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Posted at 10:12AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Well, the new PISA survey is out and one would hope that it might at least briefly quell the clamorous cringeing that normally passes for public commentary on our education system.

Well, there's still plenty to cringe about - and with all due respect, I don't give a shit about Australia. But it's also fair enough to give credit where credit's due.

To get old fashioned for a moment, could I offer the following grade: "B. N. Zealand has made real progress this term, and is performing well compared to the rest of the class in several subject areas, but still has problem areas that need attention."

Posted at 10:22AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Not unexpectedly, the US administration is already lying about what it knew, when of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran

Also not unexpectedly, it turns out the 'intelligence community' isn't incapable of organising a gang-bang at a sex addicts' convention after all - as long as they're saying what you want to hear.

Plus ca change and all that?

My favourite comment on the NIE comes from a reader of Andrew Sullivan's:

PHEW. The CIA say Iran's not building a bomb. They're just enriching uranium. I feel SO much better.

QFT.

Posted at 10:29AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

To get old fashioned for a moment, could I offer the following grade: "B.

Or as the kids say nowadays, 'Achievement' or 'Achievement with Merit'

Posted at 10:30AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

And yet last week we saw the report that NZ reading skill takes a drop. Of course, if you read the article, it shows that our reading level has risen very slightly, and that it's our international ranking that has dropped.

Posted at 10:54AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Not unexpectedly, the US administration is already lying about what it knew, when of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran

That's just the opinion of Josh Marshall, if you look at the WaPo
article he refers to things aren't quite as clear cut. All this looks to have been confirmed by quite recently gathered intelligence.

As for Podhoretz, he might have a point about this being leaked as some sort of attempt to influence the Bush admin's policy towards Iran. If that were the case then I'd take the opposite view to Podhoretz about its worth.

The NIE report also recognises that Iran most likely suspended its nuclear weapons programme as the result of international pressure. So in that sense the policies of Europe and the US, who have been the major players here, have worked.

Posted at 11:13AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

My take on the latest Iran announcement is somewhat along the line of "last time we in the CIA told those bozos in the White House what was going on, but they ignored is, and then blamed us for the resulting mess - this time we're going on the record ..."

Posted at 11:14AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Good to see in the Zeitgeist that Billy is still well loved.

Posted at 11:28AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

"Kiwi bamping" the number 9 kiwi search?

I feel like I'm missing out on something.

Posted at 11:33AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

camping surely? The number 1 result for "kiwi bamping" when I search Google refers entirely to this Zeitgeist page...must be a typo.

Posted at 11:44AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Well, yes, of course. But I prefer to believe that there's some new underground phenomenon, extreme sport, sexual term or street drug that up until now I've been blissfully unaware.

Posted at 11:45AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

re: Iran, I don't see how it's possible to be the least bit sure about any of the claims by intelligence agencies about anything. They will never say why they think what they think, nor can they be required to. It entirely comes down to whether you trust them, and nothing has ever given me any reason to trust public statements by any intelligence agency, ever. You are basically trusting professional liars.

So I can't see this is particularly good news except that it takes the wind out of warhawk sails. But they'll just change tack. The spin machine has already turned to using this NIE to show that being hawkish to Iran has done a good job. There is basically no finding that can ever stop someone like Bush from making a beeline on Iran. It is the latest whipping boy, to draw attention away from a multitude of colossal failures.

Posted at 11:45AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

camping surely? The number 1 result for "kiwi bamping" when I search Google refers entirely to this Zeitgeist page...must be a typo.

You're creating a self-fulfilling error there. Bamping will soon be a leading search term, with people trying to figure out what the hell it is.

Posted at 11:49AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

But I prefer to believe that there's some new underground phenomenon, extreme sport, sexual term or street drug that up until now I've been blissfully unaware.

You could coin it right now, and start selling genuine kiwi bamping before the domain is taken!

Posted at 11:49AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Time to make a domain grab for kiwibamping.com, kiwibamping.co.nz etc...

Posted at 11:50AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Bamping will soon be a leading search term, with people trying to figure out what the hell it is.

Is it just a late charge on Word of the Year? Cunning...

Posted at 11:50AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Damn you and your quicker draw on the 'Post Reply' button.

Posted at 11:50AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Bamping will soon be a leading search term, with people trying to figure out what the hell it is.

I've been telling people kiwi bamping is our equivalent of quokka soccer.

Posted at 11:53AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Kiwi Bamping article on Wikipedia by day's end?

Posted at 11:58AM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

The new NIE on Iran represents an extraordinary change in international relations. I hope it is true, but intelligence is never to a "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard, it is always guesswork to a significant extent, so you never know what the truth really is.

According to the NIE, firstly the Iranians DID have a nuke bomb program which is a very significant finding, and secondly they stopped work on it in late 2003 for "cost benefit reasons". Interesting timing and reasons, don't you think?

Would part of their cost calculation be the real possibility that a certain Cowboy would actually go after them and their nuke bomb program? Why else would they stop work on the program in late 2003? Just maybe the looked west across the border and thought to themselves "Fuck!!" (in Persian of course)

So maybe the US killed 3 birds with one stone? Saddam's regime, then Libya's nuke program which Gadahfi coughed up in late 2003 and now Iran stopped work on their program in late 2003 as well?

So Iraq is going better, AQ in Iraq has had its head handed to it and it looks like North Korea has made a strategic decision to stop being a trouble making hermit kingdom and to rather stop causing trouble and engage with the outside world.

Maybe things aren't going so badly after all?

Posted at 12:03PM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Damn you and your quicker draw on the 'Post Reply' button.

Wait till you see how fast I can get the domains and point Wiki at them...:-). Actually no, I vote that Bamping be defined as 'Talking about it on a blog but not actually doing it'. Then it really will carry all the hallmarks of an addictive drug, better than sex, carried out underground.

Posted at 12:07PM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Maybe things aren't going so badly after all?

Tell that to all the dead people's families. In person. Make a tape, put it on YouTube. I'd really love to see it.

Posted at 12:07PM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Yes, things are going just peachily for all those civilian dead and displaced...

Posted at 12:08PM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Hmmm. I think Ben and I have to link pinky fingers and say 'jinx' before we can post again...

Posted at 12:08PM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

This isn't to suggest that our education system is perfect (or that league tables are everything) but it appears to be outperforming nations with much higher per-capita income than ours.

Exactly. PISA is a league table run by/for the OECD for econo-political purposes. It measures what it wants to find - inequality of test performances - and manipulates that data into international comparisons.

PISA has nothing whatsoever to do with learning and teaching, it's an education management audit system.

Do you support national league tables?

Posted at 12:09PM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

And yet last week we saw the report that NZ reading skill takes a drop. Of course, if you read the article, it shows that our reading level has risen very slightly, and that it's our international ranking that has dropped.

So we haven't gotten dumber, just everyone else got slightly more smarterer...

Posted at 12:10PM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Then it really will carry all the hallmarks of an addictive drug, better than sex...

Dude, one of us is doing SOMETHING wrong.

Posted at 12:14PM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Hmmm. I think Ben and I have to link pinky fingers and say 'jinx' before we can post again...

My goodness. I'll bamp to that.

Posted at 12:18PM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

I get it.

Bamping is New Zealand's answer to krumping.

Sweet.

Posted at 12:20PM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Derail: New Wikipedia scandal -Prepare for soul searching news stories about it and Web 2.0.

Posted at 12:24PM on 5 Dec 07. Permalink.

Wow, I thought, so many comments on NZ education already!
... but it turns out it's just one bamping after another ...