprised you have weird tastes.
  
  2 11
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  January 4, 2024 3:52pm
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Hawking was wheelchair bound from around the 1960’s when Epstein was an adolescent. And by the time Epstein had gotten his island, Hawking was barely capable of moving let alone participating in an orgy. Or is lying there blinking participating?
  
  3 0
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  January 4, 2024 8:56pm
Tasman devil

Will the Dame and the fisherman honeymoon on Waiheke Island?
3 7
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January 4, 2024 3:37pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Is anyone on duty/awake at Parliament?

Yesterday the DPM&C put out a press release with the Honours List…… for New Year 2023.

New Year Honours List 2023
Wednesday, 3 January 2024, 12:47 pm
Press Release: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2401/S00005/new-year-honours-list-2023.htm

I wonder why?
6 3
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January 4, 2024 3:56pm
- Ghost
  
  Here’s the release
  
  https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2024
  
  I think scoop are the ones that have stuffed up
  
  8 0
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  January 4, 2024 4:05pm
Jack5

There’s an opening for an English-language news site in NZ …

From a report in Stuff today:

A Te Whatu Ora spokesperson for Te Toka Tumai said ….
6 1
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January 4, 2024 4:12pm
- Ghost
  
  What about an English speaking pizza place?
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/dominos-reveals-maori-language-menu-urges-staff-to-speak-te-reo-maori/5PLXKR5CR5DEZKUUSHNACS3DVI/
  
  5 2
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  January 4, 2024 4:17pm
  - kevn
    
    Ghost… We get English spoken with an Indian accent at Dominoes and Pizza Hut.
    
    3 1
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    January 4, 2024 4:26pm
    - Albie
      
      kevn, now that Domino’s have drunk the Kool Aid and gone full woke I’ll just have to buy Pizza Hut from now on. Just imagine my local Indian Domino’s franchisee taking my order in Imanglish.
      
      0 0
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      January 5, 2024 7:40am
Swifty

For all New Zealand MPs:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7qQxajh1yW8
5 2
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January 4, 2024 4:13pm
- Che Guava
  
  “Do you condemn White supremacy?”
  
  To use Ardern’s phrase correctly, I reject the premise of the question: why should Vivek be expected to “condemn White supremacy”? Where did this expectation come from? Every racial group is chauvanistic.
  
  Look at European civilisation, both in Europe and where it has spread – that’s an excellent case for our superiority. Given that equality is a feature of nature, someone has to be at the pinnacle. It doesn’t follow we have to hate others, though.
  
  Of course, “White supremacy” has a very particular meaning, which is a White person asserting himself as a White person and not kowtowing to militant non-Whites.
  
  I’m proud to be White, and if people don’t like it, that’s their problem.
  
  7 4
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  January 4, 2024 5:05pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    I find being white a pain in the ass. In summer I have to use very strong sunscreen to avoid skin cancer. Wish I was quite a bit darker.
    
    1 2
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    January 4, 2024 8:48pm
  - Rich Prick
    
    Any question can be answered, it’s a leftist thing to attempt to peer behind it for the bogeyman. A yes or no, or a slightly longer answer will suffice. Lefties should give it a go.
    
    1 0
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    January 5, 2024 1:14am
kevn

World Champ Darts high lights… hat tip Daily Telegraph.
https://dailytelegraph.co.nz/sport/teen-darts-sensation-luke-littler-loses-in-world-championship-final/
3 0
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January 4, 2024 5:00pm
Swifty

Dershowitz on Israel, Harvard, DEI etc

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx_r9meu9a0

Speaks a lot of sense.
3 2
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January 4, 2024 5:09pm
Swifty

“Her body tensed and quivered as she felt wave after wave surge through it.

I probably should have told her about the new electric fence.”

Unknown NZ farmer.
11 0
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January 4, 2024 5:57pm
- newview
  
  (: 7.5 k volts will control the quivering. Might get wet pants thought.
  
  2 1
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  January 4, 2024 7:18pm
waikatosinger

Rubbery chewy wet chicken with the consistency of a hockey puck? You are most likely eating chicken which has been “plumped” by the injection of water and carrageenan.

Carrageenan is a seaweed extract similar to gelatine used to make the chicken retain injected water. Plumping and Carageenan can result in up to 40% by weight of the chicken being water. When cooked it has a distinctive and revolting rubbery texture almost like the chicken is raw, even when properly cooked. Read the label and refuse to buy any chicken that has this stuff in it.

Aside from the revolting texture, Carrageenan is suspected of causing inflammation and a number of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, digestive disorders, heart diseases, neurological disorders and even cancer. It probably isn’t something you want in your diet.

This just ruined my roast chicken dinner. That’ll teach me not to read the label on a “roast in bag” chicken. When I buy a roast chicken I expect to get … a chicken. Not a chicken flavored jelly lump.
1 2
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January 4, 2024 8:32pm
- KiwiSapper
  
  And the brand name is?
  
  1 0
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  January 4, 2024 9:22pm

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