General Debate 7 March 2020

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MrTips

If you want to read real journalism, not our repetitive sensationalist crap, and know the views of real infectious experts (not the two bit, attention seeking players like Wiles and Dickinson used here) then the Straits Times has this good article, which suggests that our overly fearful response to it, rather than 2019-nCOV, may actually be the real enemy.
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/how-lethal-is-the-coronavirus-experts-differ-over-diseases-death-rate
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March 7, 2020 8:10am
- SGA
  
  I’m mixed on that article. It is right that the death rate is very difficult to estimate (and many see 3.4% as too high). On the other hand, it is quick to mention that the death rate in Sth Korea is under 1%. It conveniently overlooks that the death rate in Italy is running over 4% (about 4600 cases and 200 deaths).
  
  More important, it looks only at death rate. What’s also important is the number of critical cases (which will be much higher) and what that means for medical resources in countries. My take on this is “don’t panic, but don’t be dismissive either”.
  
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  March 7, 2020 9:06am
  - artemisia
    
    Also need to check how many tests are being carried out. Have seen reported that South Korea has done many many tests. If more than average number that will skew infection and death rates.
    
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    March 8, 2020 7:05am
- Jack5
  
  You are holding up the Straits Times as a model of “real journalism”?
  
  It may have been once. All media in Singapore are regulated by the Ministry of Communication and Information, which also regulates appointment and dismissal of directors in Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), which owns all the major newspapers and magazines in Singapore.
  
  All directors of SPH have extremely close ties with the Government. Singapore’s president and former president both served as chairmen.
  
  Wikipedia reports that in 2008, the international organisation, Reporters Without Borders, ranked Singapore as 144th of 173 countries in freedom of the press.
  
  Singapore has been an outstanding economic performer, but it curtails freedom far more than I think New Zealanders would tolerate.
  
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  March 7, 2020 12:09pm
- curry4me
  
  MrTips: For real journalism in a magazine, you can’t do better than the Spectator.
  https://beta.spectator.co.uk/
  
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  March 7, 2020 12:18pm
  - info@cruzpro.com
    
    It appears to be pay walled so not easy to determined if it is worth while to subscribe!
    
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    March 7, 2020 9:30pm
    - curry4me
      
      info@cruzpro.com: Relativety cheap, and worth every cent!
      
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      March 8, 2020 12:56am
- Aunty
  
  An interesting interview from the UK.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcJDpV-igjs
  
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  March 7, 2020 11:29pm
Ruahine

It is a beautiful day again. I am just waiting for some climate change so that there is some more rain.

https://www.rt.com/news/482523-amazon-burning-2019-average/
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March 7, 2020 8:12am
- Simon Gotlieb
  
  That’ll be weather, not climate. Climate is more like weather aggregated over a period of time.
  
  On another note, I was in Whangarei on Wednesday and Thursday and they were pretty happy to see some rain there. With the oncoming change of season I look forward to them getting some more.
  
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  March 7, 2020 9:48am
  - kowtow
    
    Yep , the last 10 to 12 000 years have seen massive global warming . I wonder what kicked that warming off ? Must have been all that carbon the farmers of the Fertile Crescent were putting into the atmosphere .And when the hunter gatherers moved into the newly ice free areas of northern Europe and settled down to agriculture it would have been made so much worse ………
    
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    March 7, 2020 10:26am
  - calendar girl
    
    Re your initial comment, Simon, it might be time to lighten up a little. Most of us recognise that Ruahine’s first comment was very much ‘tongue-in-cheek’.
    
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    March 7, 2020 11:15am
    - calendar girl
      
      My comment above has now been in moderation for well over two hours. But it’s not just my comment; others appearing and readable since mine was posted at 11:15am go back as far as 8:20am, 9:16am and 9:48am.
      
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      March 7, 2020 1:40pm
hookerphil

The local Timaru Courier free paper breathlessly informs us that South Canterbury employers are interested in what skills the first family of refugees due to arrive in the city next month might have. Timaru is one of the six new refugee settlement locations announced by the Government last year. This is exciting for employment opportunities, a refugee settlement manager started last month and a volunteer co-ordinator. a case worker and a cross cultural worker would also soon be appointed.
Wonder what skills the family – of eight will have – other than impregnating his wife.
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March 7, 2020 8:20am
- MrLovebucket
  
  Probably useful skills such as bomb making, keeping women and children in their place, and shrieking “death to the west” over and over.
  
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  March 7, 2020 8:28am
- Yvette
  
  hookerphil
  
  “New Zealand First firmly believes that current levels of immigration are unsustainable,” Peters said.
  He said the party would want the permanent residency qualification raised from two to five years, and “greater ministerial control” exerted over Immigration New Zealand to ensure it administered the agreed policy settings.
  Peters also said he would like to see the introduction of a rural visa scheme that would allow communities with fewer than 100,000 residents to attract migrants, on the condition the migrants stayed in their specified place of settlement until they secured permanent residency. [1]
  
  So Winston, if I understand correctly, would want migrants to remain five years in Timaru, to become permanent residents, before they may move to Auckland or anywhere else in the country.
  
  [1] https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/120086217/winston-peters-speech-to-the-regions-on-immigration-rogernomics-and-russia
  
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  March 7, 2020 8:37am
  - Jack5
    
    You mean before they slip through the back door to Australia.
    
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    March 7, 2020 5:37pm
- Chris R
  
  This lot aren’t in Timaru due to any potential advantage to the city or NZ…they’re here because it looks good for Ardern when she flounces about the UN headquarters. These silly co-ordinators are possibly Ardern fans and therefore incapable of perceiving reality.
  
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  March 7, 2020 8:45am
- igm
  
  How do you know he has only one wife?
  Seems many now have at least three, but mentioning this is offensive, and we have no business questioning it.
  We don’t want them, need them, and cannot afford them or their self-entitled attitudes.
  
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  March 7, 2020 8:45am
- Nostradamus
  
  Hookerphil:
  
  a refugee settlement manager started last month
  
  Has Stephieboy finally got a job in his chosen “diversity” field?
  
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  March 7, 2020 8:50am
- Paulus Gnome
  
  Nothing to offer.
  
  Do you have another question?
  
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  March 7, 2020 8:56am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Three hours later, tick tick tick. . .
    
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    March 7, 2020 12:04pm
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Six hours later, more tick, tick, tick . . .
    
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    March 7, 2020 2:56pm
- Daphne Whitethigh
  
  South Islanders have in the past been fantastically supportive and welcoming of refugee families. It’s called kindness. In the words of the song, try a little.
  
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  March 7, 2020 9:10am
- Neo
  
  Sperm donor?
  
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  March 7, 2020 9:16am
- burt
  
  He might also have experience denigrating gay people and subjugating woman, both things the caring left willfully ignore when it suits them.
  
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  March 7, 2020 9:16am
- Stephen Russell
  
  Maybe that remarkable and rare skill of being willing to work hard, learn new things, and take extraordinary risks to make a better life for his/her family. You know, like all those people who come here, work 14 hours a day, start new businesses, employ lots of people and then get deported by Labour for failure to supply drugs.
  
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  March 7, 2020 9:48am
  - Lee C
    
    … then get openly denigrated by the coalition…
    
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    March 7, 2020 12:08pm
  - ISeeRed
    
    What evidence can you give that immigrants “start new businesses here” and “employ lots of people”? Is this at a higher rate than the native population? Most of us know they tend to take over existing businesses and/or employ mostly family or people from their country of origin. And what is the nature of these businesses? Are they creating new goods and services and/or increasing quality while reducing prices to the New Zealand consumer? Are they adding value to the country and diversifying our economic base, raising our international competitiveness and standards or living? Or are they more than not buying in bulk at Pak N Save and reselling at twice the price while writing everything off against their taxes?
    
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    March 7, 2020 12:18pm
    - Jack5
      
      I agree with ISeeRed on immigrant entrepreneurship.
      
      NZ’s recruiting as migrants the best educated in technology and business skills has failed badly.
      
      Dairies,booze shops, and restaurants are the predominant businesses of migrants over the last two decades.
      
      Hundreds, perhaps thousands of young immigrants who gained entry to study subjects such as IT, have quickly moved into fields such as real estate and door-to-door sales for electricity companies.
      
      It’s not their fault, it’s down to the naivety or stupidity of our politicians, and to the greed of our universities, quasi-universities, private colleges and many of our secondary schools.
      
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      March 7, 2020 5:45pm
      - greybeard
        
        “Dairies,booze shops, and restaurants are the predominant businesses of migrants over the last two decades.”
        
        And a result of this is the exploitation of many of their staff by the owners due to their belonging to the same ethnic group.
        You read about this all the time.
        
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        March 7, 2020 6:48pm
      - rockape
        
        Have you ever been inside a hospital? you would know different if you had!
        
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        March 7, 2020 7:15pm
      - RiP NZ
        
        They have a great knack of establishing businesses to part beneficiaries with their welfare
        
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        March 7, 2020 7:45pm
- oldfella
  
  Will that mean 8 hugs from Hugzilla? (Maybe not the men… )
  
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  March 7, 2020 10:09am
- Inandout
  
  hooker, I think a couple of small towns have said they are already desperate for accommodation and these families will merely add to the problem.
  
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  March 7, 2020 10:09am
- KevO'Brien
  
  The end of Timaru?
  Why should an old city be selected for ethnic diversification?
  
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  March 7, 2020 10:41am
  - mark15
    
    Because its old, therefore wrong and ripe for the new moral great replacement.
    
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    March 7, 2020 10:59am
  - Tall Man
    
    The family won’t stay long. There’ll be a cousin somewhere in Auckland ready for a new employee at the kebab shop and the benefit and housing supplement will make sure they are met with joy.
    
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    March 7, 2020 11:44am
  - Michael NZ
    
    Because they can….
    
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    March 7, 2020 12:07pm
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    Because they are class enemies, and will be made to feel the diversity, good and hard!
    
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    March 7, 2020 12:23pm
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    Bro – Wait until the next Greens Immigration Minister Maramarama increase the annual refugee quota to 10,000. Even your city will be ethnically diversified.
    
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    March 7, 2020 2:25pm
  - Jack5
    
    They’re doing the same in Southland.
    
    Round the country multiculturism committees have been set up to support new ethnicities.
    
    One of the people who at one time was helping st up the committees was former Race Relations Commissioner and multiculturism advocate Joris de Bres.
    
    De Bres has translated Leftist Marxist authors such as Ernest Mandel, and has jointly written a book with Herbert Marcuse.
    
    Not sure of how partisan this link is, but it purports to give a background of de Bres:
    
    https://keywiki.org/Joris_de_Bres
    
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    March 7, 2020 5:55pm
The Proper Ghandi

hookerphil
They are economic migrants, not ‘refugees.’ The semantics here are crucial. Generally, the only ‘skill’ demanded by employers most have is working for cheaper than your average local. Plus there is taxpayer money to be had by various NGOs in resettling these so-called-refugees. The interest groups involved need to be asked some curly questions.
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March 7, 2020 8:49am
- rockape
  
  Is that the case in DHBs I thought the mecca agreements covered all workers including those of other races.
  
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  March 7, 2020 7:16pm
Paulus

Why am I concerned that regarding the Virus we are being mushroomed (kept in the dark and fed bullshit).
The real, and very good, Doctor Bloomfield I believe is now only the spokes person of the other Non Doctor and he is on notice from the Beehive experts.
There are many conflicting reports from who knows where via the UN.
I am very confused (but I am 81 years old) so not unusual as Wynston knows.
I assume that all this obfuscation is because it is Christchurch Muslim Anniversary which already taking prominence wherever I can see in the so called media.
I also understand that many of the Muslim families do not want this to be annual celebration
It is contrary to the Koran’s teachings but the Imam leaders and male followers will keep it up as hard as possible.
It is a way of life as we see continually from overseas Muslim countries where internal conflict is rife.
I hope there are many face masks and sanitisers there and no one person will have the virus following (like the Auckland man who went to a large concert with his family quarantined, I believe).
It is also Australian Melbourne Grand Prix weekend.
So I know what will keep me interested – not The Ardern Show.
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March 7, 2020 8:51am
Happychappy

Wouldn’t Labours economic plan with the help of the Prime Minister decision making be a better Headline than Coronavirus could decide Election.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/120068384/why-covid19-could-make-or-break-jacinda-arderns-government
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March 7, 2020 9:08am
fernglas

US Attorney-General William Barr has been found to have acted in such a misleading way in his representations about the Mueller Report that a US judge has found that it precludes him from accepting the Justice Department’s representations as to redactions in the Report without independently verifying them himself. That is a damning indictment; a Judge has found that an Attorney-General has misled the public and as a result has declined to accept assertions about the matter made by his Justice Department.
And before you all start jumping around, the judge was appointed by George W. Bush, so he cannot be accused of being a Dem lickspittle.
If those findings were made here, the A-G would be looking at resignation.
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March 7, 2020 9:18am
- Ed Snack
  
  Some of the most deranged sufferers from TDS are Bush Republican “never Trumpers”, so being appointed by Bush doesn’t make him a Trump supporter.
  
  He’s also factually incorrect in a number of assertions he makes, if this is appealed it will indeed by overturned. The redactions were not made just by Barr but by a team including lawyers from the Mueller team, the DOJ, and some from the I.C.
  
  And why the big fuss about “contacts with Russians” ? Mueller even tried to claim that Mifsud was a Russian agent, which seems odd to assert given that he’s been involved in training both the FBI and European law enforcement agents for decades. There were lots of Russians trying to get in touch with both campaigns, for both personal and political advantage.
  
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  March 7, 2020 5:40pm
  - fernglas
    
    It’s nothing to do with whether he’s a Trump supporter, it’s about whether the assertion by Barr that the redacted material should not be disclosed should be accepted at face value. It doesn’t matter whether the redactions were made following discussions with the Mueller team, DOJ and others. The fact is that he found Barr to be unreliable, and while Barr did not make the redactions, he is the one who is making the assertion that they are appropriate.
    Conservative judges are very likely to be less flexible when it becomes apparent that the judicial system may be corrupted, so there is nothing inconsistent between being a Republican appointed judge, who may or may not be a Trump supporter, and applying high ethical standards to the legal process. Barr hasn’t met those high standards and so his assertions cannot be relied upon.
    You should read the judgment; it’s interesting stuff
    
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    March 8, 2020 5:17am
Maggy Wassilieff

It seems that Massey University has created a ‘future-proof strategy” that isn’t understood by its teaching staff.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/03/massey-university-staff-to-hold-stop-work-meeting-over-proposed-changes.html

But it looks to me that the University is only interested in getting maximum bums on seats for cheap-to-run courses.

Our enrolment data shows an unbalanced relationship between what is offered and what students want. As an example, 60 per cent of our students are enrolled in just 13 qualifications, while 55 per cent of qualifications offered attract only five per cent of students. It is resource-intensive to maintain so many discrete qualifications and specialisations.”

https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=FE9AF085-3E7F-48CC-8DE5-2A046121297C

It seems that all of our universities duplicate courses in the Arts and humanities and cuts could be made in these fields… but each uni could specialise in the more expensive courses with Massey retaining its expertise in Food technology, Veterinary and Ag/Horticulture.
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March 7, 2020 9:22am
- Tall Man
  
  Maori and ethnic studies are just so trendy and useful though.
  
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  March 7, 2020 9:24am
kevn

jan the Ban doing a great job?
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March 7, 2020 9:28am
Maggy Wassilieff

Vietnam’s effort to inform the public about Coronavirus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtulL3oArQw
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March 7, 2020 9:31am
- Misha Beattie
  
  I like this video of the same song. The “hand washing dance”
  
  https://youtu.be/NToFjgkOMzM
  
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  March 7, 2020 9:39am
SGA

It seems that all of our universities duplicate courses in the Arts and humanities and cuts could be made in these fields… but each uni could specialise in the more expensive courses with Massey retaining its expertise in Food technology, Veterinary and Ag/Horticulture.

Isn’t that sort of what happens anyway to certain extent. Each NZ University has specialist schools (Architecture, Engineering, Dentistry, Vet, Medicine – Law is probably an exception, perhaps because it is cheap to run compared to the others?), and offers a general education programme. I imagine that if you looked at the money Auckland Uni, say, spends on running Arts, it would look relatively small in comparison to other Divisions/Faculties.
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March 7, 2020 9:36am
Maggy Wassilieff

Bill Clinton didn’t have a sexual emergency, he was managing his anxieties.
https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/bill-clinton-explains-monica-lewinsky-affair-as-managing-my-anxieties-20200307-p547rm.html
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March 7, 2020 9:41am
- Simon Gotlieb
  
  Interesting euphemism.
  
  Doesn’t wash though.
  
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  March 7, 2020 9:50am
  - sooty
    
    Didn’t manage that very well did he, stained her pretty blue frock, and her mother saved it for years!
    
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    March 7, 2020 10:13am
  - oldfella
    
    Had Bill been the CEO of a major company, and in a position of power over the woman he abused, he would/should have been a sacked. But Democrat, and Hillary, hubby, and MSM… etc.
    
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    March 7, 2020 10:13am
    - igm
      
      If he ran a Labour education camp he would have been knighted.
      
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      March 7, 2020 5:35pm
  - RalphT
    
    Just hoped she washed her hands afterwards…
    
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    March 7, 2020 10:13am
  - rouppe
    
    Just like that dress…
    
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    March 7, 2020 10:36am
  - mark15
    
    Well it worked enough for Killary
    
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    March 7, 2020 11:01am
  - Lee C
    
    Perhaps if she had washed…
    
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    March 7, 2020 12:09pm
    - NoCash
      
      The cigar?
      
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      March 7, 2020 1:36pm
    - sooty
      
      Are come on!
      4hrs moderation at present!
      
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      March 7, 2020 2:57pm
- Tomtoddy
  
  Must be tough being so anxious over such a long time.
  
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  March 7, 2020 9:51am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  By raping the staff? Hmmm, had no idea that this was now ok!
  
  Maybe he had a sexual emergency? Or his chakras were blocked (Al Gore apparently had that issue on several occasions!)
  
  What is it with senior Democrats? I guess Monica should at least be grateful he didn’t offer her a lift home!
  
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  March 7, 2020 10:07am
- John Warren
  
  I get that banging a nice, plump young intern was probably quite pleasant, but the anxiety over being caught by Mrs C. would surely have negated the benefits.
  
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  March 7, 2020 10:35am
- Tall Man
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rS0O7UKH4Y
  
  Is that an ardernism or just a bare faced lie?
  
  https://time.com/5130921/monica-lewinsky-now/
  
  I liked the hillary line stating it was “a right wing conspiracy”……
  
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  March 7, 2020 10:37am
- oldfella
  
  That’s all Clinton’s buddy’s, Epstein and Weinstein, were doing when they abused vulnerable women. Managing anxieties. Sounds like a reasonable explanation to me. Pity no one told Epstein before he committed suicide.
  
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  March 7, 2020 10:48am
- oldfella
  
  Maybe Bill – as a fellow sexual predator – can steer Woody to a new publisher? Perhaps whoever paid Bill a few million $$$ for his bio, ‘My Life’?
  https://forward.com/culture/441096/woody-allen-hachette-memoir-canceled-protests-ronan-farrow/?utm_source=PostUp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Culture&utm_maildate=03/06/2020
  
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  March 7, 2020 11:17am
- SB 2
  
  Maybe Donald could take a leaf from Bill.
  
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  March 7, 2020 12:02pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Socialist Math. Can someone inform Grant Robertson? This is how you solve the money shortage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlCnOodcmyI&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2cq6ymWuiS81deetBzbefElGqRirSF8zNMXCphrZ–YjCtCzcV3K6Rfg0
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March 7, 2020 9:58am
- Loddenthinks
  
  That’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen for a while, matched only by some of the comments, such as
  
  Breaking news: Democrats raise the minimum wage to $1 m an hour.
  
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  March 7, 2020 10:22am
  - John Warren
    
    “Black. Woman. Lesbian. “Gender Studies” major. Feminist. What could possibly go wrong?”
    
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    March 7, 2020 7:24pm
- SB 2
  
  Capitalist Trump also needs to do a thorough re work on his maths .
  
  Examples
  
  “WE DON’T WIN ANYMORE”: TRADE AND ECONOMICS
  
  “$500 billion a year trade deficit with China.” (March 7 rally in Concord, N.C., and at least four other times last week)
  That’s overstating the case by $134 billion. The imbalance peaked at $366 billion in 2015.
  
  “You have Japan, where the cars come in by the hundreds of thousands, they pour off the boats. … [W]e send them like nothing. We send them nothing, by comparison, nothing.” (March 7 in Concord, N.C. and at least one other time)
  
  The United States exported $62 billion worth of goods to Japan last year.
  
  “We have a trade deficit with Japan of over $100 billion a year.” (March 8 victory press conference in Jupiter, Fla. and at least one other time)
  The trade deficit with Japan in 2015 was about $69 billion,
  
  “We have lousy health-care, where it’s going up 35, 45, 55 percent.” (March 7 in Concord, N.C.)
  
  Premiums rose by an average of 5.8 percent a year since Obama took office, compared to 13.2 percent in the nine years prior, Politifact found in October.
  
  etc, etc, etc
  
  https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/trump-fact-check-errors-exaggerations-falsehoods-213730
  
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  March 7, 2020 12:12pm
oldfella

The video to send to everyone citing the ‘97% scientist consensus’ on climate change…
https://noqreport.com/2020/03/06/the-video-to-send-to-everyone-citing-the-97-scientist-consensus-on-climate-change/
I wonder if Stuffed would be interested in this… /sarc
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March 7, 2020 10:02am
Maggie Pie

WHO reporting Coronavirus cases now number in excess of 100,000 worldwide. Even the Vatican is not immune 🙁

As an aside, my partner’s mum was wondering if anybody might know where she can buy Horlicks Malted Milk?
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March 7, 2020 10:04am
btb

The solution to managing the corona virus seems quite straight forward to me. Patients with severe pneumonia go to hospital. The rest with minor risk factors and travel history with symptoms just need swabs taken and then isolated for 14 days until their swabs are back. Testing stations should be a drive through where basic symptoms are assessed and tested if need be. The danger with this condition will be where health providers get minor symptoms and then they continue to provide services and witlessly infect the people they are trying to help. These people should not be going near their GPs, those health professionals providing usual health care will get it and then need isolation, which removes them from the work force. Of course we have seen no initiative from any of the plonkers who should be providing this advice, just the usual talking heads with no idea.
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March 7, 2020 10:11am
Littletramp

Crude Oil prices now down 30% for the year to date. Fuel prices at the pump – not so much?
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March 7, 2020 10:15am
- igm
  
  It is under $50 per barrel, yet we are paying the same or more than when it was $72.
  What happened to the Ardern/Woods campaign to get fairness at the pump. Can they not payleeches’ benefits without the extra GST.
  
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  March 7, 2020 5:38pm
- curry4me
  
  Littletramp: Yeah, I saw that. I guess OPEC will have have to cancell the new Rollers, and yachts. It’s great having the US as an exporter of oil.
  
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  March 7, 2020 6:14pm
Yvette

Ardern’t know what to do with Shane
Ardern said she could stand down or reprimand one of her own MPs, but “when I have someone who’s in a different political party who expresses a different opinion, they are their own party”. – Ardern, interviewed by the Indian Weekender

Surely she should simply just use a clause in the Agreement that governs her Coalition Government –
• As provided for in the Cabinet Manual, the Parties will “agree to disagree” where negotiated between party leaders, and in such circumstances the Parties will be free to express alternative views publicly, and in Parliament. – Coalition Agreement 2017

Ardern should really concentrate on the right to “agree to disagree”, and the sentence that follows that in her Agreement with Winston –
The Labour and New Zealand First Parties agree to identify policies and roles in a way that maintains and promotes the distinct identity of each party. This will include public attribution and acknowledgement of the Party responsible for policy …

So far the Prime Minister tells media interviewers she is not answerable for Jones.
But lacks proactivedy in telling media the person answerable is Winston.
Ardern should stop every interview the moment Shane Jones’ comments are raised and state that it is a matter for Winston.
“Winston at the moment is down in Bellamys – this is his area of concern – go and talk to him about why the Race Relations Conciliator condemns Shane’s comments as being ‘Racist, ignorant and harmful‘ ”
A simple action or direction, rather than just whining about what you can’t do, and not wanting voters to judge you on your indecisiveness.

NZ First Leader Winston Peters has made the Provincial Growth Fund a bottom line in any post-election coalition negotiation. (No shit, Sherlock) Peters also signalled that he’d be looking for more concessions on immigration should his party win “a stronger hand” in 2020. [1]
… not even two weeks out from the Christchurch shooting’s first anniversary, the senior cabinet minister Shane Jones … is basing his re-election campaign on stoking anti-immigrant racism.
– the Guardian, indicating there is plenty more racist crap to come [2]

So Jacinda still does need – as many suggest – “to grow a pair”, but in sheeting home to Winston all inquiries made concerning Shane Jones’ comments that she rejects – where she “agrees to disagree” – or thinks comments need “public attribution and acknowledgement of the Party responsible” – as they have indeed Agreed.

Normally I consider Ardern effuse with slogans, but befert of action.
Like all forms of destruction, cynicism is infinitely easier and lazier than construction.
So above is a rare example of my positividy.

[1] https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/120086217/winston-peters-speech-to-the-regions-on-immigration-rogernomics-and-russia
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2020/mar/05/after-the-christchurch-shooting-politicians-promised-tolerance-it-didnt-last
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March 7, 2020 10:15am
Sir Cullen's Sidekick

Another day of excellent governing by CoL and their plans are working. Please vote Labour.
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March 7, 2020 10:31am
Fletch

The fiction that Sanders is trying to push about America’s financial situation, and the truth via easily obtainable CBO reports…

Conversely, the “human resources” share of federal spending — welfare, entitlements, health-care support, education, etc., basically a big bucket marked “Stuff Democrats Like and Want More Of” — was very small from 1950-1960, averaging about 4 percent of GDP. In 2020, that category will account for spending equal to 15.2 percent of GDP, an increase of nearly fourfold. If you want a snapshot of Washington’s changing priorities: In 1954, defense was 69.4 percent of federal spending and human resources was 15.6 percent; today, defense is 15.1 percent of federal spending and human resources is 70.5 percent. We have essentially reversed our spending priorities, radically reducing military expenditures while ramping up spending on welfare, entitlements, health care, and education — precisely the opposite of the story Senator Sanders likes to tell.

Then there is the matter of fiscal sobriety. We ran very small deficits from 1950-1960, average 0.3 percent of GDP; this year’s deficit will be 5 percent of GDP — a deficit 17 times as large in economic terms. That’s because taxes have stayed almost the same while overall federal spending has jumped from an average of 17.2 percent of GDP (1950-1960) to 21.6 percent of GDP (2020).

In sum: The federal tax burden is about the same today as it was from 1950-1960, except for the fact that the rich pay more of it and the middle class pays less. Military spending has been chopped by two-thirds, while spending on welfare and education has skyrocketed, along with the deficit.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/03/bernie-sanders-the-left-fake-fiscal-history-1950s-america/
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March 7, 2020 10:52am
Fletch

How husbands miss their wives… ?

https://www.facebook.com/545949667/videos/10158338694229668/
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March 7, 2020 11:07am
MCos

Regarding Covid-19
It’s well known that old people don’t fare so well if they are stricken with this virus, particularly if they have all sorts of health issues.
Rest homes occupants have a limited life expectancy so it must be heartbreaking if these old people are isolated from families if they are brought down this way.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/05/us/coronavirus-nursing-home-relatives.html?referringSource=articleShare
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March 7, 2020 11:36am
- MCos
  
  Meanwhile
  One of the women in the Scottish rugby team has caught the the virus
  https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/51777621
  
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  March 7, 2020 11:42am
Fletch

From Family First – TVNZ misrepresents the abortion law change.

This is the fake news of fake news. TVNZ has COMPLETELY misrepresented the radical abortion bill about to be introduced..

In its coverage of the March for Life in Auckland today, TVNZ says it “would take abortion out of the Crimes Act and give women the right to an abortion in the first 20 weeks…”

FALSE!! That’s already the case. Jacinda’s bill will allow abortions from 20 up to 40 weeks! (birth!!) for ANY reason as long as its approved by the ‘abortion provider’ and a ‘colleague’. TVNZ are quoting the current law – not the radical proposed law.

https://www.facebook.com/FamilyFirstNZ/videos/556521311877314/?v=556521311877314

Link includes snippet from 1 News of them saying exactly that… ?
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March 7, 2020 11:47am
oldfella

At least one of the opinions I posted this morning (10.02am) is still awaiting moderation and it’s now 12.05pm? Come on, whoever. A two hour delay is not good enough.
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March 7, 2020 12:07pm
rererangihirihiri

So those two fruit cakes who climbed onto the oil drilling rig mid-strait weren’t even arrested.
Hot shower, change of clothes, fed, overnight accommodation then choppered into New Plymouth.
Astounding.
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March 7, 2020 12:13pm
curry4me

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/03/01/starkey-the-woke-generation-are-the-new-puritans/
Being ‘woke’ is a substitute for religion in Anglo-Saxon countries.
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March 7, 2020 12:14pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u_hLm-SRQw
Marine le Pen calls for referendum on immigration. I understand they have some dopey socialist policies. However, if they win the presidency, there might still be a France in 50 years time.
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March 7, 2020 12:15pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVrUM71Sz5w

Jeff Taylor plays it straight.
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March 7, 2020 12:16pm
rightoverlabour

Ahh Stuff has this in their “Climate Change” section..

https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/120059963/climate-crisis-in-one-shrinking-glaciers-spattered-with-bushfire-ash

Electroverse has this:

https://electroverse.net/more-snow-on-new-zealand-glaciers-than-forecast/

Now who do you think I am gong to give more credence to?

And on a similar note

https://electroverse.net/record-breaking-february-snowfall-buries-montana-and-south-dakota/

https://electroverse.net/northern-hemisphere-snow-mass-300-gigatons-above-1982-2012-average/

and

https://watchers.news/2020/03/02/intense-lake-effect-snow-wallops-upstate-new-york-encasing-homes-in-a-thick-layer-of-ice/

Pesky facts.
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March 7, 2020 12:26pm
rightoverlabour

My theory on the increased waviness of the NH jet streams.
Colder polar regions increase the thermal gradient between the higher latitudes and the tropics (which don’t fluctuate as much during cooler periods). Increased thermal gradient results in stronger winds. All moving fluids try to dissipate energy and one way is through meandering. The faster the flow, the more the meandering. None of this needs CO2 to increase or decrease, but CO2 may increase or decrease because of these changes. A simple explanation when arguing with alarmists. Feel free to advise of errors if you do have a better understanding of fluid dynamics. (The cooling of the polar regions is probably due to increased albedo due to increased cloudiness caused by increased galactic radiation as the sun goes into a GSM)
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March 7, 2020 12:32pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBkeLPXGL9U

Grooming gang petition. You have to be entitled to vote in the UK to sign this. I assume some readers, or their Face Book friends are.
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March 7, 2020 1:09pm
Loddenthinks

Some idiot unfurled a Nazi banner at a Sanders rally yesterday, presumably to be deliberately provocative rather than hateful. I say this because he posted about it in his own name, had someone to film it and either has or will be posting it online.

Astonishingly, this is all Trump’s and the Republicans’ fault, with a very orthodox “Jewish action” outfit bemoaning the rise of “antisemitism spurred on by Trump & the GOP”.

Trump as POTUS is incredibly supportive of Judaism, jewish people, and Israel, as he is of African-Americans, and women. TDS alive and well, we shouldn’t be surprised as he’s been called “literally Hitler” so many times.
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March 7, 2020 1:15pm
- curry4me
  
  Loddenthinks: Yes, he has a Jewish son in law, and at least one Jewish grand-child. Just the usual TDS.
  
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  March 7, 2020 6:19pm
Tall Man

3 + hours without any moderation.

You’ll see how disjointed the blog has become when they get back and all the unconnected and doubled up posts appear.
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March 7, 2020 1:27pm
- Tall Man
  
  So commenting reasonably about moderation gets to stay in moderation.
  
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  March 7, 2020 5:48pm
Sponge

I have to say that the moderation and subsequent lack of activity for long periods has really reduced my enjoyment of this site.
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March 7, 2020 1:40pm
mara

American politics is fascinating right now. I predict
Bernie Sanders gets another lake house.
Joe Biden goes to the nut house.
Hillary Clinton is sentenced to the big house and
Donald Trump stays in the White House.
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March 7, 2020 1:54pm
Captain Mainwaring

14 posts since 8.00. This is ridiculous.
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March 7, 2020 2:18pm
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  My comment is still awaiting moderation.
  
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  March 7, 2020 2:27pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Your troops are over on YSB.
  
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  March 7, 2020 2:52pm
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    Every time I try and register for YSB it kicks me out at the last hurdle.
    I must be doing something wrong.
    
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    March 7, 2020 3:49pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Contact the Editor
      
      If you have any questions about our Website you may contact us by email at cr@ysb.co.nz.
      
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      March 7, 2020 4:04pm
- Loddenthinks
  
  Not for lack of trying – seems to be impossible to get a comment through moderation!
  
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  March 7, 2020 4:03pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Weekend General Debate has died.
Evening GB has died.
Kiwiblog is dying
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March 7, 2020 4:14pm
Daphne Whitethigh

I posted at 0910. Still in moderation.
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March 7, 2020 4:52pm
- Loddenthinks
  
  It’s a complete joke. I had one from 10:22 am that still wasn’t up after 4 pm. Pointless even commenting – sort it out please mods!
  
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  March 7, 2020 5:42pm
- mara
  
  Ever since an Australian visitor shot up Mosques in a most unfortunate episode this blog has sunk to near oblivion. Tarrant won, we lost. It’s Farrar’s call obviously but I lament the loss of NZ’s best blog site. It used to be informative and fun but zealous moderation killed it. Nothing lasts forever but thanks for the memories .
  
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  March 7, 2020 5:44pm
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    Farrar is a smart man, I’m sure he will know how to fix it. But does he want to, that’s the issue? He has other things in his life.
    
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    March 7, 2020 9:31pm
Close Hen Counters

If a man catches covid19 from a returning passenger from Iran surely the infected person who visited Iran is case number three and his 40 year old relative and wife are case 4&5? Woman on cruise ship ‘was tested’ for covid19 on first hospital visit and was negative now means 42 staff quarantined doesn’t make sense … if she was negative, why quarantine staff at hospital? Are the journalists just making this shit up?
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March 7, 2020 5:03pm
Sponge

I hate to be critical but if a site like this is going to introduce moderation for the love of god at least have someone moderating on the weekend…
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March 7, 2020 5:06pm
JibberJabber

‘Straya!, heh, I started stockpiling shithouse paper when we we got a hard left socialist gummint run by the laziest, most inept politician to ever step foot in Wellington,

https://twitter.com/adellabeaini/status/1236090659922046976
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March 7, 2020 5:25pm
rouppe

In the lead up to the inevitable avalanche of stories about white supremacists and the threat white people present to society, perhaps we should remember that outright nastiness isn’t a white only condition.
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March 7, 2020 5:42pm
tavita

Headline – corona virus showing new Zealand is a racist country. Apparently the government banning flights from china is a wise precaution, but someone with an Airbnb who doesn’t want to take chances is racist.
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March 7, 2020 5:46pm
MrTips

I don’t normally get truly grumpy with politicians, as they don’t function like the rest of us, but I am annoyed about this: https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/120094016/minister-for-women-julie-anne-genter-says-adjusting-to-motherhood-has-been-a-roller-coaster

Why? Well, a couple weeks back I posted about JAG in the AKL Koru lounge and she didn’t offer me a bottle opener. Jokes aside, what she WAS doing was talking on the phone about photos and how it was vitally important to get the right one for the story. I thought she was referring to work, you know coronavirus stuff being Assoc Health and all, but no. It was baby photos and how “tough” it’s been.

This isn’t politics – this is narcissism of dah highest orda. She needs to go.
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March 7, 2020 6:16pm

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