On freedom and having free will...
I picked this one up through the new old mates who are running ALD these days.The experiment helped to change John-Dylan Haynes's outlook on life. In 2007, Haynes, a neuroscientist at the Bernstein...
View ArticlePolice powers and the law
It is around about now that the truth of what was behind the cancellation of charges against the Urewera 17 is coming to light.That truth lies in a piece of legislation currently before the House, and...
View ArticleIdle Sunday Observation -
One of the most recent links offered by ALD is to the New Humanist, a correspondant by the name of Johnathon Re'e (there is supposed to be an accent on the first e). He is offering yet another...
View ArticleWhat the ???? is going on with ACT?
First the legalisation of marihuana...That has resulted in Cactus Kate thrashing in the undergrowth for something good to say about anything.Followed by Boscowen fleeing the party...Implosion time....
View ArticleFare thee well, Simon...
At the age of 64 I am beginning to learn how to recognise those who are true politicians, and that vast majority who have not grown out of their kindergarten sandpits. Associated with those latter are...
View ArticleA sense of Justice...
...probably not intended for a moment, but I get a strong sense of appropriate justice from the exchange of 1 Israeli held by the Palestinians for the return of roughly 1000 Palestinians held in...
View ArticleElections - 2011 Fit the First.
I have a real problem at the moment.Do I vote for the Jonkey, the Nats?Or do I vote for the Gofer, the Labourlites?Of the minor parties; ACT has self-obessessd on the occupiers; Winnie the Pooh has...
View ArticleElections 2011 - Fit the second
No, I did not watch the “Leadership Debate” on the tv last night. I had a few better things to do. No, I am not sorry. (That is the same kind of answer as “I am not going to raise GST”.)From the...
View ArticleElections 2011 - Fit the Third
Wednesday -RNZ on Morning Report as I was avoiding the rush traffic between here and there included a “debate” between the leaders of the “minor parties”. Quote of the 20minute duration; Dunny himself...
View ArticleWhat a storm in a teapot!!
It begins with all of the anticipation - …will he won’t he will he join the dance… - but not a sign of a lobster at all. For two weeks the media waited agasp for their invitation to the event of all...
View ArticleAnyone who has the slightest interest...
... in the future of democracy in this country MUST go read this!!!
View ArticleAlmost the end of The Agony -
I quite enjoy reading Deborah Hill Cone in the busyness section of Granny Herald. Not because I necessarily agree with her POV, but simply because it is often one of the better writes in the paper.And...
View ArticleIn the wake of the jonkey...
From Spiegel, by way of ALDaily comes thoughts on the state of politics and, directly from that, of democracy as a political form.Habermas is an 82 y-o "philosopher" who has some considerable standing...
View ArticleThe perturbing case of the missing link...
Now here’s a thing. This article humped into the ol’ probligo’s scanners a short while back, a propos of nothing very much at all. I think it was from following sub-links. Anyhoos, I picked up the...
View ArticleOn the subject of strange things and ...
...an idle moment at the office desk found this interesting juxtaposition.Chance? Or intended?
View ArticleOn being occupied, and the process of occupation...
There was a time, within my lifetime, that "occupied" had meanings ranging from "being used" as in a house or toilet, to "doing something" deriving from the idea of "occupation". The active meaning of...
View ArticleRoad Safety...
Clive Matthews-Wilson (of dog and lemon guide fame) reckons that median barriers will save lives on our roads.Yes of course they will, idiot. Simply because there will be no opportunity for overtaking,...
View ArticleDropped in old me old mate Al...
... and his latest post featured pictures of his family Christmas. I promised him I would set up the probligo's moko's. So, in order of age -Alexia and Mikaela...Emily, Blake, and Hannah.
View ArticleThis is what the 1% argument is about in the US...
From Sydney Morning Herald -Mitt Romney, one of the richest men to run for president, says he "probably" pays an effective federal income tax rate of about 15 per cent - little more than most American...
View ArticleOn occupying, occupation, and the morality of wealth...
There must be an interesting psychology lying behind protest and public disobedience on the one hand and the more general acceptance and approbation of the protest in wider society… or is the ol’...
View ArticleA quiet reflection on history...
It is not quite 5 years since the blogger known as "Riverbend" signed off her "Baghdad Burning" blog with a final post from Damascus, Syria.At that time she was soundly lauded as a beacon of hope and...
View ArticleOn Intellectual Property Rights and copyright...
To all of those who believe that it is their right to steal, take, or copy the work of others there are a couple examples in the news (well, came into my ambit) in the past two days.First was an...
View ArticleJustice, late...
It has taken roughly four and a half years.It has left a thick trail of slime through many of the presumed foundations of NZ's justice system.It has resulted in yet more legislation intended to limit...
View ArticleA nexus in political stupidity...
Just when you thought that Dr Nick Smith would indicate the depths of political stupidity in the current government, nek minit you find someone else has an even worse case of foot and mouth.Background...
View ArticleWierd...
An email came in today, through the probligo’s letterbox, from a person calling herself “Estelle Schumann”. I have no idea of who this virtual person might be, but the email was a request that I allow...
View Article
