October 12, 2023

Will Germany Disappear?

I found this very interesting; Germany is faced with seemingly unsolvable problems:


October 10, 2023

NZ General Election 2023 - Early Voting

We are seeing interesting turnout results with only a few days of voting remaining in the New Zealand General Election. The number of people voting is well down on 2020, but ahead of 2017. 

This looks bad for Labour and the Greens. These two rely on a large turnout. But for National, ACT and NZ First, their voters get to the polling booth rain, hail or shine. It's looking like a disaster for Labour, based on the numbers voting.

Read the Stats here: https://vote.nz/2023-general-election/resources/voting-statistics


October 09, 2023

Middle East War 2023

I've been looking around for content that closely reflects how I feel about the current events in the Middle East. Sanity 4 Sweden is close so I embed his video below.



October 06, 2023

October 03, 2023

Do Not Vote Early

Early voting has begun for the New Zealand General Election 2023. The polls close at 7pm on October 14th, and between now and then you can cast your vote at any voting place across the country. 

Given the unsecured way voting occurs, with ballots placed into an unlocked cardboard box, I suggest voters DO NOT vote early. Leave things until the last minute. This prevents interference with ballots. Who knows what may happen to that piece of paper if you vote now.

I'm voting late, on October 14th preferably, and I'm voting for a party currently outside parliament. For me, that's a first, but I refuse to vote for any of the criminals that call themselves MP's, or their parties for that matter. They should all be prosecuted for crimes against humanity, and their parties banned. 

September 30, 2023

David McCallum RIP

All the real actors are beginning to drop one by one. In the last week we've lost Michael Gambon and David McCallum.

 

September 28, 2023

Ireland vs All Blacks: Rugby World Cup 2023

I heard former All Blacks coach, Steve Hansen talking about how the All Blacks can beat Ireland. He mentioned that the All Blacks are the last team to have beaten them. That was back in July 2022, and since then Ireland have been on a winning streak. There have been close games, with Australia and Samoa having had a chance to topple them, so their winning cannot be assumed.

What Hansen was saying is the All Blacks have to avoid going wide too early. They have to keep it in the middle, and get Ireland's big forwards to bunch up defending. Then, when the time is right, go wide and rely on the skill and speed of the Kiwis. They must contest everything, including lineouts. Also of interest was his call to limit Sexton. By cutting down his options with Ireland, their whole game is affected.

Will the New Zealand coach, Ian Foster heed this advice? I don't have him as a thinker. He's a copycat, a classic assistant. He just goes along and hopes what worked in the past will work this time round.

What do you think?


September 26, 2023

New Zealand General Election 2023

The New Zealand General Election is only weeks away and the only thing to stand out: NZ First is back. It is not a case of will they make the 5% threshold, but a case of can they make 10 or even 15%?

Winston Peters seems to be back in form, and his sidekick Shane Jones is in a support role and being feisty; could Jones win Northland?

Back in 2020, voters dropped NZ First in droves, preferring to switch to Labour and Jacinda Ardern. They'd been panicked by the so-called pandemic and turned to Mommy Dearest. She was evil of course, and people soon realised. Now in public opinion polls, Labour cannot get more than 30% popular support. 

Still lingering around are the useless Greens. And then we have ACT and their weasel of a leader David Seymour. These two parties represent the worst of all worlds, on the one hand being dreamers and grasping lunatics, while on the other being prepared to sell their own mothers for a few pennies. Both parties are loathsome.

Maori party? They'll never amount to much.

And no minor parties have come through the middle. They're all too disorganised, and too incoherent. NZ First have some candidates who represent resistance to lockdowns and mandates, so for now, we'll just have to hope they get in this time.


September 21, 2023

Neil Oliver: ‘…will they come for you next?’

Inalienable rights cannot be extinguished. This modern version of feudalism is anathema to the idea of personal freedom.

September 17, 2023

Revolution?

Are we talking about a revolution? I wonder where it will kick off first, my pick is France, then Germany, then Italy.

 

September 16, 2023

More Nonsense Being Peddled

Mask mandates are coming back it seems, along with more jabs and will we see lockdowns again soon? Climate lockdowns this time perhaps.

Timely meme then:




September 13, 2023

September 08, 2023

Peter Williams Interviews Winston Peters

New Zealand First are back. Can they get to 10%?

 

September 07, 2023

Greens Co-leader Degree or Not?

The New Zealand Greens co-leader, James Shaw was claiming to have a degree he did not complete. He has claimed to have a BA from Victoria University of Wellington, but yesterday he amended his LinkedIn to say he only studied at VUW, but did not finish it. 

This calls into question his MSc from the University of Bath in the UK. Entry criteria to their MSc is usually an undergraduate degree with a 2:1 or higher. NZ only attaches these awards to honours degrees, however for an ordinary bachelors, a 2:1 is equivalent to an average grade of A- or higher.

I found this resource on the degree James Shaw says he has:


For this postgraduate level course, you will need to have the work experience, commitment and ability to tackle a demanding programme whilst continuing with your working life. This course is not for recent graduates who have no work experience. Participants will normally hold a first degree (not necessarily in a management discipline), or will meet the School of Management entry requirements by demonstrating appropriate intellectual and professional competence to undertake the programme. 

Shaw may have met alternative entry requirements "by demonstrating appropriate intellectual and professional competence" but I'd still like to see his degree certificate and transcripts. What about you? Anyone who says they have a degree when they do not can say anything, true or not. 

Readers can find references to Shaw all over the internet, here's AIESEC on their alumni:


With a BA from Victoria University of Wellington and an MSc in Responsibility in Business Practice from the University of Bath’s School of Management, James Shaw spent five years in AIESEC, taking up roles such as Local Committee President of AIESEC Victoria, President of AIESEC New Zealand and acted as a Project Manager in AIESEC International. Armed with extensive experience in business sustainability and consulting, James eventually turned to Politics and joined the New Zealand Green Party in 2007. He is currently Member of Parliament in the New Zealand Parliament, having won a seat in the 2014 General Election, and is Co-leader of the New Zealand Green Party.


 

September 03, 2023

Election Season 2023

My reaction to the mainstream parties courting my vote this year. Yeah...nah.




September 02, 2023

What Happened to Canada?

Canada used to be a wonderful country. What happened? If any country is worse than New Zealand, Canada must be a top contender.