General Debate 14 February 2023

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NeverMindTheBollocks

Don’t y’all miss the bobbly headed one in this time of bad weather?
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February 14, 2023 8:00am
- mandk
  
  No.
  
  It was like a recurring nightmare.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:42am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Now we have the [Mod – no need for that] that is Hipkins, let’s not forget his part in school truancy, his shambles of polytechnic merger, him locking Aucklanders down for months when un needed, banning people returning NZers to see dying family members, keeping loved ones apart for a year, the vulgar attack on Charlotte Bellis, snd his rotten attempt at shafting Barnaby Joyce, let’s not forget what sn utter POS he is
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:32am
    - The Boss
      
      Sadly, the cyclone might have saved him and Labour. I hope I am wrong, but sheeple could easily be swayed to vote for current govt to express their “loyalty” in times of crises.
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:59am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        You can almost see the smugness on their faces, how ever CHCH seen Ardern fly high, within 2 months she had squandered it, why the hell would centre right voters fall for this crap again
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:13pm
      - Nickc2
        
        If that clown wins the next election, it’d have to be rigged. Rather Bidenesque I’d suggest.
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:26pm
- Deane Jessep
  
  I like that she’s been mercilessly retconned much much more.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:45am
  - Paulus
    
    Yes a NATIONAL State of Emergency has neen called by Chippy.
    Thank God for that, Ardern would have done it earlier by the Podium announcement !
    Currently in Tauranga the sun is shining and the road are consequentially drying out.
    Virtually no real rain overnight where we are.
    Aint we lucky ?
    
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    February 14, 2023 8:57am
    - jacob
      
      70s disaster movie script. With inflation
      
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      February 14, 2023 9:13am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Paulus – I read in the Whoreald at 7am that they were considering a National state of emergency.
      
      What an absolutely farcical decision.
      
      The vast majority of the country is totally unaffected by this event which is by and large over. There will be some strong SW winds around Auckland and the far north, also Wellington and the Cook Strait. But it is over.
      
      The state of emergencies in the affected areas are warranted, but this announcement is bullshit PR and yet another political virtue signaling stunt to appear to be “doing something.” It is all Labour have. They are an utter waste of space.
      
      All energy should be concentrated on those areas worst affected. Save the political grandstanding ffs.
      
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      February 14, 2023 9:30am
      - riffer
        
        A National State of Emergency gives the National Controller legal authority to apply resources across the country in support of a national level response.
        
        This declaration gives NEMA the ability to coordinate further resources for affected regions, without having to rely on individual local authorities and their different approaches.
        
        I would have thought many here would have been in support of the efficiencies this creates.
        
        Put your partisanship aside for a minute and think critically.
        
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        February 14, 2023 9:35am
      - Mike
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        Put your partisanship aside for a minute and think critically
        
        Um, this is Kiwiblog.
        
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        February 14, 2023 9:38am
      - hmmokrightitis
        
        Sorry riffer, clicked report instead of agree 😛
        
        What he said. It would have been recommended to government by CD, and makes sense to support the clean up. Nothing political about it at all.
        
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        February 14, 2023 9:42am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        riffer – just what the local authorities need, someone from outside their area adding another layer of bureaucracy.
        
        In a local state of emergency:
        
        In a state of local emergency, the relevant Civil Defence Emergency Management Group manages the response to the emergency. This involves:
        
        coordinating other emergency services
        
        making sure temporary accommodation, food and water are available
        
        making sure access to dangerous areas is properly controlled, and providing regular public information messages.
        
        There are states of emergency in place in of all the affected areas. They know what they want and they know what they need. I am sure they will ask for it and I am sure it will be provided.
        
        I still fail to see what this declaration does to improve the situation. All that the government website says regarding it is this:
        
        For very large emergencies, the Minister for Emergency Management can declare a state of national emergency. In this case, the Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management assumes control. The National Emergency Management Agency manages the response.
        
        It appears nothing changes except control is centralised.
        
        My comments are absolutely nothing to do with “partisanship”, I fully want to see assistance to those worst affected asap. I fail to see how someone in Wellington taking charge of events in Whangarei will improve the situation.
        
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        February 14, 2023 9:53am
      - Cassandra
        
        Thinking critically: there was no National SOE for Abbotsford, Taeri or Mataura, all terrible events. Local SOE can be declared to achieve the appropriate response. This is political theatre. Captan Chippy is steering the ship of state.
        
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        February 14, 2023 9:55am
      - riffer
        
        Consider, for a moment, if Chris Luxon had made the call for a National SOE, would your opinion of it been different.
        
        If the answer is yes, then your political bias is colouring your thinking.
        
        This is one of those times where although looking out your own window things look not too bad, it’s possible elsewhere in the country some people are royally fucked, and we need to get over who made the call, and for what reason, and get stuck in to it.
        
        As for the comments by one poster about wasting time talking about the landslide and house moving, one firefighter was critically injured and another is missing, presumed dead.
        
        Sheesh, some people are doing it real tough out there. Show some damned empathy.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:04am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        @Clan,
        There is that word again.
        “Control” we must have control.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:39am
      - Jack5
        
        Riffer, this state of emergency is primarily a stratagem to divert voters in election year.
        
        It’s a diversion from soaring inflation caused by Labour and its Reserve Bank honcho printing money like Social Creditors on a binge.
        
        Between now and the election expect diversion after diversion, enthusiastically highlighted by State TV and radio and by subsidised newspapers and radio as they bore the country shitless.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:47am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Exactly, only happened three times in our history, earthquakes when state highway one and main trunk line where out for months, the shootings which again was an over reaction, so two world wars, a depression, and a fuel crisis in the 70s but never needed a state of emergency for the whole country, crazy stuff
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:21pm
      - Ghost
        
        There was no national state of emergency for the shootings.
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:35pm
      - Jimbob
        
        100%
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:23pm
      - Nickc2
        
        I wouldn’t trust Kieran McAnulty to put out the family cat!
        Remember, he was one of the trio that set up Dr. Sharma and that back-fired on the Labour Party eh.
        https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/129565407/labour-mp-gaurav-sharma-unloads-on-party-in-excoriating-social-media-post
        The other two were Duncan Webb and of course Cindy.
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:46pm
      - Ghost
        
        He was also one of the people advising mayor brown a few weeks ago, so why didn’t he tell the mayor to call a state of emergency?
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:49pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Why a National state of emergency ffs
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:33am
      - Ghost
        
        Because it makes it easier to get crew from around the country. Firefighters from Canterbury are heading up to help search for the missing firefighter.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:35am
      - All_on_Red
        
        Serious question- do they really need to declare a State of Emergency to redeploy Firefighters?
        Why cant they just go anyway?
        
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        February 14, 2023 11:03am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        Ghost – how does a declaration make it “easier” to get crew from around the country? Does he magically remove the slips? Snap his fingers and the vehicles go faster? Seriously, what does it add to this?
        The local emergency response people on the ground know what they need. They should be given any assistance they need if it is available. It doesn’t need a public “declaration” to enable this to happen surely? Please don’t tell me nobody can act until somebody goes on TV and says the magic words ffs……….
        
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        February 14, 2023 11:18am
      - blue collar
        
        It alllows the to commandeer the army and other resources LEGALLY !
        Makes it more efficient .
        
        What do you need Hawkes bay ?
        Army to evacuate residents
        Done , they’re on their way
        
        Waddya need Auckland ?
        Sniffer / corpse dogs , firefighters , extra Franz personnel ….
        Done , they’re on their way from Christchurch
        
        Etc etc they said the local volunteers and cov defence are doing an outstanding job and this is not about that .
        It’s adding extra resources , efficiently , and LEGALLY ….. there are protocols
        
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        February 14, 2023 12:19pm
    - Raphael
      
      Odd, also in Tauranga and we had heavy rain and strong wind (not enough for a National state of emergency, but I do understand the need for regional ones)
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:33am
      - Don Beckett
        
        I have lived in & around Tauranga for a large part of my life. I have seen much bigger floods – one as recently as 2004. I have seen more sustained winds in the past – one storm when I was a kid growing up in Te Puke – around 1950 went on for over a week. The flat land between Te Puke & Maketu was a sea with only cabbage trees & tall scrub visible. One guy used his boat to get to Maketu.
        This was before the Kaituna cut was put in place, and it was quite regular occurrance for the area to flood, but Maketu was still accessible via higher ground from Paengaroa.
        This one would be at best a 1 in 15 year event for this region.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:54am
    - leoj
      
      How long before the dullard Greens call for a National Climate Emergency?
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:27am
      - I remember when
        
        leoj:
        They can be very useful.
        Remember that ‘Climate Change’ was this Labour Government’s ‘nuclear moment.’
        A number of Local Councils have also promoted a ‘climate change’ approach.
        I guess when this is all over, we will assess the benefits of the actions taken and appreciate what we have gained as a result.
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:50pm
- backster
  
  No!
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:45am
- Stellaboxer
  
  They’re still indulging in political theatre though, national state of emergency declared for only the third time in the country’s history. Really! I suppose Chippy needs his Calamity to save us from. Cynical me?
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:07am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    It’s not bloody required, what the he’ll is the point putting the SI in a state of emergency?
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:34am
    - Ghost
      
      Because it makes it easier to get our people up to help
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:45am
      - Stellaboxer
        
        Ghost wouldn’t they come otherwise ? “ we’re not coming there’s nothing wrong here! Don’t think so but hey whatever.
        
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        February 14, 2023 11:27am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        Ghost – How.
        
        From the Whoreald.
        
        Cyclone Gabrielle is an unprecedented weather event that poses a real threat to the lives of New Zealanders, Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty said as he declared a national state of emergency this morning.
        
        declared a state of emergency this morning. We knew this was coming. We were warned about the potentially dire effects, most of which have been realised. Why wasn’t the state of emergency declared 2 days ago? Wouldn’t that make more sense?
        I am not saying this to attack Labour. I am saying it because it makes no sense.
        
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        February 14, 2023 11:30am
      - Ghost
        
        Gives them access to all resources without having to request it from each area each time. Example is the firefighters going up from Canterbury to help look for the lost fireman. They can just call them up without having to request them from each area. At least that is how the radio explained it.
        
        Timing is interesting. Brown got in trouble for waiting a few hours until officials told him they wanted a state of emergency, the minister claims he has been asking since Sunday if he should declare one.
        
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        February 14, 2023 11:34am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        I think that’s bollocks, I heard them say that the fireman who can’t be found has a crew from CHCH houng north, that crew was going north before thd state of emergency, snd what about crews going to Aussie for bush fires
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:24pm
  - TS Child
    
    5 years and the country’s only 3 National States of emergency. Unluckiest government ever? But you know you will never again be able to tell young people that things were harder back in the day – they can point to the National States of Emergency as prof that that could not possibly be true!
    
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    February 14, 2023 12:33pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      2 world wars, and a depression, it’s bloody ridiculous
      
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      February 14, 2023 1:24pm
    - Master Mariner
      
      Too be perfectly honest, Can anyone enlighten me about the procedures / protocols about announcing a bloody Climate Emergency by various councils?
      Herein lies the reason why “emergencies” mean bugger all too most and increases the risk when needed most.
      
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      February 14, 2023 2:09pm
      - Ghost
        
        Look out the window, if you notice the climate changing it is an emergency?
        
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        February 14, 2023 2:16pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Would be unbearable trying to understand her word soup waffle.
  Thank fuck for Chippie.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:12am
  - mandk
    
    You think Hipkins doesn’t waffle?
    
    His greatest strength seems to be speaking a lot of words, without actually saying anything or making sense.
    
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    February 14, 2023 9:37am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      He does but not as bad.
      He also tells lies.
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:41am
      - Stellaboxer
        
        Of course he tells lies he’s a politician.
        
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        February 14, 2023 11:28am
      - blue collar
        
        Just saw him on tv and thought …. God he has no charisma or any appeal at all …. Nothing to worry about politically there
        
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        February 14, 2023 12:22pm
- NoCash
  
  Yeah the looking concerned look is sorely missed…
  
  Has Chippy mastered the winning look yet?
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:56am
  - riffer
    
    Jesus, man, get over yourself.
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:04am
    - Brian McDonald
      
      They can’t they are the sort that shit themselves in emergencies then later claim some kind of heroics, or rubbish someone for not doing enough or being “scared.” Real winners.
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:22am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Needs a tinfoil hat.
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:43am
- Scooter
  
  It’s almost like media have been told to blacklist her, at least till after the election. Shame as the best Labour had was her during a disaster.
  
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  February 14, 2023 11:41am
Tomtoddy

Kirsty Johnson in an article in Stuff on climate change asks a stupid question indicating her absurd view of climate and that of her editor. She poses the question – “will it ever return to normal?” What the heck is “normal?”

Was normal in the 1930’s when temperatures set hottest day/week, year records that last today? Was it the period when the Thames was frozen and people skated across it? Was it in the 1800’s when a tropical storm wiped out 40 people in the South Island? Why do these people disregard the IPCC findings showing conditions improving?
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February 14, 2023 8:04am
- Scott
  
  In the previous Kiwiblog post there’s informed opinion that the Greens could win more electorate seats.
  
  I think as a general point the Greens are already winning big time! Basically the whole world including all the NZ media and the National opposition accept that climate change is real and the end is nigh unless we cut back drastically on our carbon emissions.
  Farming is now bad because of the farm animals methane emissions.
  
  One of the farmers in our church sold his sheep and beef farm recently. He has sold it to a company that is going to turn the farm back into forest. Apparently the forestry people are the only ones buying at the moment.
  
  That’s the Greens winning right there. Productive land is turned to forest because of the pipe dream of the Greens. We are penalising farmers because of the Greens. We are destroying farming because of the Greens.
  
  Our nation and our prosperity was built on the back of the farmers. We are fools to throw it away on speculative theories promulgated by well to do urban dwellers looking for something to believe in.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:06am
  - Jimbob
    
    I say BS to that, farming is going to boom over the next decade. ACT will not allow stupid CC policies, and the forestry crap will die out. Food will be short supply and expensive. The market always finds a way. This woke CC crap will pass, it’s only a matter of time, a hungry belly and an empty wallet will see to that. Politicians don’t last, they disappear, citizens need to band together to rid these parasites from office. Have some faith.
    
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    February 14, 2023 8:40am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Farmers will need to put up wall to keep idiots like Greens and PETA.
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:02am
    - rouppe
      
      The forestry crap may die out, but it is on a 30 year cycle.
      
      Once harvested, that once pastural land is filled with stumps
      
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      February 14, 2023 3:26pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    If they are getting so many votes in these seats, the Nats have an outside chance of taking these electorates because the greens will split the vote, they will split the note in Nelson as well pushing Boyack out
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:37am
    - leoj
      
      …that is until voters look at National’s history of “going along with” most of Labour’s policies.
      
      Only ACT is NZ’s true opposition.
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:32am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Luxon has bowed to be far more harder than Keys government, if we don’t give him a chance then we will have Hipkins with his policies back, anyone who thinks voting ACT and not having Nats as the major party is utterly delusional
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:27pm
  - Ian Boag
    
    He has sold it to a company that is going to turn the farm back into forest
    
    They (presumably) offered him more than what another farmer would have. So he took the offer. The carbon credits may well have been offshore.
    
    His farm – he sold it – where does gummint come into this?
    
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    February 14, 2023 7:21pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      The Govt provided the incentive for the buyers to turn productive farm land into forest.
      
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      February 14, 2023 7:42pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Its disappointing to hear you support Tax dodges given your oft recorded desire for a ‘fair’ system.
        
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        February 14, 2023 7:44pm
- Blackbob
  
  Because it’s got nothing to do with climate change, it’s all about using the cause as a vehicle for imposing the new communism.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:10am
  - All_on_Red
    
    There is also a deep seated and long standing hatred of Oil companies as they are a Capitalist symbol.
    They hate farmers the same way.
    Climate is just a convenient way to attack them and the Marxists have hi-jacked the Green movement to do so.
    Companies like BP used to play along but having seen the nutters like Extinction Rebellion I think they have realised there is no appeasing them.
    
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    February 14, 2023 8:33am
    - Doc Holliday
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Conspiracy ideation.
      
      The IPCC is the authority and the conclusions are valid.
      
      We ignored the warnings and the weather is getting worse.
      
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      February 14, 2023 8:43am
      - All_on_Red
        
        You clearly haven’t read IPCC AR 6.
        And stop lying. The weather isn’t getting worse.
        ‘ Data for all year 2022 tropical storms shows that global wide, storms were at their lowest strength levels in the last 42 years (since 1981) as shown by the ACE (Accumulated Cyclone Energy reflecting the combined frequency, intensity and duration of all storms) data below from Colorado State University’s Department of Atmospheric Science which tracks NOAA’s National Hurricane Center tropical storm data.’
        https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/01/extreme-weather-events-declining.php
        
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        December 14, 2022 9:23am
      - PHC
        
        All because 1/2000 molecules in our atmosphere are CO2? Tell us how that makes a difference to the weather?
        
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        February 14, 2023 9:13am
      - hmmokrightitis
        
        And your trend data on that is…..
        
        Non existent. Its OK, finished it for you. Twazzock.
        
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        February 14, 2023 9:43am
      - Local Miller
        
        @Doc, as per All_on_Red, you obviously haven’t actually read the latest IPCC report. The actual report says there is no upward trend in serious weather events, and all the forecasts are based on models.
        I recommend you stop reading the press releases and start reading the actual document.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:47am
      - In Vino Veritas
        
        “and the weather is getting worse”. No, it’s not.
        
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        February 14, 2023 11:34am
      - NothingLeft
        
        https://niwa.co.nz/news/auckland-suffers-wettest-month-in-history
        This is NIWA Produced graph of rainfall for month of January since 1853. No noticeable trend, except perhaps for fewer extremely rainy months in last few decades and lots of high rainfall months scattered through last 150 years. It’s just a very noisy data set.
        
        There is nothing abnormal in having a cyclone hit NZ every few decades – talk to any elderly person and they can tick off major notable storms through their lives. It is only the shortness of human memory and unfamiliarity with historical data or statistics that marks a really wet month or two out as notable.
        
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        February 14, 2023 4:55pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        Man made global warming is at best, a massive over exaggeration, but more than likely it’s a lie as big as the covid whopper.
        
        https://dailysceptic.org/2023/02/12/two-top-climate-scientists-find-further-evidence-that-global-warming-has-been-exaggerated/
        
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        February 14, 2023 5:26pm
  - Paulus
    
    Blackbob
    True, but the illeducated children of New Zealand would not underatsnd any logic anyway.
    Look 53% of the voters voted for Ardern and now her legacy carries on, and will do so again this year.
    
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    February 14, 2023 8:44am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Her legacy? What bloody legacy, diving the nation down the middle like the typical Marxist regimes usually do
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:44am
      - Jack5
        
        Jacindarella’s legacy as outline by G…
        
        1. Buggering our:
        – schools and universities and child education;
        – national health system;
        
        2. Inciting ethno-nationalism.
        
        3. Working on a Stalinist-tyle State media bloc of State TV, State radio and subsidised newspaper and radio. On hold, after millions spent on meetings and discussion.
        
        4. Waste running to hundreds of millions, much of it on consultants, on unattained socialist projects.
        
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        February 14, 2023 11:19am
- Lee C
  
  Covid proved that some people are only comfortable when they are scared.
  
  Welcome to the new normal.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:12am
  - Frank the tank
    
    This is true. If we are looking at real emergencies affecting New Zealand our mental wellbeing and addiction to “can’t do” would be top of the list.
    
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    February 14, 2023 8:20am
  - Random T Person
    
    School closed today. Light rain falling straight down in Whakatane. ‘Safety’. Fucking hell. Back in the day you went to school rain or shine, etc. Now ‘safety’. What wank.
    
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    February 14, 2023 8:41am
    - riffer
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Wank is saying the weather is okay here – it must be okay everywhere else.
      
      Consider the possibility that the world doesn’t revolve around you sunshine.
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:07am
      - Gravelroad
        
        @Riffer-
        Your comments indicate that you know what you are talking about in certain areas of knowledge.
        Shame then that you feel the need to add gratuitous insults in your replies- which just muddies the waters of the original information.
        Can’t we just have the news without the angry judgements?
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:44am
      - Mike
        
        Gravelroad
        How could Kiwiblog comments threads possibly be entertaining without the angry judgements? Judgmental anger is the lifeblood of a good GD thread.
        
        2 17
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        February 14, 2023 10:52am
      - Jack5
        
        Riffer at 8.41 veers into ad hominem abuse with his distortion of a poster’s pseudonym.
        
        It’s good that Leftists post here. It reminds us they are real and still a threat — not a mere hallucination that lingers from the Ardern nightmare.
        
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        February 14, 2023 11:03am
      - Stellaboxer
        
        The school is where he is not where the issues are. That’s the beauty of a de centralised system over centralised control it allows for communities to call their own shots rather than allowing socialist control freaks to mind wank.
        
        12 1
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        February 14, 2023 11:37am
      - Random T Person
        
        Hey if there is sunshine here, I expect my kids to be able to attend school. This is important to me and to them.
        
        7 1
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        February 14, 2023 2:11pm
- Gravelroad
  
  Ask John Campbell. He knows everything.
  He was on Te News last night almost sobbing about the weather in Gisborne.
  Everyone is a helpless, hopeless victim there according to him.
  We were in a major flood here a couple of years ago.
  We got over it.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:14am
  - Paulus
    
    I ask havinfg heard that this storm is the 100 year event – is this the beginning of the 100 year event or the last one ?
    
    20 2
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    February 14, 2023 8:46am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Best ignore the price.
    Waste of space.
    
    7 3
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    February 14, 2023 9:19am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Prick*
      
      8 2
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      February 14, 2023 10:50am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    “He was on Te News last night almost sobbing about the weather in ~~Gisborne~~ Tairawhiti.”
    
    Fixed it…
    
    20 4
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    February 14, 2023 9:21am
    - riffer
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Why are you so scared of te reo? Weird.
      
      4 39
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      February 14, 2023 9:37am
      - RightNow
        
        What a strange thing to say to someone who just used the Te Reo name for Gisborne.
        Weird indeed.
        
        32 2
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        February 14, 2023 9:42am
      - Cassandra
        
        Because it used as a weapon, a vehicle for a political cause. Maori is as an approved language, so go ahead, use it all you like. But I don’t understand it so please don’t use it to me. And don’t use pidgin.
        
        29 2
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        February 14, 2023 9:59am
      - Mike
        
        Refusal to accommodate other languages is a counter-weapon.
        
        3 25
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        February 14, 2023 10:06am
      - riffer
        
        No it is not.
        
        That’s just your interpretation. And it’s a pretty shit one, to be honest.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:08am
      - CJames
        
        I thought Tairawhiti was the whole of the East Coast right around to Te Kaha, not just Gisborne region.
        
        10 1
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        February 14, 2023 10:45am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Because we don’t know what the plonkers are talking about
      
      16 1
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      February 14, 2023 10:46am
  - tf78
    
    I have a lot of family members in Gisborne and I can’t get in touch with any of them. I’m just praying they’re okay.
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:54am
    - Ghost
      
      I just put a post here about Gisborne https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2023/02/national_state_of_emergency_called.html
      
      4 1
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      February 14, 2023 12:00pm
- G152
  
  Sounds like a Karen is over thinking normality
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:20am
- All_on_Red
  
  The problem is she has never had anyone show her Data and explain a few things to her.
  And that will never happen while Stuff censor and block that information and we have people like Wayne Mapp who support that approach.
  Think I’m wrong? Ask her if she knows what the Medieval Warming Period was?
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:26am
  - Doc Holliday
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Either you think the expert climate scientists know less than you or they are part of a grand conspiracy.
    
    Either way you are wrong.
    
    3 38
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    February 14, 2023 8:48am
    - redeye
      
      ‘Expert Climate Scientists’
      You mean these ones?
      https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/sep/29/scientists-tell-un-global-climate-summit-no-emerge/
      
      13 2
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      February 14, 2023 9:18am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      Those words “expert, climate, scientist” – they do not mean what you think they mean.
      
      25 2
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      February 14, 2023 9:22am
    - Grunter
      
      Doc – you’ve been sucked in big time! Go read the actually IPCC report and the actual data (not the summaries nor the Marx-Stream-Media lies).
      
      22 2
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      February 14, 2023 9:38am
    - Mike
      
      The extent of the climate change conspiracy has helped me to understand that, in comparison, it was easy for the moon landings to be faked and for the US government to blow up the WTC and pretend it was done by terrorists.
      
      4 26
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      February 14, 2023 9:49am
      - Cassandra
        
        It’s not fake, mike, but read the IPCC reports in full. Even their authors think the data is inconclusive. My Auckland mate has a Tesla and Parnell still got rain!
        
        18 2
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        February 14, 2023 10:02am
      - General
        
        You believe the official narrative of 9/11?
        
        Hilarious.
        
        5 3
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        February 14, 2023 12:20pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      The world has been through these warming periods many times, more CO2 in the atmosphere probably, but how go you know it is going anything to climate, more chance of concrete effecting temps that cow farts
      
      13 3
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      February 14, 2023 10:49am
      - Ian Boag
        
        “The Last Generation” by Fred Pearce. A reasoned look at all the bad things that might be happening to the world. Ocean currents – possible methane megafarts – ice (top and bottom) melting etc.
        
        He talks about the past stuff too.
        
        He is a journo who used to write for New Scientist. He wrote a few other thoughtful ones too like “When the rivers run dry” …
        
        Unfortunately it is not free and does not come to simplified ranting conclusions. Hardly KB material …
        
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        December 14, 2022 7:32pm
    - General
      
      They know less than me, cheers.
      
      You’re wrong and profoundly ignorant.
      
      4 2
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      February 14, 2023 11:52am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Who?
        
        3 1
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        February 14, 2023 1:30pm
    - Handyman
      
      In a recent survey, 97% of bishops agree there is a God.
      Do you know more than these experts?
      It is not a conspiracy; these people hold sincere genuine opinions.
      
      In any case, God does not care about surveys.
      
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      February 14, 2023 12:42pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Data is being able to count to 10 at a kindergarten.
    
    8 2
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    February 14, 2023 10:53am
- Random T Person
  
  Last summer we were told the hot dry stunning conditions were because climate change. Now we have a wee cyclone, because climate change. These fucks win whatever the weather is, because climate change. Astonishing. They can’t lose. The greatest con ever perpetuated.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:39am
  - riffer
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Climate change causes extremes in weather conditions. The greatest con ever perpetuated was that the market was going to give us all the solutions we needed for greater societal progress.
    
    5 35
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    February 14, 2023 10:10am
    - Local Miller
      
      Except the data shows that there hasn’t been an increase in extremes in weather conditions. Even this storm is being described as a “one in a hundred year” event. What this means is that the scientists actually expect a storm like this roughly once every 100 years, and this is that time. Did this never occur to you?
      Again, read the report not the press release!
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:59am
    - All_on_Red
      
      ” Climate change causes extremes in weather conditions.”
      But it isnt. At least according to Scientists at ‘Colorado State University’s Department of Atmospheric Science which tracks National Oceanic Atmospheric Association’s National Hurricane Center tropical storm data.’
      https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/01/extreme-weather-events-declining.php
      Its just weather. Not Climate.
      The trend over the last SEVENTY YEARS is the annual count of Tornadoes is decreasing.
      Why are you denying the Science?
      
      14 0
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      February 14, 2023 11:12am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      riffer – the climate has always changed. It always will.
      The biggest con pulled by the “global warming” idiots was hijacking the term “climate change” and inferring climate is something we can control. We can’t.
      
      The only discussion to be had is about how much impact we humans have on this naturally occurring event. The answer is, not a lot.
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:40am
      - Jimbob
        
        Exactly Clan. The inequality that is happening around the world is all due to the debasement of fiat currencies. Top culprit is the Federal Reserve of the USA. Elites have grabbed the lion share and want everyone else to work for them.
        Making sense now.?
        The climate is just a vehicle to extort money from you to pay for the elites pet projects.
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:32pm
    - Stellaboxer
      
      Wrong the greatest con of all time is that socialism, communism , or any of its bastard sons employing centralised economic planning , could deliver utopia. That is demonstrably true. Of course I’m sure the current crop of leftists understand and interpret Marxist theory in a manner that all their predecessors never did and therefore fell short of and will be able to not only deliver a utopia this time but save the planet whilst they are at it. Funny thing is it only appears to be the capitalist that are actually doing something about climate change by investment in technology such as wind solar electric cars and so on. The left just stand around telling everyone how bad they are and wanting everything torn down so it can be built again perfectly this time. All mouth and no trousers. IMHO .
      
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      February 14, 2023 2:30pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Yes, and the huge cold periods every year on the northern hemisphere the last 5 or 6 years is climate to
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:51am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Random T Person – covid is up there too. Not as big a con as “climate change” but up there.
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:36am
  - Stellaboxer
    
    Except when it’s cold and snows a lot then it’s just weather.
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:42am
- Stellaboxer
  
  “Why do these people disregard the IPCC findings showing conditions improving?” because they don’t help usher in socialism.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:50am
- Ford Prefect
  
  I get very aggravated with the term “carbon emissions”. Global warming/Climate Change is based entirely on the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Thats one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms making a trace gas vital to life on Earth.
  
  As Auckland is suffering from floods from excess water, do we need to try to kerb hydrogen emissions or oxygen emissions as theres only one oxygen atom in water.
  
  Carbon Emissions is a propaganda term because the subconscious views carbon as dirty black pollution not an invisible gas.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:07am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    People here going on about the experts, the Tongan Volcano has caused a huge amount of aster to be forced into the atmosphere, the EXPERTS have stated with the Aussie floods and our high water volume at present that it is attributed to that water from the volcano.
    
    I heard some mention this yesterday snd someone say that was untrue, they also added in the Hawaiian and Indo volcano, but he experts tend to disagree with what the person that completely ruled it out on here last year, I think I will listen to the volcanologist
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:24am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      G – I had read that too. The amount of water evaporation into the atmosphere was unprecedented.
      
      Aug 2, 2022
      Tonga Eruption Blasted Unprecedented Amount of Water Into Stratosphere
      
      When I mentioned it to someone the other day they looked at me as if I was a foil hat wearing nutter. Then I found the link from NASA and sent it to them.
      
      https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/tonga-eruption-blasted-unprecedented-amount-of-water-into-stratosphere
      
      No apology, not even an acknowledgment they had received the email. Another judgmental, non thinking “friend” assigned to the growing list of casual acquaintance. Oh well, no great loss. Over the last 3 years I’ve found the number of those I called friends has reduced, but those I still have are of the highest quality.
      
      It’s been a refreshing unintended consequence of events.
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:54am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        [Mod – clean your language up please] Someone was rubbished mentioning it here last week, they even mentioned this on the weather before the floods in Auckland on the news when talking about the cause
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:32pm
  - Master Mariner
    
    The whole universe is made from carbon.
    What are to do, Tell the Martians to “cool it a bit”.
    Makes just as much sense in this Co2 nonsense.
    
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    February 14, 2023 2:21pm
- Local Miller
  
  @Tomtoddy: “Why do these people disregard the IPCC findings showing conditions improving?”
  Because they don’t actually read the report. They read the press release about the report that says climate models say things are going to get worse. This despite the fact that the actual report and facts say things are the same or better, there is no upward trend in serious weather events (either at the storm or drought end) and the sea level rate of rise is what it’s been since we started measuring, and is more likely related to land changes as there are places where the “rise” is negative, like Oslo where the average since 1885 is -3.12mm/year.
  
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  February 14, 2023 10:36am
  - JimBobJoe
    
    Oslo and other parts of Scandinavia are negative water level rise as the whole area is rebounding from loss of glacier weight since the last Ice Age. The crust there is slowly rising out of the mantle.
    
    As per Slate (so the Lefties will believe what I wrote above…)
    https://slate.com/technology/2017/08/why-sea-level-is-falling-in-finland-and-sweden.html
    
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    February 14, 2023 12:55pm
    - Local Miller
      
      Yup, which is of course my point. When the sea level drops it’s recognized that it’s actually the land that is rising, but when the sea level rises it’s not the land that is sinking, it’s…. CLIMATE CHANGE!
      I love the fact that most of the small, low lying islands in the Pacific and around the world, like Maldives and the Marshal Islands are growing in size.
      
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      February 14, 2023 3:39pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  Tomtoddy – it is simply further confirmation if needed, that these people are ideologically driven nutjobs. They think they can control the climate. They think they can control the environment. They think they can “protect” certain chosen species and bypass planetary evolution. They are lunatics.
  
  I have no problem protecting vulnerable species from introduced predators. But these people are next level stupid. The story from Taranaki regarding the NATIVE weka found there is a classic example.
  
  “If weka were to get on Taranaki Maunga they pose a real risk to the native wildlife while the ecosystems and populations are still in such a recovery phase,” he said.
  
  Weka “occupy a problematic conservation niche” due to their scavenging habits.
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/300791951/hunt-on-for-wayward-weka-after-surprise-appearance-in-taranaki-backyard
  
  Indeed. The NATIVE weka are such a problem that these psychotic, ideological lunatics slaughtered at least 300 of them on Rakitu Island, off the coast of Great Barrier Island by deliberately aerially dropping brodifacoum all over it.
  This undoubtedly also killed many of the other 20 native species resident on the island including wood pigeons, morepork, tui, waxeye and hawks among others.
  
  The weka had been put on the island in the fifties because they were an endangered species. Great move. The birds thrived.
  Now however, DOC management in their wisdom decided that they needed to “fix” the environment as though it was their own personal petting zoo.
  
  They wanted migratory seabirds. The weka are a ground based bird and quite enjoy a diet of eggs and small birds, mice and other morsels when they have access to them.
  This meant the planned “seabird sanctuary” would be difficult to achieve.
  
  The operation was carried out under the pretence of removing rats. There were rats on the island. The previous owners had run rat traps to keep numbers down. DOC removed the rat traps from the island. Presumably so they could point to the high numbers of rats to justify the poison drop.
  
  There were a number of proposals presented to try and accommodate the seabirds plan. One was to manually trap for rats to eradicate them. The cost was estimated at $280,000. The cost to bomb the whole island with poison was $208,000. They went for poison.
  
  But the reality is, the weka were the problem and there was no solution other than to slaughter them.
  
  Hence the wonderful plan to poison everything on the island to accommodate the seabirds which were going to arrive went ahead. Presumably they were all sent gold plated invitations to the grand opening……..Meanwhile untold numbers of native species were wiped out. You can’t make this shit up.
  
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  February 14, 2023 11:05am
- kowtow
  
  The ’40’s were bloody cold in NW Europe .
  
  Must have been really tough through the war years and after esp with all the rationing.
  
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  February 14, 2023 2:55pm
Tomtoddy

Light Breeze in South Auckland, cloudy and no rain.
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February 14, 2023 8:05am
- Nukuleka
  
  Cue: Wayne Mapp to set you straight you ignorant South Auckland pleb.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:08am
- Cinematic
  
  Coastal West Auckland hammered. Rest of Auckland mostly unscathed. Not a bad result considering.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:11am
- Frank the tank
  
  It changed directions around 3pm yesterday with an unexpected Southwest direction meaning those in the East, south and central were spared while those in the West got hammered.
  
  It would appear the same places flooded (i.e. Kumeu) and the majority of the adverse events were due to the already sodden ground conditions.
  
  The concern here is again this front changes direction a third time and comes at parts of the North Island in the form of a slow moving front (ala Bola)
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:18am
- Ehlana
  
  It’s moving down the east coast, so I think Whangaparoa peninsula is protecting east and south Auckland. There’s a good graphic at https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/overlay=precip_3hr/orthographic=-192.74,-35.66,805/loc=156.517,-32.890
  which shows why a storm off the east of New Zealand is bringing strong winds to the west coast.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:23am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Yep, Change wind from surface to 250Hpa ( Approx height of Jet stream) and there you can forcast direction of Low.
    Its called Meteorolgy and forcasting the Weather.
    Interesting is how it has it has not dissepated and still remains very Low pressure, Herein lies the clue to its intensity.
    
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    February 14, 2023 9:07am
    - mawm
      
      Cool move. I have learned a lot from your posts.
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:54am
- ClanMcleod
  
  The SW winds in the tail of this thing may get up this afternoon t0 35 – 40knt. Gone by midnight.
  
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  February 14, 2023 12:25pm
Frank the tank

The real concern with ex cyclone Gabby is the aftermath and the clean up. Internationally we have seen it done poorly (i.e. New Orleans) and we have seen it done well (i.e. Florida).

My gut feeling is that CovidCult has exposed our inability as a nation to deal with natural events in a rational, logical manner.

I have very real concerns that this will be another nail in the coffin of this country and the “can’t do” culture nurtured through covid will come out in force over the next 6 months.

We need a circuit breaker and perhaps a period of sustained stagflation to kick start reality is required. Otherwise we appear to be sleepwalking into the third world.
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February 14, 2023 8:15am
- Ghost
  
  We’ve always done well cleaning up after a natural disaster.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:22am
  - Blog-aholic
    
    Once upon a time we had a culture alive of #8 wire thinkers…..now not so much.
    
    12 1
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    February 14, 2023 8:30am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      I am one of those. Many temporary repairs done with #8 or baling twine, or whatever I could find.
      Eg, small hole in motorbike Tyre. Glue and a self tapping screw.
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:29am
  - Cinematic
    
    Not true. The post flood Council cleanup in Auckland a few weeks ago was pathetically slow. In fact, slow appears to be the default speed for anything infrastructure related.
    
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    February 14, 2023 8:48am
    - sirknz
      
      Ten days after the event the traffic was worse. AT had time to think of ways to stop people getting around efficiently like directing them down side streets that come out on main roads behind the raised pedestrian crossings.
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:20am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Road Cones had a great time slowing traffic.
        
        7 1
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        February 14, 2023 11:31am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Too many layers of bureaucracy to go through no doubt. Lots of chiefs, not so many Indians, and anything that goes wrong in Auckland will be Wayne Brown’s fault.
      
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      February 14, 2023 12:27pm
    - Paulus
      
      Auckland Council staff went their usual slow deliberately, so they and the media could blame Mayor Brown.
      
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      February 14, 2023 2:03pm
- Cassandra
  
  Gabby was a breeze compared to real wind (I lived in Kansas). We’re already cleaned up – one broken terracotta pot and the gardeners came round at 7 am to remove debris. Tauranga retirement is a bitch.
  
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  February 14, 2023 10:05am
  - Raphael
    
    depends where in TGA I guess. a mate had a massive branch on an oak tree in his garden take out his neighbour’s living room last night.
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:38am
Drone

Today in Wellington the GWRC/Metlink have cancelled all the double decker buses because somehow they fear that the winds will blow them over. The wokest government departments have told people to stay home because they might get blown off their bicycles getting to the office. But wait today is not significantly different from many other Wellington days I have experienced over the years, remembering the loss of the Wahine, Lady Liz One and Two and many other events, harden up Wellingtonians you’ve got another three years of a Labour government to look forward to..
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February 14, 2023 8:25am
- Ian Boag
  
  the loss of the Wahine
  
  Winds got to 150k+ that day. Houses lost roofs and picture windows. Hardly “typical” of anything – second worst recorded storm in the country after Bola if people are to be believed.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:50am
- Pavel
  
  In Taranaki yesterday I got a call from our local school that yhey will be closed today so the kids will be home all day. I was told the education ministry has stopped the school busses from running as it will be too dangerous to operate them. We’re talking a 16 seater minibus. What a joke aye, so much fear and hype over nothing. On the west coast we get winds heaps stronger than this during most of winter, a lot like Wellington. It’s like they just want a day off.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:58am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Control Control Control Control.
    Bloody Socialists.
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:34am
  - blue collar
    
    Dunno pavel , saw a 40 foot mainfreight trailer blown over on its side on way to work at 5 30am on the bell block motorway , trees and lines down everywhere ….
    There are sheltered spots from a southerly due to the ranges on the mountain
    
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    February 14, 2023 3:51pm
- cas
  
  On Wahine Day, they cancelled the trains but buses still travelled between Wellington and the Hutt Valley. And I remember Victoria University didn’t close though it was b…. windy up there.
  
  We were made of sterner stuff. No Health and Safety guidelines to worry about.
  
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  February 14, 2023 11:25am
Maggie Pie

MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL OPERATING IN NZ 🙁

NZH reports….

Auckland Police have busted a Mexican organised crime group allegedly importing and distributing Methamphetamine around New Zealand.

Detective Superintendent Greg Williams said…”they are inserting their own people into the country, then once established are importing illicit drugs, selling them and moving the profits overseas.”

Q: How do these people get in here to begin with?

It’s not as though they don’t stand out.

https://unsplash.com/photos/HTEQ9QfoNyc
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February 14, 2023 8:26am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  MP, I see your new friend is available for hire.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:31am
- Muttonbird
  
  If NACT form a government you can expect much more of this. It will be a double whammy. They will throw the doors open to unskilled workers, and they will make cuts at Immigration NZ.
  
  Offshore crime organisations do watch this stuff.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:31am
  - hmmokrightitis
    
    What made up tosh.
    
    Will the sky fall as well because NACT?
    
    18 1
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    February 14, 2023 9:47am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      No, but that will not stop them telling you it will fall.
      
      8 1
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      February 14, 2023 11:38am
- ClanMcleod
  
  How do they get in here, become a Green MP?
  
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  February 14, 2023 12:42pm
  - Jack5
    
    Didn’t he run the projector in an Auckland cinema?
    
    New Zealand competing for highly qualified immigrants?
    
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    February 14, 2023 2:28pm
The Redbaiter

Disappointing to see the latest poll from National’s own polling company showing the pathetic little schoolboy Prime Minister Hipkins eclipsing ex Air NZ CEO Christopher Luxon in the favourability stakes. (Hipkins +27 Luxon -5)

Whereas we of the center right may see Hipkins as unappealing, the politically disengaged general public not so much. Sure he was part of the Ardern train wreck, but he projects a childlike honesty and is a far more confident and forthright speaker than the guarded and shakey Luxon. Plus he has the backing of the corrupt media (probably already made a secret deal to keep funding the PIJF) and the equally partisan academic bloc.

Luxon, like the other loser Nicola Willis shoe horned into the leadership (Muller) is a non-starter. So if the Nats really want to win they need to dump Luxon, Willis and campaign manager Chris Bishop. New Press Secretary Hamish Rutherford should be replaced too. They’ve all failed to fire in an election where, given the incompetence of the current govt, they should by now have at least a 10-15% margin.

There’s a good chance the un-losable election is already lost, even if the Nats do make the needed changes. Delays in doing what is so clearly necessary will reduce the chances of a win even further. Start looking for solutions to this Willis engineered mess right now or NZ is in worse peril than ever.
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February 14, 2023 8:27am
- Pavel
  
  I’ve always been a Nats Act supporter. I have to agree with you on Luxon. In my opinion he is the most useless, spineless empty suit of a politician I’ve ever seen. Imagine the shots being fired if it was National in power and Labor in opposition. The Nats have way more ammo on Labor than Labor ever had on Key yet he just sits there in silence. Someone needs to remind him of what his job is. Stop acting like a woke CEO and start being a bloody politician, we want an attack dog not a lap dog and we need one now more than ever.
  
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  February 14, 2023 10:12am
  - The Redbaiter
    
    Made a bit of an error in that I attributed this mess to Willis, when should have said Key/ Willis.
    
    Willis is a Key protege and so is Luxon. The problem is not Luxon alone, its Key’s continued influence within the party and he’s backed up enthusiastically by Willis.
    
    Willis engineered the coup against Simon Bridges which resulted in Muller’s disastrous leadership. After this failure she should have been sacked, but being particularly ambitious, she hung on and eventually helped Luxon take the leadership.
    
    So that’s two serious failures from her and it means she has to go this time.
    
    The whole upper echelon of the party needs replacing. They have destroyed its mission, selected largely unsuitable candidates (probably going to happen again in Northland soon) and generally made National as much like Labour as they can.
    
    Bishops failure as campaign manager is starkly obvious in the utterly disappointing poll numbers. They all have to go and the sooner the better.
    
    Should have happened over Christmas, but it didn’t because they will cling on to the end. Letting their personal ambitions take precedence over what is at stake here for the country.
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:37am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      [Mod – cut the abuse out]
      [ Nuther Mod – there might be a holiday in your future … ]
      
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      December 14, 2022 11:34am
    - ISeeRed
      
      Oh dear. Some staunch Nationalistas have had their fee-fees hurt. Keep dropping those truth bombs, Red.
      
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      February 14, 2023 8:32pm
  - Bobba Fret
    
    Would you prefer Judith Collins was leader again? That didn’t work out so well in the end.
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:01am
    - The Redbaiter
      
      Collins enthusiastically supported Ardern’s idiotic gun control measures and also Labour’s destructive intensified housing project. (See Seymour’s article in todays MSM, or you can search it out on my own blog) She has some good points but (IMHO) has always been a leftist feminist and therefore shouldn’t even be in Sid Holland’s free enterprise party.
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:14am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Exactly, his preferred pm has a far worse favourable than Luxon
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:34am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Seymour’s favourables are way worse than Luxons
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:32am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    I always thought Luxon is a good manager, but not a leader. He has not shown me otherwise.
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:42am
    - mawm
      
      Remember he’s keeping his powder dry. //s
      
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      February 14, 2023 12:05pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        mawm – with the amount of powder given to him by Labour over the last 3 years nobody better light a match ffs. If he every lights it the country will vanish in a puff of smoke.
        Surely he can afford to use some of it now and again????
        
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        February 14, 2023 12:48pm
    - The Redbaiter
      
      There is growing dissatisfaction within the National Party regarding Luxon’s failed leadership, and rumours regarding his demise are on the increase.
      
      It will be interesting to see what the Luxon diehards here have to say if he is indeed replaced.
      
      (BTW, his replacement cannot be Willis. IMHO she is as politically hollow as Luxon, and will just be another wrong step in so many wrong steps. She needs to follow Luxon into political oblivion)
      
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      February 14, 2023 12:10pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Once again that’s rubbish, you are listening to Slaters rubbish, he stated the MPs are whispering, they are not, they won’t go near Slater so that is rubbish, if they change leader again, they will be down to 25% again, snd Labour up yo 45% no show of a centre right government, they will never pick up the pieces and they know it
        
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        February 14, 2023 2:24pm
    - The Redbaiter
      
      Steve “I always thought Luxon is a good manager, but not a leader.”
      
      Don’t think he is either. Muller was a disaster as leader and virtually handed the election to Labour. He was later found leaking to National’s enemies in the media and rightfully demoted by Collins.
      
      He was set to resign (the best outcome) but under Luxon/Willis was brought back into the fold and incredibly has now been given the shadow Climate Change and Agriculture portfolios. This is (IMHO) unbelievably poor judgment and just one more reason why Luxon should be sent down the road.
      
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      February 14, 2023 12:59pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        A manager is a leader
        
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        February 14, 2023 2:25pm
      - Ghost
        
        A manager is typically just following the policies set out by the ceo, and under their control.
        
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        February 14, 2023 3:24pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      [Mod – tone your language down]
      
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      February 14, 2023 1:34pm
- peterwn
  
  ‘Preferred leader’ means absolutely nothing since voters elect parties and electorate candidates and not leaders. Latest poll is better for National than I would have expected. I would have expected Chris H and Labour to be slightly in the lead following the dead cat bounce when Chris H became leader.
  Incidentally John Key copped a lot of trash talk in the run up to the 2008 election so it means little that Chris L is copping trash talk at this time.
  
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  February 14, 2023 10:48am
  - The Redbaiter
    
    “Preferred leader’ means absolutely nothing”
    
    Please get your facts straight Peter. As I say, its Favourability Rating not “preferred leader”. (Which actually doesn’t exist anyway. Its “Preferred PM”.)
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:54am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      And as I said, go look at Seymour’s favourables in this poll, perhaps you should have a look before you spout about others
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:35am
      - The Redbaiter
        
        You’re missing the point. The question many are asking is “why are the Nats so low in the polls when the govt is so bad?”
        
        The answer seems to lie in Chris Luxon and his increasing unfavourability rating.
        
        In my own opinion, its not just Luxon, its his campaign manager Bishop and others who are not doing enough.
        
        Anyway, the bottom line is- if a question exists, its better to answer it than ignore it.
        
        https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fo4GJNYacAAJTtN?format=jpg&name=medium
        
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        February 14, 2023 3:21pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Can we read anything into the favourables ? Because Seymour’s are worse than minus 10%, so do all right and centre voters have favourables about all possible leaders on the right or centre? I think it’s bullshit, especially when Hipkins has been a huge part of the damage and failure, it makes me e we infer if right snd centre voters refuse to answer that question, possibly the same as PM figures
  
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  February 14, 2023 11:31am
- Brian McDonald
  
  Redbaiter do not be bitter about good politics just because they don’t fit your narrative.
  I saw the PM struggling in the morning answering questions as to whether money was wasted on the TVNZ RNZ probable amalgamation. But he adjusted his response and by the end of the day was seen to be in the trenches in Auckland.
  If he gets his nose in front it will be because of good political instinct – can’t breed that.
  
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  February 14, 2023 11:36am
  - I remember when
    
    The trouble that Labour have is that they appear to experience an excessive amount of bad luck.
    Christchurch mosque attack, White Island deaths, covid-19 and now several sub-tropical weather disasters.
    Bad luck may well be something that you can’t blame those experiencing it for having.
    It may not be something that can be controlled.
    However, successful businesses, parties and people just seem to lucky and successful.
    
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    February 14, 2023 2:50pm
- blue collar
  
  Simple .
  Vote act .
  Doesn’t matter if act 35% and nats 16 %
  At least we will hv a great leader that can talk and debate without notes , and also come up with original policies
  
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  February 14, 2023 3:59pm
Philview

I watched the Project last night and they interviewed a lady who has written a book about helping people who have got involved in cults. Cults seemed to include everything under the sun per examples given. They didn’t mention the cult of Jacinda which included many journalists. The lady explained the components of a cult which included a charismatic leader and devoted followers who will not tolerate criticism of the leader. I thought that sounds familiar.
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February 14, 2023 8:40am
- riffer
  
  Many leaders attract devoted followers. Remember Rob’s Mob?
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:38am
  - Mike
    
    Rob preferred Black Power to the Mob.
    
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    February 14, 2023 9:54am
  - Jack5
    
    Remember Rob’s Mob …
    
    Riffer, elsewhere on this thread (at 10.20) a post of yours seems to imply Kiwiblog is an old-age forum. You use the phrase “many of us under 60”.
    
    Muldoon was last in power nearly 40 years ago.
    
    Surely you must be nearing 6o yourself?
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:33am
    - riffer
      
      Yep. Born in ’67
      
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      February 14, 2023 5:27pm
- RightFirstTime
  
  You watched The Project? Thanks for taking one for the team.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:45am
- The Redbaiter
  
  Phil- “people who have got involved in cults”
  
  Tucker Carlson did an amazing opening monologue on this kind of thing a few days ago. Pointing out how people customarily have a “hole in their heart” which must be filled by something. He said climate change is filling this hole for a lot of people, and especially what author and philosopher Michael Crichton called “suburban atheists”.
  
  It was so good I uploaded it to youtube.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSbefF1_nlw
  
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  February 14, 2023 11:08am
  - General
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9QaUtpsuoA
    642k views on the Fox YouTube channel
    Good on ya though mate, it’s a very good segment.
    
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    February 14, 2023 12:01pm
  - Inandout
    
    TR, I like Tucker because he isn’t afraid of venturing into covid territory and as a consequence the left despise him. Tucker is so popular Fox daren’t flick him, unlike Blaze did to O’Keefe.
    
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    February 14, 2023 12:29pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Trump?
  
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  February 14, 2023 11:45am
hmmokrightitis

Random impertinent thought for a Tuesday morning as the road out is closed and the power has finally come back on…

Stuff blocks anyone not guzzling the climate change / global warming Kool-Aid. And yet they took public money.

Shouldn’t that disallow them from milking the taxpayer as they are against freedom of speech?
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February 14, 2023 8:42am
- Loddenthinks
  
  Oh, silly! The Public Interest Journalism Fund is a bit like the Democratic Peoples Republic of East Germany.
  
  The first few words mean the opposite – it’s definitely not in the public interest, and it’s more propaganda than journalism. It is a fund though!
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:27am
billyt

An unprecedented weather event – yeah nah
https://hwe.niwa.co.nz
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February 14, 2023 8:45am
- riffer
  
  Tell me about the last time we had a weather system with barometric pressures in the centre of below 970 hectopascals …
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:39am
  - Mike
    
    If my roof hasn’t blown off it doesn’t count.
    
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    February 14, 2023 9:55am
    - riffer
      
      Sample set of one makes for a particularly shitty analysis.
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:12am
    - riffer
      
      But I do get that you were taking a crack at the selfish ones who claim that if it isn’t affecting them directly it doesn’t exist…
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:13am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      The vast majority of the damage is down to a a shitty spring/summer that has seen far more rain than normal. Hence water tables stayed high all through and slips, falling trees and property damage were inevitable.
      
      Any of the frequent events we have every couple of years would have caused the same outcome if they had occurred after a similar spring/summer.
      Gabrielle on it’s own was nothing special.
      
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      February 14, 2023 1:05pm
  - All_on_Red
    
    Sure
    The North Island record, since 1851, is 962.9 hPa at Cape Reinga.
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:18am
    - Local Miller
      
      But, but, but, this can’t be right, we need to adjust this up by at least 10% for time of reading bias, so it doesn’t count.
      Everyone knows back in those days they didn’t know how to read a barometer correctly 🙂
      
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      February 14, 2023 4:09pm
  - billyt
    
    Ok fair call but honestly what does everyone think. Unprecedented?
    Yeah or nay..
    Obviously hope all the best to people in worst effected area’s.
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:26am
  - Inandout
    
    riffer, if you are old enough to recall 2010 and the extreme cold that descended on NZ causing snowfalls just about everywhere, then you will know the baromatic pressure in many areas dropped almost to 900. Ours is 970 today and the rain has gone.
    
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    February 14, 2023 12:35pm
Durden

I am sorry to hear that Benedict was chased out (de-platformed) from Kiwiblog using doxxing and disinformation. He was good value, and by no means extreme in my view. Good well Mr Yu and hope there are no long term repercusions.

I light of that, this post about a project by Matt Taibbi is interesting. Taibbi, and four other journalists across the left-tight spectrum, were given unfettered access to Twitter documents that resulted in an expose of how the establishment (ab)used social media to shape the narrative. The result was #TwitterFiles.

Freelancers Wanted: Help Knock Out the Mainstream Propaganda Machine
https://www.racket.news/p/freelancers-wanted-help-knock-out

Excerpts:
“In a remarkably short time since the end of the Obama presidency, the U.S. government has funded an elaborate network of NGOs and think-tanks whose researchers call themselves independent “disinformation experts.” They describe their posture as defensive — merely “tracking” or “countering” foreign disinformation — but in truth they aggressively court both the domestic news media and platforms like Twitter, often becoming both the sources for news stories and/or the referring authorities for censorship requests. ”

“In a remarkably short time since the end of the Obama presidency, the U.S. government has funded an elaborate network of NGOs and think-tanks whose researchers call themselves independent “disinformation experts.” They describe their posture as defensive — merely “tracking” or “countering” foreign disinformation — but in truth they aggressively court both the domestic news media and platforms like Twitter, often becoming both the sources for news stories and/or the referring authorities for censorship requests. ”

“The irony is the entire field of “disinformation studies” itself has the features of an inorganic astroturfing operation. Disinformation “labs” cast themselves as independent, objective, politically neutral resources, but in a shocking number of cases, their funding comes at least in part from government agencies like the Department of Defense. Far from being neutral, they often have clear mandates to play up foreign and domestic threats while arguing for digital censorship, de-platforming, and other forms of information control. ”

The so called (government funded) guardians
https://thedisinfoproject.org/
themselves need to guarded against.
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February 14, 2023 8:46am
- Random T Person
  
  I’m out of the loop, and loved Benedict’s insightful commentary. Can you bring me up to speed? Thanks.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:49am
- Cinematic
  
  Benedict isn’t even vaguely extreme in his views. Doesn’t get satire though.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:51am
- CPB
  
  I must have missed this. What happened to Benedict? His contributions were always calm and reasoned. Who targeted him?
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:53am
  - Ghost
    
    https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2023/02/general_debate_12_february_2023.html/comment-page-1#comment-3319736
    
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    February 14, 2023 9:05am
    - CPB
      
      Thanks Ghost. That is depressing. Hopefully Benedict learns who it is and outs them.
      
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      February 14, 2023 9:32am
      - David Garrett
        
        CPB: I have always found this paranoia about one’s address being known weird. Not so long ago when we all had landlines, one’s address was in the phone book.
        When I was in NZ I made no secret of where lived, and invited those who had some problem with me to come on out to discuss it – but not at night. That qualification was necessary for reasons which all country dwellers well understand.
        
        Up here in Tonga it is a bit harder to “dox” myself since most streets don’t have names let alone numbers. But because Nuku’alofa is so small, it wouldn’t take long to find “Tevita the palangi lawyer”. A short cut would be to come to the Billfish bar most nights…If I am not there, someone there will be able to give directions to my house.
        
        Oh, and I agree with those who ridicule the suggestion that Benedict Yu was “extreme right wing”. If he is/was I don’t know quite where that leaves me.
        
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        February 14, 2023 9:56am
      - Cassandra
        
        For DG: still in Tonga, mate. Now, looking up “holidays in Tonga”.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:11am
      - David Garrett
        
        Cass: If you are serious about coming up here let me give you some well meaning advice: if you love Fiji, you won’t like it here. As a good mate of mine said when I lived here 20 years ago, it is a place for travelers and not for tourists.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:30am
      - Bridgenag
        
        Not even slightly “right wing”
        
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        February 14, 2023 12:50pm
    - rouppe
      
      And his extended family believe this anonymous person over their relative?
      
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      February 14, 2023 4:22pm
  - blue collar
    
    Sounds like housing Nz got the shits , I can’t stand bullies , can’t be many housing Nz field agents with Asian / Thai ? Partners .
    But this is dirty , uncalled for , what’s the odds it’s our misinformation mob or illegal use of SIS or bloody housing Nz themselves …..
    I can’t help but feel this has inappropriate use of govt department / computers written all over it .
    Hipkins is ruthless despite looking like a child . I believe he is more dangerous than Brenda , he will unleash any attack dogs to win this thing .
    
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    February 14, 2023 4:37pm
- Inandout
  
  One down:
  https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/media/2023/02/mark-steyn-quits-gb-news
  
  And another:
  https://www.weeklyblitz.net/international/people-rally-in-defense-of-james-okeefe/
  
  Both brought up the Pfizer name.
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:57am
- Littletramp
  
  I agree he was good value, and moderate in his views, BUT:
  He was warned enough times by people on this blog, not to keep quoting issues/information he knew via his contact inside “social housing.
  A blind man could see he was exposing “confidential” matters & it would not end well for.
  He did “cross the line, IMHO.”‘
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:04am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  It should be a chargeable offense.
  Or a lesson behind the woodshed.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:26am
Rusty

I heard a 3Newshub reporter last night call this bad weather event a hurricane rather than a cyclone.

Don’t think we get hurricanes in NZ.

Without sounding like a cynic why do the “experts” warn us to get ready for a bad crisis which doesn’t happen but when it does they don’t warn us?
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February 14, 2023 8:50am
- Master Mariner
  
  Been watching CNN?
  North Americas call it a Huricane,
  Asia call it a typhoon
  And here the correct name is a Tropical Revolving Storm ( TRS), Which has Cyclonic winds ( Stn Hemisphere and Anti Cyclonic winds in Ntn Hemisphere.)
  Cyclonic winds are Clockwise direction around the Low Pressure and Anti clockwise around the High pressure. etc.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:15am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Anti counter clockwise.//
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:51am
  - fightingtemeraire
    
    When doing meteorology for Masters we did the Buys Ballots Law. V simple way of finding where the eye of the storm is. Also told how to avoid them.
    
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    February 14, 2023 11:54am
  - amospicton
    
    Genuine question MM – what happens when a cyclone moves from the southern hemisphere (rotating clockwise) to the northern (counter-clockwise) or do they not do that? ie do they always head south? Maybe they originate in the tropics and head away from the equator? If so why?
    
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    February 14, 2023 12:45pm
    - Master Mariner
      
      They dont cross per se. However the natural barrier the ITCZ acts one.
      This moves in a generally wave like pattern with the seasons. Now currently South equator. 3 to 8 deg Sth.
      The ITCZ forms by clouds rising. Natural barrier due too coreolus force.
      Yes generally form 5 to 15 deg South Equator ( Summer time ).
      Pick up all there energy from the heat in the water, more worrisome due to La Nina phase now here in NZ.
      warmer the water, the energy.
      Great questions. Sorry on phone and not flash at typing, otherwise i would give you some great links.
      On another note, There is still the same likilyhood of more too come in the coming months.
      
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      February 14, 2023 3:04pm
    - kowtow
      
      Not a scientist , but they tend to spawn in the tropics and depending if they’re in northern hemi they go north , if they’re southern hemi they tend south so don’t tend to x the equator .
      
      Happy to be corrected.
      
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      February 14, 2023 3:24pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Children again.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:27am
- All_on_Red
  
  It was named a Cat 3 Cyclone but seems to have fizzled a bit
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:28am
  - riffer
    
    It was Cat 3 when it was a tropical cyclone. Once it got below a certain latitude it no longer is called tropics (I guess because it’s no longer in the tropics), and the wind pressure eased as a result, so it didn’t qualify as a cat 3 any more (category is rated on constant windspeed). Often it means it brings more rain as a result.
    
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    February 14, 2023 9:43am
- Blog-aholic
  
  Hurricanes are tropical storms that form over the North Atlantic and Northeast Pacific.
  
  Cyclones are formed over the South Pacific and Indian Ocean – science 101.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:42am
  - Blog-aholic
    
    Who on earth would red tick a statement of fact?
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:22am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      There are two here today.
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:54am
  - fightingtemeraire
    
    They are both the same with different names. Also called Tropical Revolving Storm (TRS)
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:23am
- Cassandra
  
  We get nothing like American hurricanes. In 1973 a town in Missouri was totally destroyed (I moved to Kansas in 1974). Routinely – every year – huge damage is done, people and stock killed, buildings destroyed. Fact of life. Get on with it.
  
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  February 14, 2023 10:14am
- peterwn
  
  In Henderson, Helensville and Huapai hurricanes hardly happen.
  
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  February 14, 2023 10:35am
- Local Miller
  
  Hurricane, Cyclone, Typhoon, all the same thing just in different locations.
  They should however know that in the South Pacific we call these Cyclones.
  
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  February 14, 2023 11:19am
- kowtow
  
  Last cuppla days tv3 has had 4 reporters out in the wind and rain.
  
  All 4 are wimmin and don’t look at all ‘diverse’ .
  
  They need to work harder on “diversity”.
  
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  February 14, 2023 12:17pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  That shows just how dodgy they are, we are closer to a typhoon than a Hurricane down here
  
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  February 14, 2023 1:37pm
Doc Holliday

The A B C D for climate deniers:

Anything But Carbon Dioxide.
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February 14, 2023 8:51am
- Local Miller
  
  What the hell is a climate denier? I don’t know anyone who denies there is climate?
  
  And Anything But Carbon Dioxide? I love CO2, it feeds all the lovely fruit trees and plants I have in my garden, provides us with all sorts of fruit and vegetables because it’s PLANT FOOD! NASA have shown quite clearly that the increase in CO2 has resulted in a greener planet, decreased deserts and science has shown that plants are more water efficient and produce better crops in higher CO2 environment.
  Got to love this stuff.
  
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  February 14, 2023 11:23am
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  Anyone who deploys the label climate denier self-identifies as an idiot.
  
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  February 15, 2023 7:11pm
Stellaboxer

I’m concerned we are turning into a nation of hysterics.
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February 14, 2023 8:55am
- BeaB
  
  We have far too many reporters breathlessly telling us about chaos, carnage and craziness. They borrow all kinds of jargon they don’t understand eg weather bomb and hunt round for anything they can pump up into a catastrophe. John Campbell last night in the rain sounded and looked ridiculous under his umbrella. Hipkins is a master of communication : it’s raining be careful.
  Kieran Mcanulty (?) is beside himself with excitement declaring a national state of emergency. What a man!
  I am praying for Invercargill as Gabrielle approaches.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:16am
  - Martonman
    
    Currently in Arrowtown more chance of getting sunburn than rained on . Beautiful day no wind
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:06am
  - Paulus
    
    Mcanulty is also Minister for Racing, as I understand he was employed in the TAB in the Wairarapa before getting a Labour Seat – which I am assured that he has every chance of losing at the election as a poor local electorate man – too tied up in Wellington.
    
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    February 14, 2023 2:14pm
backster

Isn’t one of the Green MPs a Mexican.
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February 14, 2023 8:55am
- Blog-aholic
  
  I think I got moderated for saying something similar?
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:48am
Maggie Pie

Oh FFS!! Talk about grief-porn…..

https://twitter.com/juliefairey/status/1625037984138686465
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February 14, 2023 8:59am
- Ehlana
  
  A fun “fact” from Twitter today: “your urine can be used as blood”. Perhaps it is fortunate the person who posted this admits you may not find a surgeon willing to do it…
  
  Also, apparently Auckland Grammar opened as usual yesterday. Cue all kinds of angst.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:13am
- Inandout
  
  Maggie, I am amused at the panic porn over Gabby when I read that the Wahine storm had 250km winds.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:21am
  - riffer
    
    Wahine storm was an outlier. There were actually two storms that converged pretty much right over Wellington.
    
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    February 14, 2023 9:44am
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      Correct riffer, cyclone Giselle from the north if I remember correctly, and a good old south Island storm from the South. And the south storm was a doozy as well, pelted with decent sized hail biking home from school in shorts and bare feet….
      
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      February 14, 2023 9:59am
      - Inandout
        
        IVV, wasn’t school fun once when walking home along gutters making little dams with the leaves? Living with nature has stood me in good stead in life and I have coped at times with some pretty horrible events. I despair at how soft our society has become.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:16am
      - riffer
        
        I was too young to remember it; but according to my parents, I was a babe in a cot in the lounge, when the wind blew the ranch sliders in, showering me with glass.
        
        They still talk about that storm and they’re in their 80s. The earliest really bad weather event I can remember is the December 1976 floods when I was 9 (I grew up in Stokes Valley, in the Hutt). That was a shit show.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:17am
      - Bridgenag
        
        cracking through ice covered puddles The best!
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:19pm
    - Justitia
      
      Cyclone Giselle formed over the Coral Sea just like Gabrielle. It pummeled the North Island with 160 kph winds before converging with a cold front about Cook Strait that saw wind speeds rise to over 200 kph. The Wahine on trying to enter the harbour struck Barretts Reef and then foundered against Steeple rock not far off Seatoun Beach. I remember the day well, but I don’t recall anyone calling that storm a “climate crisis event”. The alarmist fear-porn being promoted by Stuff and the Spinoff etc right now is disgusting.
      
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      February 14, 2023 3:57pm
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    Yep, and the 1975 nor’wester storm in Canterbury had 170km|hr + winds. Along with bits of tin and tree branches (and anything else that wasn’t tied down) flying through the air, we had empty grain silos rolling through town in Ashburton. One of our chimney’s got hit by something and knocked down damaging the roof. My dad and I got on the roof to make temp repairs. I don’t recall anyone going to counselling afterward…
    
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    February 14, 2023 9:56am
    - riffer
      
      Counselling wasn’t really a thing back then. We tended to bottle stuff up, and some of us beat the wife and kids in the comfort of our own homes. Others went mental on the roads and killed ourselves at an alarming rate.
      
      I think the old maxim applies – what doesn’t kill you gives you very bad coping mechanisms.
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:19am
      - Inandout
        
        riffer, try what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. Why bash your kids if you have a mishap?
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:35am
      - Ghost
        
        Let’s drop this muncho crap about counseling. We have people who commit suicide instead of getting counseling, a lot of work goes into getting people especially farmers to reach out for help
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:44am
      - Jack5
        
        … We tended to bottle stuff up ..
        
        British people would have caved in to the Luftwaffe, and Germans and Japanese would never have got back on their feet after World War 2, if “talk it out” counselling had been in vogue.
        
        Israelis, beloved of people like Riffer, are showing the way. 🙃
        
        https://theconversation.com/counselling-doesnt-work-in-the-long-term-86446
        
        AND
        
        https://www.israel21c.org/israels-radical-new-approach-to-psychological-first-aid/
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:36am
      - NothingLeft
        
        While there is not much doubt that some therapy is useful for some patients, there are also a substantial proportion of patients that are made worse and a large fraction who get no benefit. We know for example that picking over scabs of past horrors often just reinforces and enhances painful memories and the pain associated with them (PTSD) and can also serve to reinforce self-harming pathologies by feeding an underlying desire for attention. It is an industry that depends on good press and like pharmaceuticals tends to avoid publishing anything negative about itself. Professionally confirmation biases, ignoring failures and burying mistakes are rife and the “Replication Crisis” (inability to replicate study results) that is so pervasive in social ‘sciences’ is acutely bad in psychology.
        
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        February 14, 2023 10:47am
      - NothingLeft
        
        The Strange, Contagious History of Bulimia
        https://www.thecut.com/article/how-bulimia-became-a-medical-diagnosis.html
        
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        February 14, 2023 11:44am
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      A trouble shared is a trouble doubled
      
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      February 14, 2023 9:47pm
    - Alan Wilkinson
      
      I remember that storm well. Bent our back fence over in Chch and we watched the neighbours roof tiles moving in waves but they didn’t come off.
      
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      February 15, 2023 7:16pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  These people want you to be dependent.
  Just go away
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:30am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Bah hah! These fucking people. They are seriously retarded. “It’s OK to feel anxious”. What buffoons.
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:46am
  - riffer
    
    Perhaps it’s a generational thing. People on this blog tend to be of a more mature age and were never really exposed to counselling.
    
    Many of us under 60 have undertaken counselling. It’s not as bad as you would think.
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:20am
    - Frank the tank
      
      Many of us under the age of 60 don’t need counselling either.
      
      Stop generalising to suit your narrative.
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:38am
    - Dougal10
      
      What a load of tosh you speak. Don’t you be speaking for those of us under 60.
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:55am
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      I don’t think it’s bad in certain circumstances riffer, but to invite people to counselling because they may be anxious about a storm is just a joke (watch out! the sky is falling!). People need to harden the hell up, take responsibility and move forward for themselves and their family. Having a sook about how tough life is, is pathetic. Of course it is tough, and you are dim if you think otherwise.
      
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      February 14, 2023 11:46am
- ClanMcleod
  
  The country is screwed. Seriously. These people need urgent help.
  
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  February 14, 2023 1:16pm
RRM

Tried to get a clear indication this morning as I sat on the train, whether the storm is going to get worse in Wairarapa/Wellington, or if this is it.

Absolutely hopeless.

Breathless coverage of a house that collapsed in Muriwai.

Video after video after video (because of course everyone has unlimited mobile data right?)

Another “article” that appears to be a long string of tweets.

The art of condensing the critical information people need, into a concise and succinct few sentences appears, to be conpletely lost. So much for all of those BAs and Communications Degrees!
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February 14, 2023 9:10am
Master Mariner

Out of interest, How would you find out how much money has been spent by councils on Storm water and Waste water in the last 2-3 years ?
Have councils put any upgrades / projects on hold due too 3 waters and assets to be stripped off councils ?
Any ideas ?
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February 14, 2023 9:21am
- Mike
  
  You could start by reading your local authorities’ long-term plans and annual reports.
  
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  February 14, 2023 10:03am
  - Master Mariner
    
    I tried, But as murky as the water backing up in the blocked up Culvit.
    
    Hence the question.
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:49am
greybeard

White Ferns: two games, two thrashings.
Too cocky.
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February 14, 2023 9:28am
- Blog-aholic
  
  Maybe not enough cocky?
  
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  February 14, 2023 9:55am
  - riffer
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Ignorant and un-called for. They are playing against other women. Implying their gender has anything to do with competence just sounds like you hate women.
    
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    February 14, 2023 10:22am
    - Jack5
      
      In the English-speaking part of the West at least, women seem to be having at least as much trouble from gender changers as from from male bigots.
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:55am
    - Blog-aholic
      
      Take it which ever way you want. If you are so strung out by finding fault then that is on you.
      
      The original was “too cocky” and I responded with not enough cocky?
      
      Have a sense of humour for gods sake.
      
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      February 14, 2023 10:55am
    - BeaB
      
      I thought it was funny.
      It must be a grim old world you inhabit.
      
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      February 14, 2023 12:50pm
    - ClanMcleod
      
      riffer – nothing to do with their gender, clearly they are just crap.
      
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      February 14, 2023 1:18pm
    - surfing
      
      Isn’t it just a joke?
      
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      February 14, 2023 2:22pm
I remember when

Being in a lightly affected area my big decision today is –
Do, I go grocery shopping and risk getting wet
Or, do I leave it and shop when prices are higher and less stock (especially fruit and vegetables), is available
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February 14, 2023 9:35am
- Don Beckett
  
  Wow – what a tricky decision. Maybe you need some counselling to come to the correct decision.
  
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  February 14, 2023 11:35am
- ClanMcleod
  
  Make sure you wear your mask and social distance. And take an umbrella, but don’t put it up if it’s too windy…….be kind. And caring.
  
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  February 14, 2023 1:21pm
Maggie Pie

Taking about people using their real names and being doxxed/de-platformed 🙁

Does anyone know what’s happened to Ross Cameron?
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February 14, 2023 9:40am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

There are two of them today.
One just came back from a holiday. Looks like the Mods will be giving him another.
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February 14, 2023 10:56am
rangitoto

Worst of the storm here on the Shore was between 2 and 3 am this morning. Winds were strong but not as strong as they have been with many storms over the past 30 years. That hour was also the peak rainfall but still a lot less than the big downpour a couple of weeks ago. It is dry and windy this morning. The main thing about this storm is it hanging around for a longer than usual time. It’s slowly moving away.
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February 14, 2023 11:02am
- NothingLeft
  
  Also in coastal north auckland, was working into small hours of night, and worst of storm wasn’t any different to squalls and winds we get a few times a year – though lasted longer. Annoyed that school kids are being needlessly kept home yet again by the perpetually terrified Karenocracy.
  
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  February 14, 2023 11:49am
  - NothingLeft
    
    My regular baby sitter (young woman) is too scared to come to work due to govt declared state of emergency. Our area has no rain, and 15-20kt winds slowly dropping.
    
    Our country is weighed down by a vast flock of unthinking sheep.
    
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    February 14, 2023 12:49pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      Heh, our guy turned up at 8.30 to mow our lawns
      He doesn’t care- still got to pay his Bills
      
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      February 14, 2023 1:27pm
Maggie Pie

Just back in from hanging the sheets out on the line.
Reminded me of my dad’s old saying….”it’s blowing like 40 bastards”

But honestly, the weather has been awful!
For those of us who enjoy the health benefits of perineum sunning, it’s been an absolutely dreadful summer here so far 🙁

Just saying.
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February 14, 2023 11:10am
- rangitoto
  
  Your neighbours put the drone pics on facebook.
  
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  February 14, 2023 12:01pm
- Ghost
  
  Wondered where the wind was coming from….
  
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  February 14, 2023 12:04pm
cmm

Herald Editorial Meeting

Editor: “Listen up people. There’s a huge crisis in Auckland. As an information disseminator, it is our civil duty to help people with accurate, critical information. Has anyone got some good ideas?…. Yes Lucy.”

Lucy: “I’ve got this awesome toasted cheese recipe I’ve been wanting to share for ages. I think it is super-important to get that out.”

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/cyclone-gabrielle-emergency-rations-and-what-to-eat-when-youre-hunkering-down/XO2I5FX66ZDCTFCWGQM6F3SNAY/

FFS people. Do we really need to be spoonfed by the media on how to make a bit of food during a wind?

I can’t believe this is the nation I joined 31 years ago – the nation that prided themselves on being able to make do with a bit of Number 8 wire.
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February 14, 2023 12:38pm
- Ghost
  
  it’s good advice that in a natural disaster to avoid the media…..
  
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  February 14, 2023 12:44pm
- Doc Holliday
  
  No 8 wire? Too tough on teeth and absolutely tasteless. Try eating the newspaper. Or the screen.
  
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  February 14, 2023 1:33pm
  - septic skeptic
    
    I’ll take your word for it Doc
    
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    February 14, 2023 4:11pm
  - Local Miller
    
    That was almost funny Doc
    
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    February 14, 2023 4:16pm
Maggie Pie

Just seen a few pics of the devastation thats hit Gizzie 🙁
Sounds like power and phones are out.

Our thorts and prayers with Maggy W.
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February 14, 2023 12:53pm
- Ghost
  
  I think she has said she is on a hill? Anyway hope she is alright.
  
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  February 14, 2023 12:59pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    According to Transpower the substation is under water. They said it could be “days-or-weeks” before power is restored.
    
    Imagine if Cindy was still PM.
    She’s have helicoptered in dressed as the Witchita Linesperson.
    
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    February 14, 2023 1:05pm
    - Ghost
      
      It’s a mess. But the regions know how to pull together. And as you said it could be worse, she whose name shall not be spoken could be there in gumboots bailing water out of the streets…..
      
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      February 14, 2023 1:15pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        She would have dressed like captain Ahab with an appropriate souwester and gumboots and would have refused to cry showing empathy by not adding more water to the terrible disaster…….
        
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        February 14, 2023 1:28pm
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      And then taken Ms Fairey up on the counselling. About the rough ride the chopper gave her.
      
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      February 14, 2023 2:50pm
    - Dougal10
      
      Why would you put major electrical infrastructure somewhere it could flood. Maybe because transpower is a govt department and it is more important for the shiny shoe higher ups to be able to access it from their hotel rooms when inspecting assets, rather than putting it somewhere sensible , the new dunedin hospital is suffering from this disease as well .
      
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      February 14, 2023 3:09pm
      - Ghost
        
        Why would you put it right next to a river.
        
        Google maps
        
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        February 14, 2023 3:22pm
    - Blog-aholic
      
      I think she is more the kenny rogers coward of the county type.
      
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      February 14, 2023 3:24pm
CAKE FACE1

Cindy Ardern was without question the most transformational Prime Minister in New Zealand’s history.

Kommissar Robbo increased the size and scope of government by double digit percentages, each and every year, for six successive years! This has transformed New Zealand from being a market-based economy, to being the Socialist Republic of Aotearoa. Communist infiltration by new Mayors such as Tory Whanau in Wellington have ensured that socialism is Aotearoa’s new system of governance, at local level as well.

Sri Lanka shows how just a few years of socialist government can completely destroy an economy and society.

There are two ways that socialism completely sabotages an economy and society. The first is the direct effect. The economic load of paying for the bureaucrat grifters, looters and moochers has a direct impact on the productive sector. At some point, the private sector simply cannot carry the load any more. We have reached this point. The collapse in the private sector in New Zealand is shown by our current account deficit. At 7.9% of GDP, it is the highest in our history, and the highest in the OECD.

However, the indirect effect of socialism on the psychology of society is arguably even worse than the direct economic vandalism. When Cindy Ardern implemented her Covid policies, I suspect that the real aim of these policies was the infantilisation of society. Socialism burns independent thought, individual resilience and personal agency to the ground. The socialist citizens are like children, unable to cope in the real world. A dependency culture, devoid of initiative or self-worth, is the ultimate aim of any socialist. This has been successfully instituted. New Zealand society is about to fall into the abyss.

The soft socialist Chippy has taken over from the extreme hard left socialist Cindy. For me, the prognosis remains the same. My best guess is that the New Zealand economy will completely collapse, within the next five years.

I am fatalistic about New Zealand’s future. I believe that our only chance to avoid a complete economic and social meltdown in the next few years would be to have another Rogernomics style counter-revolution.

Alas, I suspect that Mr Luxon / Ms Willis are more likely to deliver the same policies as Chippy.

I don’t really have much hope for New Zealand’s future. It’s a shame.
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February 14, 2023 1:13pm
- artemisia
  
  Agree with you Cake Face1. Am also not positive about New Zealand’s future. There are options though, but mainly for the productive among us.
  
  All my siblings are now Australian citizens raising their families there and no intention to return here to live. More than half my many cousins live overseas, most also in Australia.
  
  All part Maori. None ever been in prison, good jobs, raising good kids. Brown flight, white flight, skills flight, capital flight.
  
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  February 14, 2023 2:17pm
- Rusty
  
  @Cake face — agree with just about everything you say.
  Unfortunately Aust, USA, Canada, and the UK are going down the same Marxist road as well – who also have traitorous govts to their democratic constitutions.
  Is there some special hatred from the UN/WEF against anglo-nations?
  
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  February 14, 2023 4:10pm
- NothingLeft
  
  I don’t argue with your assessment of the terrible trends at play in NZ.
  
  But the pace of change in AI development has hit insane levels – and we are likely (based on estimates of AI industry titans) just a few years from Human level AI, to be quickly followed by self improving super intelligent AIs vastly smarter than us and able to create super-advanced technology. The long posited ‘Singularity’ is almost upon us, no longer just science fiction.
  
  Nothing and noone will be immune from the huge economic and social changes that brings, and all the issues we think are critical will be wiped aside by bigger problems or rapidly evolving fixes, depending upon how it pans out on the dystopian/utopian spectrum.
  
  If we survive it then today’s business-as-usual concerns based on current way economies, political and environmental issues work will most likely become trivial.
  
  Good luck. We’ll need it.
  
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  February 14, 2023 5:11pm
Handyman

It is bad, but not unprecedented. Here is SH1 in the Bryderwyn hills from 1996.

ht – Herald.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/iEuLqjbjHfTUx3FRg6laAOqTlc8=/1440×2005/smart/filters:quality(70)/cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/nzme/5WRDLZDBVC6MMFT7DM47AUHOFA.jpg
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February 14, 2023 1:41pm
- Doc Holliday
  
  When you can’t see the woods for the trees…
  
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  February 14, 2023 4:11pm
I remember when

As I have a close, now historical, connection to the Tutaekuri River in Taradale I find the extent of the damage mentioned extraordinary.
Both the Brookfields Bridge and the Waiohiki Bridge have survived numerous big floods in the past.
I used to stroll over the stockbanks whenever their was heavy rain and witnessed the river in ‘full’ flood every year.
A number of years ago they altered the mouth of the river at Waitangi and I wonder if this has happened, at least partly, because of the changes.
When I was in Napier about four years I visited the river at Waitangi and strolled along the cycleway they promote allowing access to the Pakowhai cafe, using Brookfields Bridge.
The old river bed appeared to have become what could best be described as a lake/lagoon area.
I know that the Ngaruroro flow has been greatly reduced because of irrigation, and has controls on the ‘take.’
Has the lack of flow resulted in dangerous levels of buildup of silt and gravel?
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February 14, 2023 2:22pm
- kowtow
  
  Anecdotally , councils used to clearriver beds of gravel build up , silt etc .
  
  Do they still do that .
  
  Failing to could lead to faster flows , flooding and damage to bridges ; which is what we seem to be seeing everywhere .
  
  Carbon emissions or council omissions.
  
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  February 14, 2023 6:42pm
  - Ghost
    
    Down here that is ecan’s job, their failure to maintain the rivers caused fallen trees to damage our rail bridges in one flood.
    
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    February 14, 2023 6:49pm
mogg

‘Storm system falling apart’ weather without the agenda:https://m.youtube.com/@WeatherWatchTV
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February 14, 2023 2:44pm
Master Mariner

Yep . Face the wind, left hand for Stn Hemi Etc.
Interesting fact is the Bay of Bengal the winds ” may” blow directly into centre.
Got Nailed 3 years ago steaming Karachi during cyclone , However not Bay of Bengal.
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February 14, 2023 2:50pm
Ra Henare

Over the years I have enjoyed reading interesting comments on Kiwiblog from knowledgeable people.

Today, I have it confirmed that KB has been taken over by bears of little intelligence. Unable to think past their last touch of a keyboard in attempt to justify their pathetic lonely lives.

Same Same as Whaleoil. In the early days it was interesting reading. Then descent in to crap.

I am forever hopeful of finding a place where intelligent Kiwis engage in reasoned debate on subjects of the day.
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February 14, 2023 3:03pm
- Jack5
  
  Ra’s KB has been taken over by bears of little intelligence…
  
  What do you read Kiwiblog with, Ra? PC, laptop, tablet, smart phone? Better keep bear spray handy beside it.
  
  If you go down to the blog today
  You’re sure of a big surprise
  If you go down to the blog today
  You’d better post in disguise!
  
  For every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain
  Because today’s the day Kiwiblog bears have their nitpick.
  
  Apologies to Kennedy and Bratton’s Teddy Bear’s Picnic.
  
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  February 14, 2023 3:42pm
- BeaB
  
  Ok. Bye-bye.
  
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  February 14, 2023 4:35pm
ex-golfer

How sad it is that a huge amount of New Zealanders, (especially millenials and whatever the generation following are called) have had the ability to think and act in situations of emergency removed from their psyche.
Ever since COVID struck, more and more New Zealanders now wait to be told what to do, how to do it and where to do it. Cowering in fear because thats what they are told to do.
When things get tough they retreat into their shell and wait for the Govt to act and instruct. Then they put their hands out and expect the Govt (ie: the taxpayers) to stump up for their lack of action (eg, insurance).
Critical thinkers (and dare I say it, older more experienced people) don’t have to wait for declaration’s of emergency and political pontificating – they get on with protecting their family and property in the best way they can, using their experiences, their nouce and their “number 8 wire” mentality.
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February 14, 2023 4:07pm
- Ghost
  
  Really, because the footage I’ve seen so far is that people are getting out and helping each other. And before it hit people sandbagging and preparing
  
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  February 14, 2023 4:11pm
Maggie Pie

For those that study Maori history like myself…..it was 244 years ago today that Captain Cook got his beans in Hawaii.
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February 14, 2023 4:27pm
Ghost

No parliament this week so Hipkins can be out and about with the flooding…..
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February 14, 2023 4:47pm
- Cinematic
  
  I wonder if occurred to any of them to continue to do the job they’re paid for?
  
  NZ has morphed into Shutdownland.
  
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  February 14, 2023 5:29pm
blue collar

I’m starting to wonder if the big boys internationally are behind chippy .
You know , the guys that influence elections .
Rothschild kinda guys .
Red flag no 1 ; Brenda’s blackout
Red flag no 2 ; complete media capture just after they had turned on labour ( not Brenda , labour)
Red flag no 3 ; putting on ice but not discarding the contentious policies

And there’s the smoking gun .
Think hate speech

Labour are controlled and pushing an agenda for others UN , WEF , world bank, corporates (black rock ) …. Whoever … all at once possibly .
These wolves need labour to win to push their agenda .
Nz has always been a whore to the elites , perfect place to trial projects , island nation , small population , used to be first world .
They give money , we trial their shit on the quiet . See how the people react . Before unleashing internationally
I believe it’s more coercion than corruption
Do this or else …. Remember Kirk ? …. Remember Harold holt ? Remember Saddam ? Remember Kennedy ? Shah of Iran ? Any sth American dictator ….z
They hv reach
What would you do ?
They need labour to win to carry on their agendas , money no problem , threatening spooks no problem , they will stop at nothing .

Brenda was unelectable and disposed of like the trash she was after doing her level best to trial their lockdown agenda , fear compliance , how far can you push a population until they push back .
It was an audition for what’s coming and points noted .

Here comes chippy .
Trouble is , we don’t forget . They hv no chance . Brenda blew it .
No wonder she looked unhinged .
Letting down her masters .
These polls I believe are deliberately targeting the left audience .skew the data , psyops in the media , heaps of people love labour , join the crowd .
Crock
Of shit .
Again , it’s gonna be a bloodbath , labour will be hammered . Relax fellow Kiwibloggers
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February 14, 2023 5:13pm
- Ghost
  
  How about. It doesn’t matter who you vote for, act, national, labour, greens, you are getting the same agenda just with a different appearance.
  
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  February 14, 2023 5:18pm
  - Mike
    
    It could just be that the things most people agree upon are more relevant and important than those things on which they disagree.
    
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    February 14, 2023 5:36pm
Iamright

One very good reason to change the government is we may stop all the bloody disasters!! The chch shooting, white island, last week’s flood, this week’s cyclone. I wonder what one they will set up next.of course you then have inflation, 3 waters or is that 5, 80k speed limits, to name but a couple. Chippy is no more than Jacinda ver 2 without the teeth
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February 14, 2023 5:38pm
Ghost

Didn’t realise there was a black national anthem…

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/photo-goes-viral-kari-lake-refusing-stand-during-black-national-anthem-super-bowl
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February 14, 2023 6:05pm
Chris Nisbet

I’m pretty sure I just heard James Shaw imply in some speech that it’s our inaction in dealing with the climate crisis that caused this cyclone.
People mock Brian Tamaki when he claims that homosexuals cause earthquakes, but many people take Shaw seriously when he makes statements that are just as idiotic.
Anyway, I just read on WUWT that some expert blames earthquakes on climate change.
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February 14, 2023 6:38pm
- Doc Holliday
  
  It’s just what the science predicts but you prefer WUWT…
  
  Ha Ha Ha
  
  Wit
  
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  February 14, 2023 8:21pm
  - Alan Wilkinson
    
    Your last is half right.
    
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    February 15, 2023 8:56pm
Ghost

I decided to ask ChatGPT to tell me one negative thing about trump, Biden and Ardern

One negative thing about Donald Trump is that during his presidency, he was frequently criticized for his rhetoric and actions that many saw as divisive and inflammatory. His comments on race, gender, and religion often caused controversy, and his aggressive behavior towards political opponents and the media was seen by some as an attack on democracy and free speech. This behavior often led to tensions and conflicts within the US and with other countries.

One negative thing about Joe Biden that has been pointed out by some people is that he has been accused of being overly affectionate and sometimes making inappropriate physical contact, such as hugs or kisses, with women in public settings. Several women came forward during his presidential campaign to share their discomfort with his behavior, which led him to publicly apologize for his past actions. While many supporters have defended his intentions as harmless and affectionate, others view his behavior as disrespectful and inappropriate.

One negative thing about Jacinda Ardern is that some critics have accused her of not delivering on some of her key campaign promises, such as building 100,000 affordable homes in 10 years, reducing child poverty, and making significant progress on climate change. While her government has taken steps to address these issues, some argue that progress has been slow or inadequate. Additionally, her government has faced criticism for not doing enough to address the housing affordability crisis in New Zealand, which has left many people struggling to find affordable homes.
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February 14, 2023 6:42pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

No power from 1.2 pm yesterday.
Another night cooking on the Primus.
Not too bad, just like camping!
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February 14, 2023 7:02pm
- blue collar
  
  On ya steveo !! Hopefully get it back n save ya freezer ….. or hv you got a cunning back up supply you resourceful rogue ? 😁
  
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  February 14, 2023 7:30pm