Another day and more bad news for the dairy industry. International prices for milk have fallen a further 2.9% to US$2190 per metric tonne. National's policy of increasing dairy production through increased irrigation and dairy conversion is looking pretty sick now. The world is awash with…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Scientists are running out of superlatives: February breaks global temperature records by 'shocking' amount Global temperatures in February smashed previous monthly records by an unprecedented amount, according to Nasa data, sparking warnings of a climate emergency. ... The global surface temperatures across land and ocean…
A few weeks ago I posted about the Christchurch City District Plan review process, and the campaign to save Christchurch's Notable trees. So far the notable trees campaign has had to spend over $20,000 just to be heard in the discussions that are deciding the…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
This Nation interview on the economy on the weekend was very interesting - leaders of Labour, Greens and New Zealand First all agreeing on the need for New Zealand economy to diversify beyond dairying- (let's not even mention oil exploration). It was a very encouraging…
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Up to 10% of NZ dairy farmers could go broke in the next few months. John Key is relaxed about that possibility, saying that the banks will show their usual generosity of spirit in hard times. No, really. "What I'm getting more of is the…
A significant development: Labour leader Andrew Little promises debate on universal basic income The Labour Party is considering a universal basic income as part of its Future of Work project. Leader Andrew Little confirmed his party was exploring the concept during a visit to Trevor…
A fascinating piece on Newshub asking if the Government's neglect of Northland might be putting the Whangarei electorate seat at risk in 2017. When nationwide TV news starts asking whether the National Government is on track to lose a safe electorate seat like Whangarei (which…
Oh FFS: Family First says allowing schools to introduce gender neutral toilets for transgender students is sending a "harmful message" and causing confusion. The lobby group is today publishing legal advice around incorporating transgender students into the school environment and its national director Bob McCoskrie…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
This week saw a significant development in Artificial Intelligence (AI), with a Google program AlphaGo resoundingly beating the human champion at Go. This is significant because, unlike chess, Go is difficult to crack with brute-force search. It requires pretty abstract pattern recognition and (what we…
Banks create money out of nothing all the time. When governments do it the process is dressed up in the pseudo-technical term "quantitative easing". There's a lot of debate about QE, but some credit it with saving both the American and the European economies after…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Seems like not everyone in America is going to roll over for Trump: Trump rally in Chicago abruptly postponed over safety concerns A Donald Trump rally in Chicago was postponed at the last minute on Friday, on the advice of law enforcement authorities over “safety…
The simple answer is - the banks are. Both as fiduciaries of their farming clients, and as prudent lenders exercising financial responsibility on behalf of their shareholders. Of course, that's in some kind of dream world, where the banks do not engage in the massively…
' Long serving diplomat and New Zealand's Chief Negotiator for the Trans Pacific Partnership, David Walker, was yesterday presented with the 2016 Dick Of The Year award. The award was presented to David Walker on behalf of the vast majority of New Zealanders by activist…
The trouble with a born to rule party full of individuals who think they are a cut above the rest is that they occasionally make mistakes by thinking that the rules do not apply to them. Young Todd Barclay in Bill English's seat of Clutha…
Russel Norman is still commenting on politics - and he's still making a lot of sense: https://twitter.com/RusselNorman/status/707662721450283008 https://twitter.com/RusselNorman/status/707666722052972544 https://twitter.com/RusselNorman/status/707735400849092608 https://twitter.com/RusselNorman/status/708138801722339330 Oil was always speculation. Gambling on bulk milk is turning in to an economic disaster, and the intensive farming methods required are trashing the environment.…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett says he will announce his decision about running for Mayor of Wellington at a launch later this month. It sounds like he has already made up his mind about what he is running for; the real question is what is he…
Following on from the Kawerau seige, Labour has called for an inquiry into the hidden and illegal gun market. Spokesperson Stuart Nash says that the time is right for an independent look into gun culture in NZ, a discussion which he says needs to go…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9NYzXKSJqs&feature=youtu.be As Iain said congratulations to everyone with a special thanks to: The Unite Union The Council of Trade Unions The Green Party New Zealand First Marama Fox Even Peter Dunne Even Michael Woodhouse who reached out and shifted when it was needed.
Yesterday I wrote about intergenerational theft, the way that "the millineials" are getting systematically screwed by economic factors such as unemployment, debt, rising house prices, and static incomes. In comments Olwyn objected to the generational framing, arguing that "what we are looking at is the…
