Posts by Hilary Stace
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
I think I understand a little of your frustration Tom. We seem to be being assaulted on all sides with attacks on Aotearoa/NZ as we have known it for the last few years whether it is concern for the environment, NZ's foreign aid, disability support, ACC, public services, public health, public transport, commitment to public anything really. The speed reminds me of the darkest days of the Rogernomics/Ruthanasia 'there is no alternative' policy juggernaut. And during that time it was very hard to hear any dissenting media voices to TINA.
On the other hand the personal is political - so keeping the conversations and discussions going on many levels through sites such as this will keep us grounded (sane even?) in the reality, achievements and quirkinesses of our own lives, families and communities.
Any by the way I cheered Media7 last night. A real political discussion. A minister fronts (that seems rare these days) and is asked real questions by people who know the issues, and there is more than 30 seconds without ads to do it. No media superstars. No trivia.
I think Russell ran it all brilliantly and I hope he manages to get more Key clones or mavericks to front and defend their portfolio decisions.
-
If you want to see the latest newspapers of the world in full facsimile on line join the Wellington Public Library and with your library number you can log onto the Library's My Gateway (I think that's what it's called) through the city council website, and there is a new feature which gives you all the papers you could possibly want with all sorts of magnified features.
-
Julie - me too.
In fact was just talking about the closeness of the World Cup to the election due in November 2011 (if it doesn't happen earlier). Which will mean the WC will be heavily politicised.
I also expect climate change will have become much more urgent issue by then much as the global economy has in the last year. So who knows what effect that will have? Perhaps everyone will be cycling between matches on the partially built cycleway. -
You too can have a manatee toy
-
Funny you should ask, Q+Apremieres Sunday week, that's the 22nd I believe, at 9am, on ONE.
So opposite Mediawatch on RadioNZ - a programme that Russell pioneered.
And what has happened to Atttitude which is usually on at 9.30 - or is Q and A only half an hour?
TVNZ could have scheduled it anywhere - so they put it on at 9 am on a Sunday morning. Brilliant! -
And I agree with several commentators that this move is just a PR smokescreen to deflect media and public attention from more unpopular political policies. Or lack of any action on jobs, the economy and climate change.
-
I think we are just going through an anxious conservative time and that's why people are attracted in a nostalgic way to things from the past like knighthoods. Younger people probably also think that only people like Sir Ed and Colin Meads get them, when in reality it is much more likely to be rich businessmen who have contributed to the governing party rather than to anything that benefits ordinary people.
As someone who is a reasonably regular nominator of worthy people for honours that do no carry a title, I do think they are important and the awards are noted by others in their sector. (I've also found you are more likely to have success in your nomination if there are several letters of support). The recipients are usually very pleased to be recognised by their peers but would be too embarrassed to get anything that made them stand out too much in egalitarian NZ.
-
Thanks for that David. I well remember that right angle baby thing. Cheered me up even more than the manatees on David Attenborough's Life of Mammals on Prime last night.
-
Re the school violence thing. There has been a lot of work going on here in the last few years. The key of course is to get to the kids with behaviour issues (conduct disorder is one label) when they are still pre-schoolers or before 7 at least. But it has to be a multi-systemic approach inclusive of families, school/pre-school etc (and collaboratively across govt depts - MSD, Education etc) . One exceptionally good programme is called Incredible Years, aimed at improving relationships between little kids and their parents. But there are large waiting lists for it around NZ.
Once kids get older it is much harder to deal with behaviour and those early teenage years (around 13-14) particularly hard. But there are many groups with successful programmes and track records.
BUT... These approaches are all intensive and expensive. And are at great risk of losing funding in the current cost cutting environment.
And the cynic in me would say that if we want to produce more 'clients' and therefore profits for our future privately run prisons, cutting money for behaviour intervention programmes now is just the way to do it.
-
What about all those New Zealand writers who make money from writing about their children eg Joanne Black, Michael Laws. When will these children get their revenge?