Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: An open thread while I'm down with #OGB

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  • Paul Campbell,

    I got to use the tactics I learned during the tour around organising protests a lot - we moved to California and got drawn into pro-choice clinic defense groups - were up against what looked like plain middle class women in pastels trying to peacefully barricade clinics - what the media never showed was the big burly footbal players who would be sent in before they arrived to beat us up - I had them build NZ tour-style plywood shields that could be tied together to form a barricade - I only got one broken bone.

    One thing that had really helped during th '81 tour was walkie-talkies - someone could spot the police movements and pass on where weaknesses were in the perimeters of a field - we took that one step further by renting, at great expense, one of those new fangled cell phone things for the day so that when we followed Operation Rescue we could call our phone bank and mobilise our supporters.

    We had moles in their organisation, we knew where they were going and they had to stop talking to their people, where I lived (San Francisco Bay) we out organised them and out mobilised them (how do you call 40,000 people? now days I'd build a demon dialer, then we needed a really organised phone tree). They stopped trying to shut down our local clinics.

    It's one of the few lefty radical, in your face organisations I've been involved with that really succeeded at it's goal, and while we were doing it we held together a very diverse coalition of supporters - like any good lefty group we turned on each other afterwards ....

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    Yeah someone must have a spreadsheet that calculates ...

    You've got elasticity of demand, adaptation to higher prices, effect of fiscal and interest rate settings, etc, to factor in. I think if you asked ten economists you'd get eleven answers.

    You could probably get a reasonable approximation to what happens to the CPI *immediately* when petrol prices increase, but beyond that it gets fuzzier and more theoretical.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    Sorry for the non sequitur, but to save all of the PA community the bother, I can report this this interview with Peter Dunne is as vacuous as you'd imagine. What a total waste of space this man is. WTF do Ohariu Belmont voters think they're getting from this twit!

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • Christopher Nimmo, in reply to Paul Williams,

    WTF do Ohariu Belmont voters think they’re getting from this twit!

    Most don't vote for him.

    Wellington • Since May 2009 • 97 posts Report

  • Hilary Stace, in reply to Kate Hannah,

    Yes Rufus (Anthony) Rogers. Was an MP 1972-5. Died aged about 95 in 2009. His brother Mick (real name Denis) was the first Vice Chancellor of Waikato I think. The family was among those who had been working on the idea of a local university for a while.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report

  • recordari, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    You go on your way

    Ok then.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to George Darroch,

    George D, after my sister Mary Emma's experience with the Aussie breast screening programme, I was forever put off.
    Data line:
    Mary was a nurse.
    Every year after she was fifty, she has a mammogram.
    At 53, she had a positive result. She then had a mastectomy. Then, after recovering from that - still not feeling right,- she asked for an MMR. It was refused.
    She died within the year.
    Mary knew, as a lifetime smoker, the breast cancer was probably an adjunct.
    So it proved to be - from the autopsy ( believe you me, I HATE talking about an autopsy apropos one of my sisters) the original cancer was in the lungs -

    I have refused to have a mammogram - despite being 64 - because
    a)no other history of breast cancer in my immediate family
    b) for big-breasted women (me - or smallbreasted women) it is a painful and intrusive procedure, and
    c)it returns a high rate of false positives, and - worse- false negatives.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Paul Williams, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    His brother Mick (real name Denis) was the first Vice Chancellor of Waikato I think

    Not VC but one of the leading advocates for Waikato's establishment, a little of the history is here. The first VC was Llewellen (sp).

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • Paul Williams, in reply to Christopher Nimmo,

    Sure, but a very significant minority do and I entirely miss what his appeal is?

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Christopher Nimmo,

    Most don't vote for him.

    iPredict tends to differ
    Unfortunately.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Christopher Nimmo, in reply to Paul Williams,

    Sure, but a very significant minority do and I entirely miss what his appeal is?

    So do I, but the media always talk about how good he is with the electorate, how he turns up to everything, etc. To an extent it's true, except that Chauvel and Shanks are the only ones who actually make contact with the electorate about anything important. It just doesn't fit the narrative that list MPs could be anything other than worthless slobs.

    Wellington • Since May 2009 • 97 posts Report

  • Raymond A Francis, in reply to Islander,

    I hear what you are saying Islander and if it feels right for you that is ok
    But let me give my wife's experience, her difference is that her mother had breast cancer and survived another 15 years so because of the risk she has been have mamograms for some years. This time last year a very small lump was detected, it has been removed she had a brief burst of radiation and now has been clear for a year
    That of course may not be the end of it so she has my full encouragement to keep having X-rays despite the down sides you mention

    And although it is your decision I would urge you to reconsider your position

    45' South • Since Nov 2006 • 578 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Christopher Nimmo,

    how good he is with the electorate, how he turns up to everything, etc.

    I have heard, on good authority, that the Honourable Member would turn up to the opening of an envelope. I do not, however, have any information on the contents of said envelope.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • DexterX, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Cheers Dude.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1224 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Raymond A Francis,

    Thank you Raymond. I appreciate your concern. Truly.
    Fact is, there is no history of breast cancer in situ for any family person - Mary Emma's were secondaries.
    Given the physical intrusion, and my large breasts, there is no way I'd have a mammogram. The alternatives are about as useless for a definite diagnosis.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • George Darroch,

    b) for big-breasted women (me - or smallbreasted women) it is a painful and intrusive procedure, and
    c)it returns a high rate of false positives, and - worse- false negatives.

    I know the Mangere Health Centre has just bought a new machine that deals with large breasts in a much better fashion - for just this reason. As you might imagine, few in the population fit the norm other machines were designed for. And yes, for a procedure with little demonstrated benefit, that's a lot of harm.

    I can't claim any expertise in these matters, but I do think it's interesting how there is often a lag of decade(s) between emergent research and changed practice at a clinical or policy level - medicine is both a centre of innovation and a stubborn laggard.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to George Darroch,

    We all try to do the best we can but -yaaaas.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • George Darroch,

    So, Google has a new image search tool. As is usually the case with image search, the results are unreliable, and frequently hilarious.

    The gold standard for me will be when image search can tell a Boeing 737-900 from a 777-200. For the moment I'd simply settle for being able to tell an aeroplane from a bus or car.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Kate Hannah, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    Oh the smallness of New Zealand! Yes they were such key figures in the founding of Waikato.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2010 • 107 posts Report

  • Kate Hannah, in reply to Paul Williams,

    Nice linkage. I worked with Michael King in 2003 and 2004 on the history of the University. All those people so important - and their stories so interesting. Characters the lot of them.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2010 • 107 posts Report

  • Richard Grevers, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    I was a rather naïve 6th former at the time, and although I was fundamentally anti-tour, I reacted against being told to be anti-tour by our headmaster (this included being told that absence from school was permitted during any scheduled protest and that there would be no dishonour in being arrested in school uniform).

    Two things stand out to me as changing the way I saw my country: The first was the BBC using the phrase "state controlled television" when referring to the NZBC - such terminology was usually used in reference to communist dictatorships in those days. The second was one night seeing a report on how the protests were being reported in Britain. After being squeezed through the satellite twice, the images which hadn't quite seemed real when viewed locally suddenly looked just like footage from Northern Ireland, Israel or Nicaragua - the image degradation conferred some veracity on them.

    New Plymouth • Since Jul 2011 • 143 posts Report

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to George Darroch,

    I could code that for you. It might involve character recognising the words "737-900" on the tail. But that's how I'd identify one in real life.

    Incidentally, those Q300's on the Nelson run. I think they make you turn your phone off to avoid people googling the wiki article, and seeing how they were grounded by the Swedes through lack of confidence, and the name was changed to stop people calling them the Crash-8. Not good for nervous passengers.

    (I love these open threads)

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Greville Whittle,

    On a tangential note. I've been reading up on the ECE task-force and am dismayed at the impact to PlayCentre should the changes be implemented. I see that one of the members, Dr Anne Smith, doesn't recommend changing the current funding. in fact she says:

    I am concerned, however, that the proposed new funding system could have a negative influence on affordability and participation rates in ECE for some groups, particularly middle-income families with 3 to 5-year-old children. I therefore recommend that introducing such a system should wait until the fiscal situation improves, so that all families and children can benefit.

    and concludes with:

    The proposed funding system may have advantages for the government and possibly for employers, but I do not see any evidence that it has of benefits for the majority of parents and children.

    The complete essay can be found here, apologies for spoiling the ending

    I love Playcentre and the way it's become a second family for my kids. Politicians (and studies) are always saying kids need strong, positive, parental role models and that parental involvement is crucial. Playcentre supports and encourages this, and values the family unit.

    Playcentre is not everyone's cup of tea, it'd be boring if we were all the same. However it's not the only group that will be adversely effected should the changes go through. Parent's ability to choose the early childhood education scheme that best fit their family will be severely reduced.

    I'm encouraged that it's getting some news coverage, but appalled that the response from the Minister of Education boils down to "It's a just a Labour led beat up."

    Hamiltron • Since Oct 2008 • 50 posts Report

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Greville Whittle,

    Thanks for that Greville. I have the full Taskforce report here to hand - all 212 (A4) pages of it. I haven't read it yet but I'm sure that isn't far away.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report

  • Hilary Stace, in reply to Greville Whittle,

    Playcentre helped keep my family sane and together at a time of particular stress a couple of decades ago. It was around that time that a certain Minister of Education, Phil Goff, recognised its important role and brought it into the same funding regime system as other ECE providers, meaning we no longer had to spend all our time fundraising.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report

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