Open Mike 09/01/2026
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Open Mike 08/01/2026
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Some random and unusual responses to the US invasion of Venezuela
Among a significant number of leaders claiming they are actively monitoring the situation in Venezuela after the US invasion and the kidnapping of President Maduro are some pointed and very relevant comments from some unusual sources.
Open Mike 07/01/2026
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Simeon Brown sidesteps key issues in “catastrophic” Manage My Health breach
The company has been accused of using outdated encryption protocols, and has been slow to respond to community concerns. And importantly, has National put our other public health data at risk too?
Open Mike 06/01/2026
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Open Mike 05/01/2026
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Open Mike 04/01/2026
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What David Seymour did during the holidays
David Seymour has spent some of his holidays meeting Argentine leader Javier Milei and praising Milei’s far right inspired destruction of local Government institutions.
Open Mike 03/01/2026
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Some random predictions for 2026 …
What will election year 2026 bring to Aotearoa?
Open Mike 02/01/2026
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Israel only country in history to ban Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontière)
Israel bans 37 NGOs from Gaza including the world renowned medical charity Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontière)
Happy New Year from The Standard
Happy New Year to all the readers, commenters, and fellow authors/mods at The Standard
Open Mike 01/01/2026
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Politician of the year?
Chris Bishop is thought by some to be the politician of the year, mainly for drafting a couple of bills plaigarised from the work of David Parker and untested promises to build hugely expensive roads of National significance. But they are ignoring the most extraordinary performance by an opposition leader in recent decades.
Open Mike 31/12/2025
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Open Mike 30/12/2025
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Open Mike 29/12/2025
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Greenpeace NZ: 2025: A year of wins, action and resistance
“It was a year of people power, hard-fought wins, and standing up against political and corporate harm.”
Open Mike 28/12/2025
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Open Mike 27/12/2025
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How to Fall in Love with the Future: Excerpt
“This book will lift your spirits and give you hope”
– Brian Eno
Open Mike 26/12/2025
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Open Mike 25/12/2025
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Peters spits the dummy over India Free Trade deal
“National preferred doing a quick, low-quality deal over doing the hard work necessary to get a fair deal that delivers for both New Zealanders and Indians.”
Open Mike 24/12/2025
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Advantage’s 2026 predictions
Advantage gets out the crystal ball and postilated what may happen next year.
Open Mike 23/12/2025
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Ozzy Man on Bondi
Some of the best video media coverage of a terrorism event I’ve seen, from the human side.
Open Mike 22/12/2025
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Good work if you can get it
National’s Ministerial Retail Advisory Group leader Sunny Kaushall has hit the headlines for huge catering costs inluding paying $9 for bottles of coke worth $5.50. But the deeper story should be why his activity, which is clearly political in nature, being funded by a fund set aside for victims.
Open Mike 21/12/2025
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The Tunnels project and SH 1 to Wellington Airport
The plan ignores standard traffic planning practice, takes no account of predicted sea level rise and will be obsolete before the last stone is turned.
Open Mike 20/12/2025
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Pirates of the Caribbean and the Indo-Pacific. The White House National Security Strategy.
the US administration stresses that countries like Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan will need to militarise as never before in peacetime to keep China in its place.