Daily review 31/08/2020

Written By: notices and features - Date published: - 77 comments
Categories: Daily review

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 …

77 comments on “Daily review 31/08/2020”

Comment numbers have changed to permanent references. Older quoted numbers may no longer identify the same comment.

  1. 1

    So, the DoS thing – attributed loosely to blackmail type operations, and likely by operators enjoying a degree of state support.

    It is believed the criminals claimed in ransom notes sent to some victims ahead of attacks that they were associated with a notorious Russian group called Fancy Bear, but Little believed that was “a decoy”.

    It's a brave call – Fancy Bear are serious players, a cut above the ordinary, given to using multiple tools in any given attack. Insofar as markers of their activity are available, they are more prone to choosing political targets than other hackers.

    If proximity to our elections, or the potential to embarrass Trump are factors, Fancy Bear may have chosen to become involved.

    1. 2.1

      Why not? I'm way more concerned that they spend two days with students talking about covid and future tech in a conspiracy theory context.

      1. 2.1.1

        Well, if the healing crystals thing is part of a module titled "Nonsense shit people just make up with zero evidence or rational basis and get other gullible people to believe", then fine.

        1. 2.1.1.1

          Lol, I bet you think meditation is superstitious nonsense too. By all means get hung up on being literal, but if people want to use crystals as a way of focusing their behaviour into something more peaceful I think there are far more important things to be worrying about right now.

          (my own objection would be to the unsustainable nature of bring mined minerals from all over the world and burying them at the school. There's a massive consumerist culture around crystal users).

          Out of curiosity, do you object to Māori teaching traditional Māori spirituality in alternative schools? Remove all karakia?

          1. 2.1.1.1.1

            Remember those crystal radios? Receiving invisible waves in which voices were embedded: what right-minded person would believe that!!! Woo woo to the max!

            1. 2.1.1.1.1.1

              This is why we have Independent schools of various types, to accommodate families with a diversity of beliefs and values.

              The system has been working well for many decades, the schools must conform to a certain minimum core curiculum and there are boundaries on what is acceptable teaching. But as a system it encompasses a pretty broad church and does so reasonably well. And by and large the kids they produce fit in just fine into the wider world once they move onto adulthood.

              1. 2.1.1.1.1.1.1

                Indeed, RedLogix and you can bet your bottom dollar that the parent of a child at one independent school could swiftly find something being taught at another, or in any state school, that the didn't agree with, could mock and ridicule, or get het up about (as is the case here). This crystal issue is just National looking to undermine confidence in The Greens.

                1. 2.1.1.1.1.2.1.1

                  Crystals are woo woo. Every Science class grows beautiful crystals from a solution. How magical is that? Some people believe that crystals might have been at the basis of the origin of life. Woohoo!

            3. 2.1.1.1.1.3

              Robert. Yes to crystal radios and the pesky cat's whisker probing for a better signal. And no electricity needed in any form. A miracle!

              1. 2.1.1.1.1.3.1

                I heard this song on a crystal radio set in 1964, top of the Hit Parade for weeks.

                It is still a song for our times, about a decision that has to be made about changing our lives, changing for the better or going back to live out our lives in sin and misery in

                The House of the Rising Sun.

                We've got one foot on the platform, the other on the train…………

        2. 2.1.1.2

          edit
          Oh damn I thought it was going to about sustainability, and regenerative agriculture and planning future homes for fire resistance, coolness in heat waves and warmth-absorbing mass in winter etc. Forward-looking, problem-solving is what we need, nice people with skills, not flakey types which I have come into contact with and don’t trust.

          Now there is talk about crystals; that isn't green education, that's cult stuff. Those people are practised at putting their theme of peace, love and vegetarianism over in such a way that they can attract funding or at least confuse the funders enough to give it to them

            2. 2.1.1.2.1.2

              Pretty much – it's woo, but I shudder to think what some "mainstream" religious schools teach their kids – particularly regarding sex.

              My basic position is that the Greens shouldn't have touched it with a bargepole, and Shaw's done his apology for that. But even with the woo-iness and private school issues, it's a construction project and probably not even the most "neoliberal" project that got money. I'd be looking for something even more fucky fucky like a stripmine, or a slumlord's "property development", or maybe a weapons project (maybe our budding private military contractor wants a new rocket launch facility?)

              you throw money around, maybe some distasteful people pick it up. The point is that even distasteful people spend money and folks need jobs at the moment.

              1. 2.1.1.2.1.2.1

                “what some “mainstream” religious schools teach their kids – particularly regarding sex.”

                I went to one such. They taught us nothing which was probably a good thing. My sole education was a visiting journalist who told us, “Beware of cars, boys, they’re bedroom on wheels!” Later, I became a teacher of sex and relationships, and I told my students that story, and then said I was certainly going to do better than that.

                We got the Jesus walks on water stuff, but in the secular education we got logic, science, clarity of expression. That college produced many lawyers but few artists.

                1. 2.1.1.2.1.2.1.1

                  Hey, to be fair, we were given in the early 1960s a very good explanation about how flowers regenerate, and how important wind pollination can be.

            3. 2.1.1.2.1.3

              solkta. My son writing an essay at varsity discovered that in the translations way back then, the word for "on" was the same as "by." So what Jesus actually said to Simon was, "Come walk with by the water (beach)." So if true a whole incredible myth has evolved and is believed by many.

      2. 2.1.2

        I wonder if they canvassed that measles is caused by concrete telephone poles. Well only concrete telephone poles made in factories facing the south.

      1. 2.2.1

        Most likely there are " parents who believes COVID-19 is a manufactured natural disaster." in every school.

        1. 2.2.1.1

          So it is OK to encourage the students to do the same thing? (Or has the teacher warned them that the guy may be a crank? I wonder..)

          Sorry to argue against you again (normally very unusual) but you still seem to be justifying the arguments of supporters of Charter schools, as I felt you were doing in the Kia Kaha Greens thread.

          1. 2.2.1.1.1

            We're speculating wildly about some minutiae that concerns us not one whit!

            Crop circles, UFO, the tweets of somebody's husband; I'm hanging out for a post on Billy Te Kahika so we can all let loose with the gormless reckoning; I reckon it'd be a cracker!

            (As an aside, In Vino, our seeming off-sidedness with each other is not real; it's a consequence of the quirkiness of language and the limitations of blog-communication. These things happen and are hellish difficult to unravel, so let's not try to parse each other to pieces smiley

            2. 2.2.1.1.1.2

              Aye, and again Pat has already subtly suggested that subtle suggestions may be better than overt argument. (Or is that just my perception?)

              Nevertheless – I don't quite agree that language and blog should limit things in the way you describe.

              We still have a brain, and in any debate we should try to cleave to the central point at issue, and put that priority in all argument, rather than let peripheral issues take over. (Which is what seems to happen on blogsites.)

              To my mind the central issue in the school funding debate was the privatisation of Education, which I see as a public good, which the state should keep well away from profit-gougers.

              But I think I was rather alone in that. Most, including you, Robert, were concerned only with avoiding damage to Green party, and in doing so you started to sound quite right-wing at times to me from my viewpoint. Peripheral issues, basically, that should always be viewed with the central issue in mind…

              Maybe I am a dying breed. But I also noticed comments by Pat, Drowsy F Kram, Solkta, etc, that made me think that I just need to cool down, and try their more subtle ways.

              Sorry – it is in my nature to parse.

                1. 2.2.1.1.1.2.1.1

                  Which reminds me – where has that bloody cat gone? Must get it back in before it kills something… (Lion roaring with Ars etc..)

              2. 2.2.1.1.1.2.2

                In Vino – "To my mind the central issue in the school funding debate was the privatisation of Education"

                I agree that the privatisation of Education is a central issue in the school funding debate.

                In the "James picks a shovel-ready project" situation though, Education was only a bystander, imo. The criteria around the decision did not involve "Education", they were about construction, economic stimulation, support for local businesses and industries.

                The furore that resulted obscured what I believe was the critical aspect of the issue. The private/public/charter school debate is a seperate one and need not have been invoked at all. This latest flare-up (the crystals, the beliefs of two of the parents) is similarly disconnected from the process James and Co undertook; I bet there was nothing in the selection criteria that covered such trifles.

                It's clear, In Vino, that you see the issues of Education and Covid Response projects as intertwined, but I do not and this is where our views diverged. I expect your view and my view on Charter Schools, as promoted by National in the recent past, are very similar indeed; I argued vociferously against them at the time, as I am won't to do.

                Does this inelegant attempt to explain help at all? Most efforts of this sort create greater friction, experience tells me, but you're a rational man and I can be also, though I've not yet had my morning coffee.

                1. 2.2.1.1.1.2.2.1

                  Meanwhile back in the very successful Iceland, there are no Private schools. Every school is set out to be equal. No elite schools. No poor schools so they just get on with the education.

          2. 2.2.1.1.2

            Shadow Minister for Crystals and Dream-catchers, Nicola Willis said, :"Maybe it's the crystals that ensured this school miraculously got almost $12 million out of the Government."

            Best line yet!

            1. 2.2.1.1.2.1

              I'm glad she has a problem with crystals, but the right does have this trickle down theory , and belief in the undeserving poor, and righteous wealth. Dives ergo bonus sum.

              2. 2.2.1.1.2.1.2

                mac1 – could you check your spelling of that Latin please? I studied Latin to the point where I found it not too hard to read Caesar's Gallic wars, and Google doesn't help.

                Or please just explain?

                  1. 2.2.1.1.2.1.2.2.1

                    Ok, have now found that 'dives' does mean 'rich/talented' in Latin.

                    Thanks for that. Might have been able to read Caesar 50 years ago, but haven't actually done much Latin since then…

                    1. 2.2.1.1.2.2.1.1.2.1

                      U love the diversity of thinking that shows up here. But please can you remember about learning about climate change and how to go forward, ie thinking, planning and doing towards preparing for climate change, growing protests in the streets from people desperate for some action on the standards of living and encouraging people in their own agency to work on their resilience and their relationships. It's all one sentence because it is all connected. Some will fall by the way with crystals and magic mushrooms, but the wise, earnest, and good-humoured work of committed people will have such an enormous effect for all.

                      Please don't spend your time on minutiae and picking this green education establishment to bits. Find a way to open up the narrow criteria for worthy things, find a way to differ from funding culty things, evangelical christianity, meditative and prayerful communities that don't teach for action and relevant education; all possibilities. There needs to be a question, something like, will it provide useful backgrounding and training in practical measures that show up in good results in growing, in good soil, designs of resilient structures etc?

                      When people hear about greenies burying cow's horns filled with some probiotic? stuff and saying it helps in regeneration and fertility promoting, then you don't reject them as loonies, as long as other widely recognised practical methods are being followed and the more esoteric are trialled. monitored, measured and reviewed before being promulgated.

        2. 2.2.1.2

          hmmm – but they don't get to go into the school and have a session expounding their views – unless it’s part of a debate about source of disease and epidemiology etc.

          Seems like National is making hay over this.

        3. 2.2.1.3

          Manufactured, engineered, synthetic, artificial, modified, altered, et cetera. I have to confess that I don’t know what a scarier prospect is: Covid-19 is somehow man-made or it happened entirely naturally and spontaneously.

    3. 2.3

      Some quite damaging themes are playing out in the media for the Greens. I imagine ol' Greenpeace Russel probably is in a constant face palm or head desk pose.

        1. 2.3.1.1

          How's this for political and one form of beat-up.

          https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/424886/no-ecologists-on-my-land-west-coast-regional-council-chair

          West Coast Regional Council chairman Allan Birchfield has vowed to bar ecologists from his land if they come looking for significant natural areas (SNAs).

          Cr Birchfield is a member of the Te Tai o Poutini Committee, which has just commissioned the first stage of the SNA research as it works on a combined district plan for the Buller, Grey and Westland councils.

          The SNA process is one all councils in the country must undertake to protect dwindling indigenous habitat as part of the government's freshwater and biodiversity reforms.

          Are birches in a field regarded the same as wilding pines?

          (I notice he has a photo of Donald Trump on his china cabinet.)

  4. 4

    I see that Judith Collins' husband has taken over from Slater in nasty posts about the PM.

    Well, we know Clarke would not do that to Judith, as the PM and her partner keep out of the political dirty politics.

    Will any reporters comment on this disparity? Or just enjoy the "Take down?" Because…

        1. 4.1.1.1

          Perfunctory. Didn't sensationalise, portrayed his posts evenhandedly, ask Collins what she thought. Hard to get across on radio what the problem was perhaps, the visual nature of memes and FB posts.

    1. 5.1

      Yes the furore would be never-ending.

      Good of that pig to illustrate that just like his wife the pair of them are unfit to represent our country in any way whatsoever.

      1. 9.1.1

        I could elaborate on the gasses formed during the decay of a dead cat but I won’t. Let’s go with an inflated inflatulent feline flung on furniture by a ferocious femme fatale.

  10. 10

    Watching on ABC a particularly grim program Surviving the Virus, My Brother and I.

    Follows a UK doctor and his twin brother, working in care homes and hospitals through the COVID crisis. Tough watching.

    At one point they're talking to a doctor explaining how terrifying it is working with a disease that has so many ways to attack the body, and causes so much damage that is incredibly hard to control. You can see it in the eyes of the medical people how helpless and vulnerable they felt.

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