Posts by Hilary Stace
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Islander - thanks for last night's gem recipe. I'm not much a baker, but there is someone here who is, and has gem iron.
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Thanks so much for feijoa tips.
Re gem irons. Ruth Pretty- shop or mail order -sells gem irons with recipe. I can provide gg recipe via PA if required.
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Some ideas on how to deal with the on-going feijoa glut would be welcome
This is why we need socialism - to send surplus feijoas to places where there is real need. Feijoas are still $6.99 kg in the supermarket here. I have planted many feijoa trees in my time but they have rarely produced any fruit. Having sufficient feijoas sounds blissful!.
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A long time ago before Michael Cullen and Helen were even MPs there was some lively and extensive discussion about how to make the LP selection process more democratic and transparent, and give the locals more say. It must have been during the time of Jim Anderton's reforming time as president. So the current system started. I recall that if you could had a certain number of electorate members you could get that 3rd panel person (otherwise it was two) and it was an incentive to keep the membership up and active. With the additional straw vote the local most popular candidate was almost assured of selection. Anyone who was a paid up electorate member at a certain date previously - so as not to have a whole lot of new members signed up just for one candidate - could come along and vote for the local panel members and the straw vote. For some reason I was one of the panellists when Fran Wilde was selected for Wellington Central in 1980 - can't remember how that happened (maybe because I was young and hadn't yet made many enemies.) Anyhow I do remember it was a long night in a crowded hall but a pretty popular outcome and the system seemed to work.
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She will also have to deal with
stroppy disabled people who are being arrested in large numbers after chaining themselves to the White House fence in their protest against the continued institutionalisation of disabled people in the US. I -
Russell's post talked about hitching. In a slight change of thread direction disability activists have
chained themselves to the gates of the White House to protest at long term disability services and supports not being part of the Obama health plan. That means the bias towards institutional care in the US would remain. -
Thanks Robyn for that Ben Goldacre Youtube clip. I can use that, if I work out how to reference it.
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Kerry. I had an upside down doll just like the illustration - even the same material. But it was just a black hair and brown felt version of the yellow hair and white felt doll at the other end. So not a gollywog with exaggerated features. I still have my very black walkie talkie 1960s doll called Momo (after a character in Pippi Longstocking). And can recite the story of Little Black Sambo which was a popular book with us and which I remember most for the pancakes and the ghee.
But my daughter has a black Barbie (from the 1980s). Now I'm not sure about that. -
Indeed, in sluicing money into yet more vaccine research, they're actually hurting people with autism and their families.
Couldn't agree more. It's about biopower and biopolitics. Spending money on vaccine or even genetic research takes resources away from the more important but less prestigious work on ensuring people with autism and their families get appropriate and timely services and supports now.
But on a more inspiring and local note have just been to hear Ahmed Zaoui speak to a large crowd at the Palmerston North library as he is a local now. Talked about the years in jail and the 4000 or so letters he received that meant a lot to him, and his philosophy of acceptance and moving on. Great humanity. He's reading his poetry at the annual Palmerston North May Day concert next Saturday.
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The new mayor of Auckland will probably be the person the Herald anoints.
The way elections work, particularly when the voting population is large and geographically spread is that those with the highest name recognition tend to get elected. That means those that are already powerful with media contacts so get into the media a lot (and doesn't count against their electoral spending) and have money to leaflet widely have a major advantage. Hard for poorer people well known in only a small area to get that large coverage.
The talk in Wellington last week by David Shand mentioned above was really interesting and I suggest that interested Aucklanders ask him to speak to their meetings. He talked about the principles and research behind the Royal Commission's report. They hoped to increase citizenship participation, recognise the effect of local govt policies on people through the region wide social policy approach, recognise tangata whenua (all regions would have Maori names and Maori representation by right was central) as well as have good regional networks of public transport and asset management etc.
But from a Wellingtonian's point of view - where we have STV city council ward voting and a strong lobby to keep that in spite of considerable opposition by the powerful - they hadn't actually addressed the 'how' of the election process. STV would be one way to prevent the Herald's chosen and possibly divisive candidate get elected, as it could mean that everyone's second or third choice may end up winning instead.