Announce protest actions, general chit chat or give your opinion on issues we haven’t covered for the day.
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We can get insights from listening to songs as marrying heartfelt lyrixcs to music in a pleasing or memiorable way requires special skills and sensitivities.
Listening to 70’s song A Horse with No Name from ‘America’ I fear that will be our future thoughts.
On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz
And the sky with no clouds
The heat was hot and the ground was dry
But the air was full of sound
I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain
La, la, la la la la, la la la, la la…
La, la, la la la la, la la la, la la…
After two days in the desert sun
My skin began to turn red
After three days in the desert fun
I was looking at a river bed
And the story it told of a river that flowed
Made me sad to think it was dead…
After nine days I let the horse run free
‘Cause the desert had turned to sea
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The ocean is a desert with its life underground
And a perfect disguise all above
Under the cities lies a heart made of ground
But the humans will give no love
You see I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain….
(Thanks to Kezryn, cass for correcting these lyrics.)
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/america/ahorsewithnoname.html
This is dodgy. What’s going on in Epsom, Seymour? https://www.newsroom.co.nz/chinese-police-centre-in-nz-tied-to-businessman
Australia has spoken up for Julian Assange I believe but not getting traction.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/theres-fresh-pressure-on-the-us-to-release-julian-assange-heres-there-situation/jozpp9in6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCTM1r_fglE
Activists Demand To Be Prosecuted Over Leaks Alongside Julian Assange
Are we racing down the wrong road in the Road to Zero campaign.?
The police are lobbying for a 80kmh absolute maximum speed limit on roads with no protective barrier.
However, there are two problems with that approach.
One, lower speed limits don’t prevent cars from crossing over centrelines. Therefore, accidents will still occur.
And two, lower speeds will lead to driver impatience and frustration (especially so within the bedding in period) resulting in more reckless and dangerous overtaking, thus potentially causing more harm and havoc on our roads than good.
In New Zealand, cars with low crash worthiness ratings of one or two stars are overrepresented in annual road death statistics.
We need to take measures to quickly turn this around while speeding up road safety improvements such as more centreline barriers, wider forgiving roads, side barriers, street lighting etc.
Thoughts?
80ks is pretty quick when a distraction occurs and one has a second or two less time to react. A second or two more messy and lethal. I’m ok with 80ks. Lot’s of inexperienced and unconfident drivers out there (plus the drunk and methheads). At 100ks many do 110 to 130 anyway. What’s the hurry?
@Sinic
Depending on the conditions and the road, 80k can seem rather slow. Leading to drivers becoming more easily distracted.
TC – Top Cat
Yes – road rules. First look at how many millions trips are taken each day successfully. Then keep that in mind. Then look at what has been tried to keep accidents down, advising drivers with signs saying take a break, have a cup of tea. have a rest. The authorities are trying. But then look at who in society like to drive fast, take dangerous moves. I’ll think predominantly its young, and oldish men, who have accumulated wealth and want to run away from their prostrate troubles and pretend they are young.
Than start a campaign about love your neighbour, and his/her car, practise courtesy. Some police are so uptight that they can tell people off from tooting. Let’s stop that and have a couple of toots when someone moves over to let you pass, or you have followed a careful driver who has used brake and indicator lights to keep you informed of coming moves. If I move over or stop to give an oncoming car more room on a narrowed road I appreciate a quick wave to ‘thank you’. It isn’t seen very often, let’s have courtesy.
Let’s have reports of good driving with an AA gift voucher or a discount on next registration. That would catch the eye. Let’s have repeat drink drivers live in gated communities and not allowed any motorised transport there, not even skateboards – I am serious they are becoming a menace to peaceful, healthy, enjoyable, safe walking on FOOTPATHS. Let’s have more stretches where slower drivers can safely steer to the side allowing faster ones to go by. They don’t have to be full by-passes, but long enough to pull in on the left, stop or pause while the energised go past, and then safely get into the traffic line again.
And for the hyped up have a little jingle that gets on radio and tv with a health message from traffic authorities that comes into people’s heads and will cut into growing stress leading to fast driving; eg ‘Feelin’ Groovy’ – The song’s message is immediately delivered in its opening verse: “Slow down, you move too fast”. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvlW4bEjB5A
Let’s have advanced driving mandatory lessons after first 2 year of licence, and every ten years, and awards to good drivers. Young people to be able to apply for low-cost driving lessons instead of it being a punitively expensive system for the poor. And have driving simulators around that don’t cost too much to try out so young and old can see how slow their reactions are. At base we all drive in trust, going faster than running and relying on everyone to do their thing and all gaining the advantage of speedy transport.
And finally less traffic with people forming hub clubs where they co-operatively own cars and rent them as needed, and have associates who will call on those in the group earning extra funds to taxi them here and there; with a system of booking so that numerous people from the same area wanting the same route or destination can co-ordinate times for lower cost and less emissions.
@Greywarbler
You say look at what has been tried to keep accidents down such as advising drivers with signs saying take a break, have a cup of tea. have a rest.
Yes, I’ve seen them. My favourite is high crash area.
However, I would prefer they fix the high crash area opposed to merely putting a sign there and leaving it that way.
We’re probably going to have to go through a period pf lower speed limits.
NZers are probably amongst the world’s worst drivers. Challenging their driving abilities is a direct threat to their egos and competencies. Previously just a male thing, it’s now nothing to do with the male female divide.
The reason speed is chosen as the target is that it lessens the damage resulting from a multitude of driving sins. Everything from being pissed at the wheel, to not wearing seatbelts, to various distractions (now much more prevalent in the digital age), to tailgating, to indiscriminate lane changing, to failing to indicate, to an inability to anticipate what is ahead.
Koiwoi drivers see it as an expression of ego and a competition.
The best advice I ever had was to drive like you have no breaks. When you do, you’ll
-read the road ahead (not just the car ahead and the one ahead of that)
-constantly check the road behind (using those makeup application mirrors we used to call rear vision mirrors)
-you’ll not indiscriminately change lanes, or when you do you’ll make sure you’re not cutting anybody off
-you’ll actually merge like a fucking zip (realising that when you don’t, you’re more likely to be creating a ‘wave’)
-you’ll actually reduce your fuel bill (by not doing things like planting your boot to arrive at the next red light).
So yep. Probably a combination of reduced speed and tougher licencing.
And btw, Driving is no longer something that can be achieved as a ‘second nature’. Spatial awareness has decreased incredibly in the digital age – most can’t even walk down the street while texting without causing some sort of disruption – let alone trying to fucking drive. And even the old common courtesies like giving way to uphill traffic have gone by the wayside.
NZers are probably amongst the world’s worst drivers
I think that FTTT but then read about overseas experiences. Still we could do better. Courtesy I consider, is not encouraged. The road does not belong to YOU should enter one’s mind at least once every 20 mins. Also speeding does not win more than a few seconds or minutes advantage so what the hell, why arrive there earlier than expected (hell I mean).
@ Sinic … Suspicious!
Is it any wonder Christopher Luxon’s mentor John Key has a slippery hand in it? Perhaps Key’s intention here is to influence Luxon to push to get another Chinese PRC member on National’s list. Mr Zhou certainly has the right credentials and no doubt some coin!
Mary, yes the dirty nactz don’t change their spots. “One Chinese is better than two indians” as they say
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/480991/paywave-apple-pay-outages-hit-pre-christmas-countdown-shoppers
Another problem with complex electronic systems for money which have a virtual monopoly.
We want to keep our money – cash system and I hope the Reserve Bank knows how essential it is to have a base system operating and not abandon it. Try remembering to get out some notes and coins when using eftpos, just ask what they can spare in the till. So handy and it’s the lifeblood of our own monetary system at the people level.
Remember – the way that things used to be and – ‘They can’t take that away from me!’
Ella Fitzgerald’s smooth rich voice gives good advice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgDzYaVwb_o
Wow!
WHY YOUNG PEOPLE WON’T WORK
https://www.bitchute.com/video/MkOeV-sPMb4/
Critiqye.
Good looking confident woman with pleasant voice says occasional useful fact packed into three times the amount of vocalisation needed. This 23 mins so on that basis 7 mins should have done it. But she sounds as if she can solve all your problems and if it makes you feel better for having them, join the club.
@Greywarbler
She could have gone straight to the bottom line, but it had far more impact combined with the wider content.
What took me is, she is labelled far right by some. Yet,
It took a while for the Labour Inspectorate to get off its chuff and start targeting perpetrators of exploitation rather than going after victims with INZ, but credit where credit is due to Stu Lumsden:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/130782654/modernday-slavery-liquor-boss-gets-record-155m-in-fines-for-migrant-worker-exploitation
Back in 2017, you needed a crowbar to lever them into action.
Credit too to Treen, Kaloti and McCarten, and to Christina Stringer’s research group.
Hoping the likes of Bonnett, Kilgallon, Morrah and Fonseka keep the issue of worker exploitation alive.
It’s a bloody ugly problem
@Greywarbler
Sorry, cut short above. Yet, hit the nail on the head.
Too true TC. But still too much verbosity, I am good at that myself so the best judge!
Comment from Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strip which passes on good info to us all.
Calvin –
1 Look at how people are portrayed in comic strips. The women are indecisive whiners, nagging shrews, and bimbos!
2 And the men are no better. They’re befuddled morons, heavy drinkers, gluttons, and lazy goof-offs! Everyone is incompetent, unappreciated, and unsuccessful.
3 What kind of insidious social programming IS this? No wonder the world’s such a mess! I demand politically correct, morally uplifting role models in the funnies!!
4 Dad – Yes, we all know how funny good role models are…
Calvin continuing …And look, all the kids are obnoxious brats!
There is a lot of backstory here. It is more likely to feel concern about the eye doc.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/481082/christchurch-eye-surgeon-pleads-guilty-to-attempted-murder-of-former-landlord