Explore the archive
Find articles and conversations by date, subject or search expression.
Searching: posts Sorted by: newest Results: 1–30 of 35
Post
A recent neurobiology study suggests that liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives. The result seems to be strongly tied to low-level brain activity and suggests that political orientation could be related to differences in how the brain processes information. The study asked paricipants…
Post
I just watched a fantastic Danish documentary, "Good Copy, Bad Copy". The hour long film is about art, culture, copyright and freedom - itself available as a free download. The producers talk to musicians, artists and music industry officials from all around the world about…
Post
McCarten's column in the Herald today asks readers to get out and vote in local body elections - particularly for candidates opposed to privatisation. The National Party has shown its hand in testing the public mood for asset sales. A strong vote for all the…
Post
Police Minister Annette King has sensibly decided to wait for a police report on their trial of the Taser stun gun before making any decisions about whether it should be added to their armoury. Predictably, NZ First MP, Ron "knee-jerk" Mark, has demanded that police…
Post
The Herald DigiPoll survey puts National on 44.8 per cent support, down 5.5 points on the August poll. That's its lowest rating in the survey since February. Labour is up 2.8 points to 39.6 per cent. This is a dramatic closure. The Herald puts it…
Post
We've just been introduced to a blog we think you might like to meet too: Kiwiblogblog <snip> Kiwiblog is a New Zealand blogging phenomenon. It's hard to say why. It's certainly not the most well-written blog in the Kiwi blogosphere. David's posting style is a…
Post
Here's one for the books. Matthew Hooten on 9 to Noon this morning: PRESENTER: Ah, right, we better start with climate change policy announcement... How do you think it went, Matthew. HOOTON: Well, I have to say it was probably the most successful policy announcement…
Post
Here's an interesting article from The Economist entitled "The truth about recycling". It sets out to answer some of the big questions about the World's renewed to push to use less and reuse more in the wake of climate change: Is recycling worth the effort?…
Post
QUESTION: Do you think there's a risk of a recession? How do you rate that? BUSH: You know, you need to talk to economists. I think I got a B in Econ 101. I got an A, however, in keeping taxes low and being fiscally…
Post
From the Herald:
Post
The Christchurch Press reports that Public health groups are angry at National Party plans to remove caps on doctors' fees if it wins next year's election. Union and Community Health, which has two Christchurch clinics catering to lower-income Pacific Islanders and Maori, said removing fee…
Post
Yesterday the PM helped launch Cityhop - a rental car company who park their cars around the Auckland CBD. The cars can be hired by the hour with the swipe of a card. They call themselves a "self-service car share company". The hope is that…
Post
If you're in Auckland make sure you get along to tomorrow's rally supporting the Burmese people in their courageous struggle for democracy. These people are standing unarmed against a vicious dictatorship that has a history of massacring its own people - the least we can…
Post
From Colin Espiner's blog: The Government has been dying for National to make this kind of error for months, but when it came it was even better than it had hoped. Not only was National planning to let doctors charge what they liked, it was…
Post
ÂÂ In being 'economical' with the truth, Gordon Copeland struggled with what some would think was a pretty easy biblical edict - don't lie. How hard would it be to follow say, 700 of the Bible's rules? After A. J. Jacobs spent a year reading…
Post
The Herald reports that Graham Stairmand, president of Grey Power has sent National a stern warning. He believes the Nats' proposed partial privatisation of SOEs "will seal the fate of the National Party... Nobody will be naive enough to believe that this is not going…
Post
At Columbia University on Monday, the President of Iran, Mr Ahmadinejad said homosexuality did not exist in his country: "In Iran we don't have homosexuals". His response was to a questioner who accused his government of executing gay people. A special report in the Guardian…
Post
Newsweek's Steven Levy does a quick video preview of the OLPC laptop, writing that "The $100 (well, $200) laptop is ready to change the world, if people will buy it for the kids who need it." From the OLPC foundation website - the people responsible…
Post
There's been a bit of debate on The Standard about what National actually stands for. Up until now there have been those who have bought the Nats' "moderate" rebranding. Yesterday though, Key and Ryall let the cat out of the bag. They haven't changed at…
Post
First it was forgeting his view on the Springbok Tour (turned out he was "quietly pro"), then it was his place of residence for electoral purposes (the jury's still out on that one), and now it's the details of his health policy. The National Party…
Post
Here's an online game that aims to show you what the world would look like if everyone lived like you... The site asks you a series of questions about your lifestyle, and as you play, it will show you how many "Earths" of natural resources…
Post
All the fuss created by one Rory English, son of National's deputy leader Bill, exposes some very real and concerning issues. Firstly, just what standards do the English family think they are setting at the moment? Rory English's posts to his now mysteriously deleted (well,…
Post
I was wondering when this was going to break. From Molesworth and Featherston this morning (offline, subscription only): Two private-sector unions are poised to join forces, potentially creating a major new force in industrial relations. Sources say that the Service and Food Workers' Union and…
Post
Had to chuckle at Karl du Fresne in the Dom this morning who wrote, as if things were particularly different now, "Under the editorship of Charles Earle, who was to run the paper for 43 years, The Dominion pursued a consistently conservative editorial policy". Happy…
Post
We've had a few emails from readers this week asking whether this website has anything to with the NZ Standard posters that having been turning up around Wellington. Just to set the record straight, while the The Standard shares the anti-Rickards sentiment, the posters are…
Post
ZKM tells me that due to some people's inability to correctly follow instructions there are still some free movie tickets available. Here's the original post where you can answer a quick question and get your mitts on some.
Post
Helen Simpson was asked by Christchurch Casino staff to cover her cleavage and feels that she has been discriminated against on account of the size of her breasts. The Human Rights Commission points out that while physical appearance & including breast size & is not…
Post
From Colin Espiner's blog, his comments on English's "gaffe" about privatisation: One of the problems of being a party without any policies is that when the leadership so much as raises a suggestion of what the party might do, it is scutinised within an inch…
Post
John Key wants to be all things to all people. He's always reminded me a little of one of those paper dressup dolls that I my sister played with when she was little. I was stoked to stumble accross this version of David Hasselhoff (PDF,…
Post
On Agenda on Saturday English admitted that the Nats will consider selling parts of New Zealand's state owned enterprises. In response, Clayton Cosgrove got stuck in first and the PM's now in on the act too. This is the second big headache for the Nats…