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News and Notes 4.19
Planning for the Future
A couple of weeks ago, parents, students, teachers, community members and the WLPS Board of Education met to review all the information gathered from community input sessions and surveys for a long Saturday of strategic planning. One of the most prominent outcomes of the strategic planning process was the need to continue using our Sinking Fund to enhance, update and replace technology in our classrooms and maintain our buildings. Based on our community input and with the support from the planning committee, I went to work pricing out necessary technology and anticipated building repairs.
At the Board of Education meeting on April 23, I shared the backbone and justification for extending our existing 1 Mill Sinking Fund for 10 years. The legislature changed language shortly after WLPS approved our current Sinking Fund in 2016. We can now use sinking funds to address a variety of security and technology needs. Some of the most immediate anticipated needs are listed below:
Enhancing security at WLES and WLMS/HS
Adding Chromebook/tablet and interactive technology to each classroom for students to ensure consistent, day-to-day, technology usage
Developing a sustainable replacement program for technology so WLPS doesn't go 10 years without the ability to maintain updated technology
Replacing teacher technology in each classroom with new equipment that was last replaced in 2004-2006
Repairing parking lots and district roads
Continuing to make necessary repairs and react to occasional equipment failures without raiding instructional budgets
It is important to note, to date, the current WLPS Sinking Fund of 1 Mill for 3 years is nearing the end of its life. With the money raised, WLPS completed the following:
Repaired the wireless infrastructure in all facilities necessary to add any additional technology
Repaired athletic fields and track
Made several repairs to building level equipment (e.g. classroom heaters, etc.) which cost tens of thousands of dollars. These costs would have come from instructional budgets without the Sinking Fund.
Further, this summer:
WLES will get a new playground. A majority of the funds for this project come from the Sinking Fund.
WLES will get a new parking lot at the east end of its property.
WLMS/HS will get new vestibules at the east and west entrances.
The BOE is targeting an August 2018 vote for this ballot initiative. At the May 14 BOE meeting, it will review ballot language and vote on it. We look forward to providing you with more information as we move forward in the process.
For those who participated in the community input sessions and surveys, I thank you for your input. I look forward to providing our Trojan community with more information on how we will continue to make sure every day is a great day to be a Trojan.
Down on the Fairgrounds
Our 3rd and 4th graders had a fun-filled week! In addition to a fantastic concert on Wednesday, earlier this week, our 3rd-grade classes headed to Saline County Fairgrounds to learn about Project R.E.D. (Rural Education Day).
Thanks to the Washtenaw Farm Council who provide this trip for free, students were able to get up close and personal with a variety of farm animals including goats, cows, horses, rabbits, chickens, Shetland ponies, and pigs. They learned about milking cows, rain gardens, planting and growing crops, farm equipment and even got to taste a variety of foods made and grown at Michigan farms. As if eating ice cream, honey, sausage, sunflower seeds, popcorn, blueberries and cherries wasn't enough, each child was also given a pine tree to plant at home.
Thanks to our teachers, Ms. Otterman and Mr. Withers for pursuing great opportunities like this for our students. You can also enjoy pictures of the 3rd and 4th-grade concert posted on our Facebook page HERE.
Quiz Bowl Takes 5th at States
The Whitmore Lake Varsity Quiz Bowl Team headed home last weekend from the Michigan State Quiz Bowl Tournament fifth out of 25 teams! According to the Varsity head coach, LuAnn Easlick, this is the highest rank, in memory, that WLHS has ever placed in the tournament
After a 7-3 record in the Tri-County League and winning their division with a 5-1 season, Whitmore Lake competed in the C division at States. After a day full of wins on Friday, the WLVQB team lost to the team who would take second in the tournament. After double elimination brackets on Saturday, they ended the tournament with a loss to the team that placed third.
The Varsity team included Caleb Henning, Cole Griffin, Hunter Fanson, Marissa Kyle, Christina Smith, Matt Schwennesen, Travis Wilson and Claire Schwennesen who joined the team, up from JV, at the end of the 2017-18 season. They did a great job of working together as a team and keeping cool heads during some tense moments.
Though some teams who qualify to continue play on Saturday leave on Friday and return the next morning, the WLVQB likes to stay and keep themselves in the team mindset. It is a great bonding experience and sets the team up with momentum for the next season. According to junior Marissa Kyle, "The best part of the weekend was coming together as a team the more we advanced in the completion."
Easlick is proud of this year's team and those members who have been with Quiz Bowl through their entire high school career. They have been essential to the teams qualifying for States three times in those four years. "The Whitmore Lake community can be proud of these young people who represent the very essence of education, a willing mind. When they win, the school wins, and so does the community," said Coach Easlick.
The team says goodbye to Caleb, Hunter, and Cole who will be graduating this year. As these seniors leave and younger members take over, they have some great minds to fill. Coach Easlick and the JV Coach Julie Fleury look forward to training a new team for a 2018-19 shot at States again and into the future. They would like to thank all those who have supported them this season.
Project Playground Update: Week 7
As we wrap up week 7, I want to take some time to thank those who have invested in Project Playground: $50k For Play. Our students at WLES ended their Change Challenge giving $1,999.32 this week alone! Over the entire fundraiser, they brought in an incredible $4,722.49. I want to point out the OVERALL goal of the Change Challenge was $1,500. This is another great example of how our students accept a goal, a challenge, and just plain crush it. The total invested in Project Playground so far is $23,553, almost halfway to our goal! Keep up the great work Trojans!


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Farrar's STD
Grant Robertson's pre-budget speech
Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:59 pm, May 15th, 2015 - 58 comments
Categories: budget 2015, grant robertson, labour - Tags: budget 2015
Labour's Finance spokesperson Grant Robertson gave his pre-budget speech this morning. "So, what would a responsible government be doing in the Budget next week?"…
Speech to the Otago Chamber of Commerce
by Grant Robertson on May 15, 2015
Thank you very much for the opportunity to be here today. It's a pleasure as always to be back in the town that raised me.
Growing up in St Kilda meant that there was one thing that was a big part of my life- the beach. I was never much of a surfer myself, but there were plenty around me who were. I didn't need the Met Service to tell me when there was an off-shore southerly. I just had to look around the empty seats during some afternoon classes. Surfing was a way of life for a lot of my classmates.
But not even they thought that surfing was the path to wealth and well-being. They knew that the waves eventually break, and that no one was going to pay them for sitting on the beach waiting for the next swell to arise.
Today, when I look at the New Zealand economy I am concerned that we are failing to learn the lesson the grommets of St Clair and St Kilda worked out all those years ago.
As a country we have been far too content to ride the wave of global commodity prices, soaking in the good times, and failing to prepare for when the waves break- the prices plummet. The National government is lacking a Plan B or C, and we run the risk that without some urgent attention there are very rough waters ahead.
And it is all so unnecessary. We should be doing better as a country than we are. We remain a country blessed with wonderful natural resources, and talented and driven people. New Zealand businesses and workers work harder than most equivalents around the world. The opportunity is there for New Zealand to build an economy, and, in turn a society that offers the quality of life to all its citizens that is the envy of the world. But it will not happen with a government as we currently have tinkering and sitting on the sidelines.
What I want to do today is look at the major issues facing the economy and the government as it prepares next week's Budget, and offer Labour's view on how we move past an economy built on riding commodity waves and housing bubbles, and onto an economy that generates sustainable wealth and opportunity for all its citizens.
Treasury tell us that there will be 3% growth this year. This is good news compared to countries struggling to find much growth at all, or going backwards. Yet many New Zealanders are not feeling it.
When we had growth of three per cent under Labour in 2006 there was a surplus of $7 billion and a jobless rate of just 3.7 per cent.
But this time around when we have 3% growth, we can't generate a Budget surplus, the number of unemployed is on the rise again to 146,000 people, and in the last quarter wage growth was a pitiful 0.3 of 1%. It's understandable people are asking what's the point of growth if it does not deliver a dividend to our people?
I believe that this was the lesson behind the recent by-election in Northland. While John Key and Steven Joyce were busy telling people in Northland they have never had it so good, the reality of their lives was very different. It's hard to believe that thousands of jobs have been created when you are facing an unemployment rate a tick under 10%.
That is the story I am hearing as I travel around New Zealand. In Gisborne this week I was incredibly impressed at the innovation and dedication I saw among small and medium sized businesses. But I listened to a host of concerns about their struggles to attract and retain skilled staff, lack of infrastructure and training opportunities.
The regions of New Zealand are feeling neglected, undervalued and left behind. And as a country we will not thrive again until we turn that around.
We have come to understand the regional inequality as being about what is happening in regions like Northland, Gisborne or Whanganui, and there is much to be concerned about there. But the 'two New Zealand's' as articulated last year by Moody's rating agency is now really a tale about the fortunate few and the rest.
And that is the challenge for John Key. Will his government only deliver for the fortunate few or will he look to close the growing gaps. Is he just the Prime Minister for Parnell or is he also the Prime Minister for Pine Hill?
You know the median income for a family in Parnell is double that of a family in Pine Hill. The number of people unemployed in Pine Hill is double that of people in Parnell. Goodness even the houses in Parnell are making a killing, with the median house price in Parnell $500,000 more than in Pine Hill. The people of Pine Hill or Putararu or Palmerston North need a Prime Minister and a government who back them just as much as those in his own neighbourhood.
And this is not just about where you live. We will not thrive as a nation unless we give every citizen the opportunity to succeed. Andrew Little has clearly stated Labour's view that we must generate wealth before we can distribute it. The challenge we must face up to is to ensure that the chance to generate that wealth is available to all.
Letting geography or accident of birth be the defining characteristics of our citizen's lives means individuals miss out or are left behind, but also means we as a country are poorer. The OECD has joined the chorus of those who are acknowledging that a fair go for everyone means a more wealthy society. They said last year that the increase in income inequality in New Zealand over two decades from the 1980s has reduced our economic growth rate by more than 10%.
Addressing inequality is fundamental to our future well-being as a society. As a recent report from an Amercian think tank said, "for democracies to thrive rising prosperity must be within the reach of all citizens."
So how have we reached this point? One of the answers is to look at what is driving that growth. To begin with we have to take account of migration. We are experiencing strong flows of people into New Zealand. This is a mixture of the need for labour to work on the Canterbury re-build, and also the deteriorating economic conditions in Australia. International student numbers are also back up, particularly from India. If we take all of that into account, and actually look at growth per capita, it reduces from 3.3% to 1.8%.
Then we need to look carefully at what is driving the rest of that growth figure. There is no doubt the Canterbury earthquakes were not only a devastating event for the people of that region, but also a significant shock to the New Zealand economy in 2011 and had a negative impact on the books. But the reality of 2015 is that the re-build of Canterbury is now propping up the economy. Economists estimate it to be almost a third of GDP growth. Great while you can get it. But the reality is the re-build peaks this year and next year stops being part of the growth story.
The other issue that will not have escaped you is that the growth figures to this year include a record payout to our dairy farmers. Dairy was leading the pack of a set of commodity prices that have boomed over recent years. The April ANZ Commodity Index showed prices across a range of commodities had dropped 15% in the last year.
In dairy the last of the $8.40 farmgate payments are happening now. The latest forecast payout for the coming season is $4.50. That represents $7 billion coming out of the New Zealand economy. That's tough not just for the farmers who have to manage that, it's also tough for the communities around them. Our estimate is that for Otago that represents $350 million that will disappear next year.
Our over-reliance on dairy (it is one-third of our merchandise exports) and the failure of this government to diversify the economy is now a serious risk to our economic security.
This was the blunt message that Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler delivered this week. He joked that he does not use terms like "rockstar economy", but his clear statement about the significant risks attached to falling dairy prices and the overheated Auckland housing market are both marks against the government's economic management.
I know talk of the Auckland housing crisis can be pretty boring for folk south of the Bombay Hills. But it matters for all of us for several reasons. While those of us from further south might wallow in the struggles of the Blues in the Super 15 this year, we do need Auckland to thrive as a city. It is our only truly internationally competitive city, and attracts a great deal of business activity and income for our country.
But it is, literally, bursting at the seams. Auckland Council estimates that there is an historic shortfall of 20,000 houses in Auckland. They need to build a further 10,000 a year to keep up with demand but in the last year only 7,700 building consents were granted. In turn average house prices in Auckland have exploded to $800,000, rising by 18% in the last year and 60% rise since 2008.
This matters to all of us. If the bubble bursts it will cause ripple effects across New Zealand. Domestic demand in the economy is high at the moment, and some of that is built off the apparent wealth of Auckland property owners. Moreover it is no exaggeration to say that you are paying higher interest rates today in Dunedin than you should be if it were not for the Auckland housing crisis. The Reserve Bank Governor would have lowered interest rates, now among the highest in the OECD, if it were not for his fear of pouring petrol on the overheated market.
In any event New Zealand will not get wealthy as a country selling houses to each other or to offshore speculators who are not interested in living in New Zealand but can see a quick buck to be made. We also will not get wealthy relying on riding the wave of commodity prices to deliver us long term sustainable growth and decent jobs. And we cannot rely on rebuilding from disaster to prop up our economic future. We need more than an economy built on milk, houses and disaster.
And that is what New Zealanders should be seeing in next week's Budget. We should be seeing the plan to diversify our economy, support and grow exports, grow our regions, build affordable housing and invest wisely in our education, research and development and our infrastructure.
So, what would a responsible government be doing in the Budget next week?
To start with, it would keep its promises. For the last two elections National has promised New Zealanders that there would be a Budget surplus this year. No one underestimates the challenges that have been thrown at our country, through the Global Financial Crisis and the Canterbury earthquakes. They were going to have an impact. But we were well prepared by, as economist Brian Easton calls it, the Cullen Cushion. We had zero net debt, we had saved for the rainy day and it allowed us to do better than others.
Four years on from the quakes and the GFC, the National Party has said that their management of the economy would deliver a balancing of the books in this year. Those promises were made in the last election campaign fully aware of the state of the global economy, the prediction of a five year global milk glut and the projections for low inflation. Yet this was still the test that National set itself, and it will fail. Actually Treasury is predicting it is likely to fail to get there in 2016 as well unless there is a remarkable rebound in global dairy prices.
When I grew up here in Dunedin we learned that a promise is a promise, that if you say you are going to do something then you keep your word. That very basic premise will be breached next Thursday.
Failure to get to surplus also means failure to meet another commitment from the government- to pay down any of our $88 billion of debt. It also means a failure to restart contributions to the NZ Super Fund.
We have a government fiddling, flummoxing and failing on the economy, and all the while leaving future generations with the bill for it. It is, in short, irresponsible. Out of touch and out of ideas this is set to be a Budget bereft of the vision and focus we need.
I want to highlight four areas that should be the focus of the Budget effort, or indeed should have been the focus of the last six Budgets as well.
Firstly, showing how the New Zealand economy will diversify and develop to ensure we are not so reliant on global commodity prices. And this is not just about dairying. I didn't think that there was anything that could dent my enjoyment of the Hurricanes winning run this year, but as I walk along the concourse to the Stadium in Wellington to my right is pile after pile of raw logs being sent off overseas for someone else to add value to them and sell the products back to us. We urgently need investment in new and added value industries to help grow the decent and high paying jobs of the future.
We need investment in sectors like ICT, high value manufacturing, wood processing and biomedical science. We need to look to the sectors that will support high paying jobs and protect and enhance the environment.
At the same time we must re-double our efforts to support exporters and small businesses who will drive growth in jobs. Exports in the year to March fell by 2%. Our annual trade deficit is $2.4 billion, the largest since the height of the GFC in 2009. The much vaunted promise by the National government to lift exports to 40% of GDP is now being re-written as they slip backwards below 30%.
Secondly the Budget should show a real commitment to invest in our regions. While Auckland has its place as our largest city, we will not generate the wealth and lifestyle we want for future generations with such a focus on one region.
I believe this requires an active policy of targeted financial investment, support for research and development through tax credits, stronger innovation partnerships, procurement policies that give Kiwi firms a fair go, support for education, especially regional polytechnics and encouragement of positive migration to the regions.
Imagine what Dunedin could be if a government got alongside this city and this region with those policies?
– We could have a thriving high value, high tech manufacturing sector built of the success of the Hillside workshops, spawning other companies making the use of the cluster of engineers and designers attracted to the city.
– There would be new companies sprouting from the confidence given by a research and development tax credit, and the collaborations with universities and crown research institutes, including AgResearch's thriving base at Invermay
– Imagine Otago Polytechnic operating as a Centre of Excellence for design attracting the best and brightest from around the country and around the world.
– And of course we would have the services and infrastructure to back that up- a modern hospital, good schools and decent broadband. Not just won in a competition but here and in other regions because it is the key to our future.
Our approach to the regions is not about picking winners from a list of companies we know from the Koru Club- it is about backing the talent and ideas that are in the region. It's about forming a partnership with local government, business, and educational providers. It's about investing wisely- not taking a punt on the whim of a Minister.
The third area that this Budget should focus on is taking the steps to make housing affordable for all New Zealanders. While the Reserve Bank can try to deal with some of the demand issue, the government cannot outsource housing policy to them. It is high time for the government to clamp down on foreign speculators and ensure affordable housing is being built.
Labour's KiwiBuild policy was our attempt to deal with that issue. My challenge to the government is that if that is not the right answer, what is yours? Surely it can't be to sell state houses and tinker about with the RMA? New Zealanders deserve better than that.
Finally, the Budget should be investing in our future wealth and well-being through education and training to prepare for a new economy. This is one of the reasons Labour has established our Future of Work Commission that I am chairing.
Andrew Little has asked me to lead this group to identify how we will ensure that we take the opportunities of the changing nature and experience of work. Massive change is ahead. 47% of jobs in the USA have been identified as being at high risk from technological change. And this is not just robots replacing forklift drivers, it is in the professions like accountancy and law. We need to ensure our education system is preparing people for the jobs of tomorrow, and to be global citizens.
We need a greater focus on ensuring that young people are receiving quality careers advice and that schools are supported to partner with business and tertiary providers to give them the best guidance on their next steps. We desperately need a strategic approach to education and training to take the opportunities of the new economy.
I got a wonderful start in life growing up in this city. I didn't feel that my chances in life were any less than someone who was growing up in Auckland. My vision is for an economy that provides the opportunities I had to all our people
I know we must be careful and prudent with the country's books (goodness I come from a Scottish Presbyterian background after all) but we must not believe that the economy is the end in itself.
Our legacy should be an economy that delivers decent work across New Zealand from the engineers in South Dunedin to the farmers in South Otago. If you work hard and do your fair share there should be great opportunities here in New Zealand.
Our legacy should be a pay packet that sustains individuals and families. If you do a day's work, the money you earn should be enough to support your family, and put a bit away for the future. We have so much going for us in New Zealand, no one should be left behind.
And fundamentally no matter who you are or where you live our legacy should be an economy that provides hope for a better tomorrow, for you and for your community.
58 comments on "Grant Robertson's pre-budget speech"
Charles 1
Fuckin Brilliant, a massive improvement from his last speech, which I ranted unfavourably about – good work Grant/speechwriters/Labour. Clarity, personality, positivity.
Whatever any of us may personally think of the ideas, the positivity and focus and forward-looking nature of the speech is undeniable. Great stuff. They need to be careful about the us/them comparisons; for example, Pine hill vs. Parnell is too specific – and "accident of birth" was an excellent way to counter that – but jokes acknowledging that Auckland's issues bore anyone south of the Bombay's is vague enough to be allowable, inoffensive and understood. Remember, the media will talk up anything even vaguely negative, and that will come at the cost of getting people talking about the ideas.
If Labour keep talking like this – especially the "four points" section – their message will smother anything less considered or articulate.
phillip ure 1.1
".Whatever any of us may personally think of the ideas, the positivity and focus and forward-looking nature of the speech is undeniable.."
..so no substance – but lots of style..y'reckon..?
..aspiration-on-a-stick..eh..?
Hello Phil, I read your opinions, I understand them, and I'm sure it warms your heart to know that I agree with them.
Here's the thing, though, there is more to politics than substance. Sounds crazy I know. Politics is a process, a terrain, a system.
Last two elections were a one horse race. Not just a one horse race, but a one horse race in four seperate divisions. National ran against itself and won the only race that gave immediate power to do anything. Labour ran against itself and lost, but gained a plausible new leader, or three, and cemented their policy direction. The Greens ran a race against themselves, became a mature political voice, dropped some unique attitudes and became more mainstream, but failed to win anything immediate. Mana, ACT, and so forth went for King Hits, not a good idea for struggling or fledgling anythings. Both parties later died.
With a speech like this from Labour, if they can maintain this kind of focus, it means NZ will have a three party election very soon and National won't win. Until Labour steps back into the horse race, we have no political terrain – we have a one party state. National know it and pursue instilling hopelessness and apathy in the population at every opportunity by promoting arrogance and increasingly callous and audacious flippancy.
It's important, but understandibly difficult when we're living the day-to-day reality, not to get caught up in the game National and their friends play. People must focus on every piece of constructive effort they can muster, even when knee or neck-deep in the shit, even if it's just inarticulate and baseless optimism. Part of that is understanding that Labour are what they are in a policy direction sense, they aren't going to and can't change much from what is obvious. Want a focus on people? Look to the Greens, or anyone else, to get the "substance" required.
Until Labour reclaim their major and traditional oppositional position, The Greens will have to wait for economic collapse, and the complete collapse of the Labour Party, to be a viable rule-alone party. Labour re-emerging boosts the natural evolution of our terrain. Love or hate them, we need them. Politics is reflective of culture, and the people of NZ don't do giant leaps of cultural change. Before they support The Greens in large numbers, they have to know Labour is viably there, somewhere, in the background, to offset risk. Labour lost their focus, their internal balance, after Clark. If this speech is an accurate reflection of internal mood, they're back – – see above why that's important, whether you personally support them or not.
There is, of course, a massive empty space in the political terrain where the fourth and fifth parties should be, and these will/should represent where NZ goes over the long term.
So yeah, the speech is big on style, but to know what the style means in the larger context is to celebrate the effect it has for the future. Momentum attracts participants. If Little and Robertson and friends create a wave to ride, everyone surfs alongside them, in their own way. The energy required to create a wave can only come from a major party, it takes more to energy to start than to continue – unless you wait for an earthquake…
Colonial Rawshark 1.1.1.1
Until Labour reclaim their major and traditional oppositional position, The Greens will have to wait for economic collapse, and the complete collapse of the Labour Party, to be a viable rule-alone party. Labour re-emerging boosts the natural evolution of our terrain. Love or hate them, we need them. Politics is reflective of culture, and the people of NZ don't do giant leaps of cultural change.
I do understand what you are trying to get at. That NZ Labour has been a historical force in our politics and that its malaise has added to the malaise of the entire of politics to the extent that it will only be shaken off to the same measure with which NZ Labour can shake it off.
But you are assuming that such a thing is possible at this stage; that fundamental revitalisation and renewal can occur with regards to Labour even though Labour is obviously stuck in the same gear, that they "are what they are in a policy direction sense, they aren't going to and can't change much from what is obvious. "
This to me is like wishing a 747 plunging into the ocean will be able to right itself in time to avoid impact even though no one is willing to or expecting to significantly change the configuration and position of the controls in the cockpit. It's simply not going to happen. Three elections in a row, NZ Labour has lost big chunks of party vote. Why not four?
Thorndon Labour believes in its heart of hearts that this time, the tide will come in and Labour's long awaited victory with it. Newsflash: the climate has changed, and so has the entire ecosystem.
Scotland doesn't do giant leaps of culture change either. The Labour Party full stop could be said to have originated out of Scotland, ideologically, philosophically and practically. And maybe that is why Scotland has decided so decisively that Labour as it is now, is no longer fit to continue its historical mission.
As for "needing Labour" – that reminds me of Jim Murphy, Scottish Labour Party leader, who had just lost his own seat and 39 others, saying to the TV cameras that now, more than ever, Scotland "needed" Labour.
It seems even then, after seeing his party annhilated, he wasn't listening to the voters.
phillip ure 1.1.1.2
".. Part of that is understanding that Labour are what they are in a policy direction sense, they aren't going to and can't change much from what is obvious.."
hello charles..i don't share that pessimisim as to the possibilities of labour getting its' shit together..
..and becoming a true progressive party..
..and much of that change must be around the dying neo-liberal-asp they have clinging/clasped to their bosom..
..they need to reinvent themselves to what they once were…
(and i am not talking about what they were like under clark..eh..?..that is a large part of their problem..)
..and from the speeches of both little and robertson – i see little sign of any such much-needed changes..
Brendon Harre 1.2
I like the PM for Parnell comment about John Key. I think it is a metaphor for how National's conservative status quo policies are privileging a small group of elite in our society. That John Key is not interested in being the PM for all kiwis.
Atiawa 2
Have to admit that I've heard it all before Grant. The message just ain't getting through. Time to be a bit bolder and stop thinking you can run the capitalist system better than the Tories. Time to stop thinking that by promising a few extra crumbs everything will be alright. Time to tell the people that the flaws in the capitalist system will continue to deprive us of a future for ourselves and our children.
Stop trying to be National fucking light and grow a pair.
Draco T Bastard 2.1
phillip ure 2.1.1
+ 1..
Bill 2.2
Have to admit that I've heard it all before Grant. The message just ain't getting through. Time to be a bit bolder and stop thinking you can run the capitalist system better than the Tories.(…) Stop trying to be National fucking light and grow a pair.
NZ's political culture is sickeningly moribund….'dead hand' hopeless.
Ross Henderson 2.2.1
We aren't that far away from collapse. I don't see us being any more
rhinocrates 2.3
Call it a "redwash"?
Stuart Munro 3
He should take it a little further – take out the real estate, Christchurch rebuild, and immigration components of 'growth' and present Bill English with a bill for lack of progress: the gap between 3% p.a. which an economy needs simply to remain competitive, and the 0.1 – 0.3% Bill actually delivers.
There is no standing still, and under this useless and benighted government we have been going backwards – except for the speculators and crooks. We're seven years at 3% – about 23% behind where a government that was basically competent would have put us.
take out the real estate, Christchurch rebuild, and immigration components of 'growth'
Take out those and all indications are that NZ would be in a recession.
Stuart Munro 3.1.1
Yup – the real state of our economic management.
The Gnats pretend to be technocrats but are incompetent on a scale that makes Muldoon look like a saint and a genius. The difference is that they certainly know they're running NZ into the ground, and laying up a legacy of grief for their successors.
Knew a bloke in Korea who did economic policy for the Park government back when they were poorer than Somalia. His people were dying of starvation and the North were a real threat. He rebuilt the economy. National is doing none of the things that you do when you build an economy, and all the supposed economists in NZ are licking their hands. Tragic.
Having grown up in Pine Hill and with my parents still there, I want to emphasise that it's quite a pleasant suburb. A lot of current and former 50s era state houses. Lots of green space – a couple of playgrounds. A small school – I believe the roll is under 50. I have seen some tagging on the local dairy on occasion, but that gets cleaned up pretty quickly – and there was a robbery there about 6 years ago. I had a good life there and families still can have good lives there and I'm glad there are places like that where average families aren't priced out of the market.
Colonial Rawshark 4.1
Yep, Pine Hill is an underrated suburb with a great mix of different people living there. Some quite interesting ones too 😛
Bar the evil arse hill that must be climbed to get there, Pine Hill's okay. So is NEV. So are many suburbs in Dunedin.
But the social desert that overlays South Dunedin…different story that.
Invisible Axe 4.2.1
What? South Dunedin is a great place to live, 5-10 minute walk to the beach, awesome second hand junk shops in the local shopping centre, its a real tight community here. I understand the statistics are shocking in regards to internet connected homes & unemployment & solo mums, but remember there are some very wealthy suburbs in South Dunedin too. & unlike the rest of Dunedin no fucking hills! So yeah, 'social desert' my arse, its a wonderful 'hood.
Ad 4.2.1.1
Robertson was unhelpfully straying into regional economic land, on which ground Labour are as vulnerable as National. As the result in Northland showed, no-one in such regions believes either major party take any notice of them.
Despite the risks of envy and defensiveness Robertson opened up with such suburb comparisons, at least he was prepared to go there. Whole bunch better than Joyce trying to defend his government's efforts for Westport.
Tracey 4.3
There is also a Pinehill in Auckland. It is not a struggling suburb but is no Parnell either.
Bill 4.3.1
Ah. I guess that was the Pine Hill he was referring to. Nothing like clarity in messaging…
Ad 4.3.2
All depends how you pronounce it
Tracey 4.3.2.1
One has two words, one has one word.
just saying 4.3.3
I thought it was a bit odd.
Average Parnell house prices would be more like a $million more than those in Pine Hill Dn.
In reponse to Ad above – Comparisons are important because of the ever-widening gaps, and because of the starvation of resources experienced by poorer areas. Unfortunately, I don't think Robertson cares much. It's just a rhetorical device in a marketing campaign for him.
red-blooded 4.3.3.1
He was speaking as a guy who grew up in Dunedin, the speech had a clear Dunedin focus and was littered with Dunedin reference; he punctuated it "Pine Hill" – it seems pretty clear to me that he was making a Dunedin vs Auckland comparison, using a working class Dunedin suburb vs a socially advantaged Auckland one. The audience he was speaking to would have had no trouble decoding this.
weka 4.3.3.1.1
Yep, the audience was the Otago Chamber of Commerce.
Tracey 4.3.3.1.2
makes sense to me but I would have thought the disaprity was much bigger than he suggested.
just saying 4.3.3.1.2.1
The dufus was way out.
The median house price in Parnell is $1.12 million:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/67922619/Parnell-and-other-unfashionable-Auckland-suburbs-resurge-as-property-hotspots
He is being reported in the ODT as talking about Pine Hill in Dunedin. Which would make the median price of a house in Pine Hill, Dunedin $612,000. I suspsect this is more likely to be the median price of an Auckland suburb. Otherwise, Pine Hill has magically become the most expensive suburb in Dunedin.
Making a speech pointing out how out of touch the government is…..
Colonial Rawshark …
Sigh indeed. I think you are quite right; my guess is that the median house in Pine Hill goes for around $250K (a bit less than for Dunedin as a whole). So way closer to being $1M apart rather than $500K. GR and his staff didn't do their homework.
weka …
Median house prices, based on sales, from QV.
Pine Hill $284,000
Parnell $678,500
Difference $394,500
https://www.qv.co.nz/resources/residential-sales-prices-by-suburb
I'd be inclined to take QV figures over that of a real estate agent. There's probably some differences in exactly which streets are being counted too.
just saying …
The median house price in Parnell according to the QV site you've linked to, Weka.
Did you adjuust the dwelling type to 'house'?
The median property value in Parnell, Auckland, according to your link.
No, I left it as all dwellings (house, apartments etc). I assume if you put it as just houses, you take out the cheaper dwellings and the median becomes top heavy with very expensive mansions which doesn't reflect the general housing in the area.
Weka, Robertson was comparing house prices.
But the median figure for every kind of property in Parnell, including empty sections, is above a million dollars.
That Parnell figure is way too low when you compare it to the median overall Auckland house price. Feb REINZ figures has the median Auckland house price at $675k, and Parnell would be amongst the most expensive suburbs within Auckland.
https://www.reinz.co.nz/shadomx/apps/fms/fmsdownload.cfm?file_uuid=78C3BB3A-8862-4108-8241-C86BB7EC2BD4&siteName=reinz
EDIT OK just saying has identified the same prob
Do you think 'All Dwellngs' includes sections on their own? I wouldn't have thought so.
As I suggested by my comment, no one in Auckland would believe that the median buy price into Parnell is $680K. And the overall Auckland median market price suggests that the number for Parnell is far too low. You don't have to be defensive about it; it's not your data and not your data tool which is out here.
It's not defensiveness, I'm just trying to understand what you are talking about.
Draco T Bastard 5
The National government is lacking a Plan B or C
They don't need a Plan B or C as their Plan A to fuck over the economy is working fine.
Andrew Little has clearly stated Labour's view that we must generate wealth before we can distribute it.
And that's a load of BS as well. The simple fact is that we have the wealth, the resources, to provide everyone with a reasonable living standard. What we're not doing is utilising those resources well and the rewards of the utilisation that we are doing is going to the few rather than everyone.
So how have we reached this point?
Oh, that's easy – the 4th Labour government introduced a radical and highly destructive form of capitalism into NZ. Of course, all forms of capitalism are destructive even the benign form that we had and so, even without that introduction, we would still reached this point eventually.
We should be seeing the plan to diversify our economy, support and grow exports, grow our regions, build affordable housing and invest wisely in our education, research and development and our infrastructure.
And all of that requires and educated population and yet, for the last 20 odd years, NZ governments have been making it harder for the people of NZ to get that education. Reducing or removing student allowances and increasing fees when we need entry to study to be free. We can't increase diversity by using the same old knowledge.
EDIT: 10 Cuts The Government Has Made To Make Life Harder For Students In New Zealand
A lot of that needs to be reversed and a lot more needs to be completely removed from the picture. We shouldn't be burdening our young with enough debt to buy a house before their life starts.
And all of that requires and educated population and yet, for the last 20 odd years, NZ governments have been making it harder for the people of NZ to get that education.
And lets not forget that universities largely no longer teach curricula of any use for the future, and in some cases, churn out graduates likely to do great harm to the future.
I also agree with you that buying into the Right Wing line that you have to "generate wealth" first before you can distribute it is pretty fucking BS. What are Labour going to do – prioritise the activity of the Wealth Generators (wealth creators) in our society?
Labour are going to do precisely what UK Labour did – try to position themselves as better creators of wealth creating environments and better producers of surpluses than 'the Right'. And people? Well, people be damned.
Draco T Bastard 5.2.1.1
And people? Well, people be damned.
That does seem to be the case, yes:
The Sovereign Wellbeing Index 2015 results found almost 40 per cent of New Zealanders only met with others socially once a month or less.
Meanwhile, only 4 per cent of the 10,000 New Zealanders surveyed said they felt close to people in their local area.
It seems that the neo-liberal revolution instigated by the 4th Labour government has succeeded in destroying society.
Its like Labour Parties all around the world have pre-programmed their auto pilots to fly into the sea.
phillip ure 6
".. Andrew Little has clearly stated Labour's view that we must generate wealth before we can distribute it.."
back-door/excuse to do nothing for the poorest..
..'we have to grow grow grow first..!'
..what fucken bullshit – same as labour '14..absolutely nothing for the worst off..
..meet the new boss – same as the old boss..
Tracey 7
I just don't know how much traction the speech will get and who it will change? Business-people? rugby fans?
We need growth (the "right" growth) so everyone can have a good paying job…
I know trees were indirectly mentioned (as logs) but nothing about environment… little about people (really when you re-read it), but THIS is why I vote Green, to get
people matter
environment matters
economy is a subset of those, not the Master
with his 'log-words' i was getting mike moore flashbacks..
..and steeling myself for lamb-burger-redux/visionary-idea..
..it was kinda ugly..
..and clearly – the maxim that the more things change the more they remain the same –
– rings true here..with those log-words..
..which politician has not put their hand on their heart – and promised us that..eh..?
..it's almost the bye-word for aspirational-bullshit – adding up to nothing..
Tracey 7.1.1
good point at lam burgers 🙂
felix 8
60 million????
ffs Grant, how many flags could we get for that???
Oh yeah, one. Probably.
the thing with that flag-thing..as someone pointed out the other day – is that the purported 'cost' of $26 million is just the beginning of what this pile of bullshit from key will cost..
..how much d'yareckon it will cost to replace all the flags in the country..?
..a bloody fortune..that's how much..
..and if key gets his legacy-project thru..will it become illegal to fly the old one..?
..and/or will there be a quiet rebellion of most people/places still flying the old one..?
..i reckon labour/robertson should come out strongly on this issue..
..taking the stand that – sure there may be some time in the future..say when we become a republic – that a new flag could/should be discussed..(..i argue this as a 'republican' of long standing'..stick the royal family in a country-pile somewhere -and forget about them! – i say..)
..but that now is not that time for this…
..that other priorites dictate we don't..
..and number-crunching that actual cost – over and above the already insulting $26 million to be pissed down the drain..
..wd be a powerful weapon in that rational/logical argument..
,.and polling already shows that most people don't want this to happen now – by an overwhelming majority –
– that issues like child-poverty concern them more than the circus this key ego-self-stroke-exercise is..
..c'mon labour..!..as someone else said:'grow a fucken pair!'..eh..?
..it'll be a good exercise/practice for you..
..in how to be an opposition party/how to take/argue a complete opposite p.o.v..eh..?
..and while we are talking rational-financial-arguments to make by robertson/labour – how about getting yr staff to crunch the numbers on how much would be saved/made from a sane/rational policy on cannabis..?..eh..?..that cd be a good use of their time..
..how much wd be saved in imprisonment/enforcement-costs..
..and how much tax revenue wd be accrued by a policy of legalisation/regulation/taxation..
..i think you may be surprised by that final total/figure..
..and once again..wd be a powerful tool to use to mount that argument..
..(and once again..polling consistantly shows the vast majority of nz'ers support the ending of prohibition – what are you scared of/waiting for..?..)
..once again – as someone else said – how about 'growing a pair'..eh..?
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/comment-whoar-urge-labour-grow-pair-issues-flag-cannabis-law-reform/
Colonial Rawshark 8.1.1
Wouldn't be so bad if the contracts went to NZ companies and NZ workers…except of course it will be the Chinese making the new flags
AmaKiwi 9
I am sorry, Grant. It is a poorly written speech.
Ed 10
A very good speech. It sets and agenda fore measurement of the budget, outlines reasonable current priorities, and should be able to be supported by everyone, unless they have such blinkered idealogical views that they cannot see the need for the current government to be replaced . . .
phillip ure 10.1
replaced by one that looks little different to the current-crew…?
….and one that stays the same it was during those wrong-footed clark-years..?
..with those same 'wrong-footed'/neoliberal/fuck-the-poor! ideas/beliefs/polices..?
..no thanks..eh..?
..that wd just be change for changes' sake..
..hardly progress – and very little 'progressive' there..eh..?
I've never particularly warmed to Robertson, but there were a couple of things about this speech compared to Little's one that I liked.
Firstly it was personalized.
This is the way politics needs to be these days, because it is the all of the media understand and amplify it.
Secondly because it sough to speak to our imagination with 'what if's'.
In years ahead these kind of statements can hang you, but as a device it enables people to feel their way through what politics can do for their lives.
Finally he dealt sufficiently with the economy as it is, including the dominance of Auckland and dairy. As a future Finance Minister he has to sound credible. He also couldn't get past the tired old trope of logs at Wellington port. His sector focus is about the same as National's because they both reflect the narrow range of sectors that exist here.
Naturally I would want to see how this guy plays in Auckland, rather than preaching to his home, but there was stuff to like here.
Sirenia 12
Grant would have delivered this speech in his very personable, engaging way. People in Otago, including businesses, are feeling under siege from the Key government, so I expect this speech would have been warmly received, even by this group.
marg 12.1
Report was warmly received. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/politics/342377/no-one-should-be-left-behind-grant-robertson
Your pre-budget speech « The Standard : posted on 16 May 2015 at 7:59 am
Anne to Incognito on
Sacha to weka on
Peter to Incognito on
Peter to gsays on
Sacha to Puckish Rogue on
Sacha to Wayne on
Graeme to Psycho Milt on
soddenleaf on
Gentrack Group expects significant drop in sales and profit
Gentrack Group says it is experiencing difficult conditions in its key utilities markets, which has impacted its sales pipeline more than expected. ...
Agriculture Minister monitoring dry conditions across NZ
Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor says he's keeping a close eye on dry conditions around the country. ...
The National Library cull of 600,000 books could be a disaster for researchers
The National Library says it is 'making room for more New Zealand and Pacific stories' and hopes the books it's purging might 'spark joy' for other people. David Larsen considers it a whacking great clear-cutting.It would be irresponsible for me to tell you the National Library is about to burn ...
The SpinoffBy David Larsen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Today was expected to be a light air day, but it turned out to be a great day for racing! With the sun only hidden by a cloud here and there and the winds from 6-12 from the East, it was so much fun being on the water today. There were lots of shifts and if you followed them you made out well, if you didn't, you really were taking your chances. PRO Fairlie Brinkley and team worked hard to deal with the shifts that often happened right at the start. In the first 4-leg windward leeward race, the shift on the Championship Division start caused a postponement while the race committee waited for better conditions. The restart resulted in a general recall, but the third time's the charm, and the race was off. At first it looked like going left was the ticket, but then when the boats who went right met the boats on the left, they were together for the rest of the windward leg. The Challengers managed to start without incident and right was the way to go. Most boats went left but those who went right got to the windward mark first. One mistake and everything changed.
The second race was also a 4-leg windward leeward race and once again the wind shifted on the start and up went the postpone flag. The restart was more civilized and the Championship Division was off. The fleet split and there were lots of tacks with the shifting wind. The Challenger Division got off without a hitch and playing the shifts was the answer once again. The lead boats did a good job of that and were far ahead of the rest of the fleet.
After the first day the Championship Division has a 3-way 7-point tie. After the tie-breaker, the top 5 are Zeke and Jay Horowitz, Tyler Andrews and Andy Fox, Ryan Malmgrem and Stacy Rieu, Ned Johnston and Ryan Donahue, and David Ames and P. J. Buhler. The top 5 in the Challenger Division are Randy Rubinstein and Carol Claypool, Bill Vogler with Peg Woodworth and Carey Seven, Greg and Diane Kampf, William Schwarzschild and Mike Stephens, and Stephen Vincent and Stephen Vincent. There are 3 more days of racing in the series so anything can happen.
Next up is the chalk talk with Zeke Horowitz, Tyler Andrews and Ryan Malmgren - which is always great when we hear from the leaders about what made them successful in this day's racing. We'll follow that with a nice dinner hosted by the club. Thanks again to Sarasota Sailing Squadron for another fabulous day on the water. Full results are here. Photos are here.


Fosters Funeral Directors have a reputation built on providing the very best in care and attention to detail for your loved one at a time when only the best will do. For this reason, we use only the most prestigious in motor vehicles. Fosters would like to present the Mercedes-Benz E class Hearse and Limousines built by Coleman Milne. Each limousine can carry up to six people in the back, with one extra space in the front if necessary, totaling 7 passengers. We are also the first in the United Kingdom to introduce our new fleet of Mercedes-Benz V Class Hearse and Limousines, these modern executive fleet of vehicles are available to view at our offices upon request. Fosters also operate a fleet of Mercedes-Benz private ambulances.
Fosters Funeral Directors offer a choice of vehicle types to transport your family in a stylish, comfortable and safe environment. The classic style of the limousine (such as the Mercedes Benze E-Class pictured) will comfortably seat six passengers in the back with the addition of one passenger in the front totalling 7 passengers.
Fosters Funeral Directors are pleased to be able to present a new modern range of hearse (such as the Mercedes-Benz V-class pictured), that has been carefully selected to allow families who do not wish to travel in what would be known as a classic funeral vehicle. The limousine offers much more space than a conventional limousine and with the vehicle being more upright this allows for ease of entering and exiting.
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Fosters Funeral Directors are pleased to be able to offer customers a classic style of limousine (such as the Mercedes-Benz E-class pictured above), that will comfortably seat six passengers in the back with the addition of one passenger in the front totalling 7 passengers travelling in comfort and style.


text:
Jennifer Audrey Coolidge is an American actress. She is primarily a character actress with roles in comedic film and television. Coolidge had supporting roles in the American Pie film series and the Legally Blonde film series. She has regularly collaborated with Christopher Guest on his mockumentary films, such as Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Mascots. She has also appeared in the films A Cinderella Story, Click, Date Movie, Epic Movie, Promising Young Woman, and Single All the Way. On television, Coolidge has appeared in the sitcoms Joey, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and 2 Broke Girls, and the drama series The Watcher. She gained acclaim for starring as Tanya McQuoid, an insecure rich woman, in the HBO anthology series The White Lotus, winning a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Jennifer Coolidge Interviews Anthony Mackie In 'We Have a Ghost' Trailer - Watch Here!
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text:
You are here: Home / Prominent People / David Malo
April 3, 2013 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment
David Malo
David Malo, one of the early native Hawaiian scholars, was the son of Aoao and his wife Heone, and was born in Keauhou, North Kona Hawai'i; his father had been soldier in the army of Kamehameha I.
The exact year of his birth is not known, but it was about 1793, around the time of Vancouver's second visit to the islands.
During his early life Malo was connected with the high chief Kuakini (Governor Adams,) who was a brother of Queen Ka'ahumanu.
In 1823, Malo moved to Lāhainā, Maui where he learned to read and write. Malo soon converted to Christianity and was given the baptismal name of David.
In 1831, he entered Lahainaluna High School (at about the age of 38;) the school opened with twenty-five students, under the leadership of Reverend Lorrin Andrews – he graduated in the class of 1835.
From about 1835, he started writing notes on the Hawaiian religion and cultural history, along with other members of the school and instructor Sheldon Dibble.
Malo came to be regarded as the great authority and repository of Hawaiian lore and was in great demand as a story-teller of the old-time traditions, mele, and genealogies, and as a master in arrangements of the hula.
The law which first established a national school system was the "Statute for the Regulation of Schools" which was enacted on October 15, 1840, and was reenacted, with some important amendments, on May 21, 1841.
Malo was appointed as the general school agent for Maui; he was then voted to be in charge of all the general school agents, therefore becoming the first superintendent of schools of the Hawaiian kingdom (where he served at least until the middle of 1845.
He was described as "tall and of spare frame, active, energetic, a good man of business, eloquent of speech, independent in his utterances."
"He was of a type of mind inclined to be jealous and quick to resent any seeming slight in the way of disparagement or injustice that might be shown to his people or nation, and was one who held tenaciously to the doctrine of national integrity and independence."
After being ordained to the Christian ministry, he settled down in the seaside village of Kalepolepo on East Maui where he remained until his death in October 1853.
His book, Hawaiian antiquities (Moolelo Hawaii – 1898,) addressed the genealogies, traditions and beliefs of the people of Hawai'i.
In the "Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition," Admiral Wilkes (1840,) commenting on books about Hawai'i, said, "(s)ome of them are by native authors. Of these I cannot pass at least one without naming him."
"This is David Malo, who is highly esteemed by all who know him, and who lends the missionaries his aid, in mind as well as example, in ameliorating the condition of his people and checking licentiousness."
"At the same time he sets an example of industry, by farming with his own hands, and manufactures from his own sugar cane an excellent molasses."
In the introduction to his book, the trustees of Bishop Museum acknowledge they "are rendering an important service to all Polynesian scholars."
They also suggest the book "form(s) a valuable contribution not only to Hawaiian archaeology, but also to Polynesian ethnology in general."
Click here for a link to the book that you may download (I downloaded it, did an Optical Character Recognition and use it all the time in learning more about Hawai'i.)
Filed Under: Prominent People Tagged With: Hawaii, Lahainaluna, David Malo


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The question being asked by many teachers across the country tonight is "Will the union organize a strike action?"The Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) area at loggerheads over the re-categorization of hardship and rural allowances for teachers. The BNTU indicates alleges the final list of schools was done without consultation and was delivered with only a few days' notice to teachers. The BNTU serves on the Joint Education Staff Relations Council and although its President sits on the Council's subcommittee, it has not received a finalized list from the Ministry as it relates to the schools which fall under categories for hardship, rural allowances and time off to collect salaries. The Minister of Education Patrick Faber, flanked by senior members of the Ministry explained that the union did not object to the changes while they were going through a lengthy process.
Faber said that the Ministry will allow the old system to continue for one more payday.
Minister of Education Patrick Faber: "To put out a release where you're trying to threaten the government almost to try to flex your might for something that you were part of the process, you had all the opportunity has to suggest in my view that you were caught sleeping at the wheel and the membership is now putting you in check and the only way to appease them is the play hard with the government but that is not what we are about so we want to have a peaceful resolution to this situation. We have discussed the matter and I will tell you that we are very inclined to be flexible not only to the extent that this is new and people may not have put in place their proper planning and tomorrow is payday and so as far as we're concerned we are able to be lenient for tomorrow but we will not change this and so we will proceed with this for the next payday and so if you question is are we conceiving that tomorrow things can happen as it used to happen in the past then yes that permission is granted but immediately for the next month and for the next payday I will expect people to comply with regulation as it is set by the Ministry of Education.


text:
Right now I am working on SpaceHighway's first arc The Awakened
Let's answer some possible questions:
NSFW & eXtended Chapters
Is SpaceHighway a series?
Yes. More exactly, a series of serialized novels. From the beginning, SpaceHighway was intended to be a series.
What topics and issues does SpaceHighway touch?
Actually, quite a lot. And more in the future…
None of the issues I address are premeditated. In fact, most them appeared when describing the future society I envision in comparison to the one we live in.
I address the technological, medical, and social issues humans and other species might face in the future. Obviously, further, deeper topics arise constantly. See the, non-exhaustive, lists below.
Right now, the following topics and issues are dealt with in SpaceHighway:
Inter and intra-species racism and xenophobia.
Gender equality and gender roles.
Male chauvinism and patriarchy.
Matriarchal societies.
Interracial and interspecies relationships.
Non-binary personalities, genders and societies.
LGBTQ+ issues.
Non-heteronormative relationships.
Race and species mixing, miscegenation.
In the future, the following topics and issues will be dealt with, some of them already hinted to:
Polyamory and polygamy.
Gender transition.
… (more to come)
How will it be published?
At first, I intend to publish one chapter each month. If the project gets enough attention I will consider to publish a chapter every two weeks.
See the chapter publishing calendar for more details.
Once a story arc is completed, I will publish the whole arc as an ebook.
How long will each chapter be?
Each chapter will be around 8.000 words, meaning each can be read in about 30 minutes.
I don't like to calculate the length of the chapters in pages, as it depends on the font sizes and the spacing. Keeping this in mind, each chapter should be around 20 A4 pages, around 26 if the chapter is dialogue-heavy, or about 32 novel-sized book pages, 40 novel-sized pages if dialogue-heavy.
Please note that this number is tentative. You might find chapters having only 6.900 words, and others reaching up to 9.200 words, it just depends on my inspiration… But my goal is to reach an average of 8.000 words per chapter. The 8.000 words 'limit' does not include the extended scenes, some may go way over this limit.
What is the meaning of the chapters' icons?
Six possible icons appear just above each chapter's title-image:
Short link to this chapter.
v (version): Indicates the revision and version of the chapter. Each chapter will go through several of such revisions following input of the readers (only writing related, not content related, except some inaccuracies).
Manuscript: Means that the chapter is still considered a manuscript and might change in the future.
Patreon: Means that the chapter is only available to patrons, for now.
Extended edition available: A special extended edition is available for patrons of Instructor or higher tiers.
NSFW Chapter: A special NSFW chapter is available for patrons of Instructor or higher tiers.
Will the series be for free?
In short: Yes.
However, I will use Patreon to fund the project, so it will be published on a patrons-first basis. The free chapter will be published two weeks later, but will always remain free.
See the Patreon section.
Once an arc is finished, I will publish it as an ebook. This ebook will be for sale at a small fee to aid the further development of SpaceHighway.
I don't want to pay if you give it away for free...
You are completely free to choose. If you think my time and work is not worth paying for, then don't.
However, by becoming a patron you will gain access to behind-the-scenes posts, patrons' only polls, and other goodies. Plus, the nice feeling of supporting an author.
I don't want to pay on a monthly basis. Can I buy the finished work?
As stated in above answers and if you want to wait until I finish the series, yes.
Once the first story arc of the series is finished, that is 24 chapters, I will publish it as an e-book on several online stores.
Of course, you can always read the free public chapters individually on this site.
What is free then?
All readers and Patreon tiers have access to:
Access to most YouTube videos.
Q&A through Social Media.
Public polls.
Find and correct an unreported grammar error or typo: appear in the Mechanics Thank You Page and annex of each chapter.
Create a new species, be approved and appear on the Species Creator page!
Create a new world, be approved and appear on the World Creator page!
NSFW & eXtended Chapters Questions
Does the series have NSFW or 'Adult' chapters or content?
During the first Arc, there are only three full NSFW/Adult chapters. In future arcs, however, about 25% of the chapters will be NSFW/Adult.
There are "full NSFW" chapters and eXtended chapters.
Are those chapters free?
No, they are for patrons only. Once the arc is finished, they will be included in the 'eXtended' edition of the full book.
What do you mean with 'full NSFW chapters'?
There are two types of NSFW/Adult chapters: full and extended.
In Full-NSFW/Adult chapters, over 75% of its contents are of 'Adult' nature.
Extended chapters, have 'Adult'-scenes and won't be larger than 10% in total of the whole chapter.
Both are only available for patrons of the tier Instructors and above.
How do these 'extended' chapters work? What do they include?
They include greater details of, obviously, mature content. The extended fragments are embedded allover the chapter. They add more exciting details to the reader.
What the extended fragments not do: break the narrative nor are forced.
What will I miss if I read the 'normal' edition of the chapter?
As a 'normal' reader, you won't miss anything important of the overall story. You will miss, however, some details about the characters and their intimacy. The extended chapters just include some spicy scenes and descriptions.
Then, the 'normal' edition is a censored one?
Do you do that just to get more money?
That's not the main reason, but might look that way.
Now, seriously, I simply don't want my base series to be X-rated, R-rated is enough. I believe that sex and eroticism should be more accepted in nowadays fiction without immediately being classified as pornographic. But, as we all know, many do not believe so and want to hammer X-rated onto anything showing some nudity.
The 'normal' edition includes some light nudity with almost no description and is allowed on more platforms to be shared.
The 'extended' edition includes more in-depth details, even explicit sex, not apt for those close-minded platforms and individuals.
Okay, then, where do I get those extended and full 'Adult' editions?
You have two options:
Login into your Patreon account and search for the publishing post of each chapter. The extended chapters are attached as downloadable files to their publication posts.
Login into the SpaceHighway site via Patreon. Now you have full access to every extended and NSFW chapter of the series. You may read it online or download each chapter as PDF, ePub, or Mobi files.
Won't they be here, on the main site?
I am working on it.
Once I am able to integrate Patreon into the SpaceHighway main site, you won't need to leave the site but to pay the tier on Patreon and to login into this site.
What are the length of the extended and the full Adult chapters?
The base, "normal", chapter will comply with the standard, around 8.000 words. The extended scenes are added to those.
The full adult chapter will vary in length but should be around 5.000 and 6.000 words. Some of these chapters may be as short as 3.500 words or as long as any standard chapter.
I'm still not convinced to throw out $5 a month for occasional explicit scenes…
That's your decision. You can either wait until the first arc is finished and buy the finished book, or support the next arc where more explicit material will be published. I have planned to let any Instructor and above tier subscriber to be able to download all chapters from the prior arc.
Patreon Questions
How does this Patreon thing works?
It is a kind of tip-jar, with a bonus.
If you like my work and want to help me to develop it further, you can become a patron.
To become a patron you'll need to pledge at least 1$ (1 USD) a month. There are several tiers of patrons, depending on how much you are willing to invest in my work you may get different extras as thanks.
Extras? What extras?
From simply being the first to be able to read the new chapters to special chapters and inside information.
Depending on the pledge amount, you may download DRM-free e-book and PDF versions of the chapters, participate in story changing polls, hangouts, special chapters (even extended and NSFW chapters), behind the scenes stories, detail descriptions of characters and locations, and even access to internal development documents.
How do I access and download the extras?
Again, you have two options:
You can download the extras from the tier-specific posts on Patreon.
All extras can be read in the Behind the Scenes section of this site.
Where can I pledge?
Simply visit the SpaceHighway Patreon page on: patreon.com/spacehighway or click any of the Become a patron buttons.
Once you have pledged, you can log in on this site via the Patreon Log In button
What can I get for each tier?
Tier 0 Hitchhiker (free):
Free to read, two weeks later.
Tier 1 Copilot ($1):
Be the first to read the new chapters.
Access to the Patreon-only news via the Patreon page.
Download each chapter as PDF and ePUB (DRM free).
Access some Behind the Scenes post once in a while (no interval defined).
Tier 2 Pilot ($3):
Live Q&As Discord chat with the author twice a month.
Patreon only polls.
Download as mobi. DRM free!
Access Behind the Scenes posts once a month.
Access to to a dedicated Discord channel.
Plus everything the Copilots get.
Tier 3 Instructor ($5):
Extended and NSFW chapters! (3 full NSFW chapters, at least 50% extended chapters in this arc).
Live Discord audio/video chat and/or Google Hangout with the author once a month (after reaching the $100 goal).
Access special, spicy Behind the Scenes post once in a while (no interval defined).
And your patron name appears in the Instructors Thank You page on the official website and in the annex of each chapter.
Plus everything the Pilots get.
Tier 4 Ace ($10):
Get behind the scenes stories! These are complete short stories, not the usual behind the scenes posts.
Get more info: Character descriptions, location descriptions, history data, and more.
And your name appears in the Aces Thank You page on the official website and in the annex of each chapter.
And if you have supported SpaceHighway for at least 6 months, you will receive a personalized and dedicated DRM-Free edition of the final Book of the current arc.
Plus everything the Instructors get.
Tier 5 Ace of Aces ($20):
You or your ideal character will become a secondary character inside the main story, one of the yet unnamed Aces of the ISTM.
Please contact me to establish the character's features if you are interested. The character has to keep the SpaceHighway's look-and-feel.
Your character will appear at least once every two chapters as long as you pledge this tier. Once support is withdrawn, the character dies inside the story.
Plus everything the Aces get
What are the Patreon goals for the project?
100$/month
I will be able to offer live streams and Q&As for more in-depth details on the progress of the series, behind-the-scenes details ,and more information about the SpaceHighway universe and its inhabitants.
What will I do with this money?
I will change from my old ADSL provider to Fiberglass.
Due to the installation of Fiberglass in my neighborhood, the copper pair will not be updated for higher speed allowing me to stream.
Integrate the SpaceHighway website further into Patreon and allow patrons to read and download new chapters and extras directly from the main site. And, no more ads for patrons.
Hire a professional proofreader. Hey! No more goofs!
I will hire a professional proofreader to get rid of the annoying typos, grammar errors and syntax failures.
This includes the expenses of the former achieved goal.
Hire an illustrator to create illustrations of characters, species, etc. Artists don't live from art alone, don't they?
I will hire an illustrator.
At least twice a month new illustrations will be published.
This includes the expenses of the former achieved goals.
What is in for patrons?
Additional only for patrons illustrations.
High-res images.
Rough sketches and dismissed designs.
1000$/month
Leave the underpaid side-job and publish twice a month instead of once.
I can set myself up as self-employed/freelance and dedicate my time exclusively to SpaceHighway.
Two chapters per month.
More detailed encyclopedia entries.
More detailed backstories of the characters.
I live in Spain and basic taxes for freelance workers are absurdly high. About 35% of this goal's money will go to the Spanish state, that leaves me with just a 25% for my living expenses.
Two options goal!
Patrons will be able to vote for one of these options:
Hire an illustrator to recreate scenes once to twice a month.
Hire a 3D artist to visually design cities, worlds, etc
I will hire either another illustrator or a 3D artist depending on the poll's outcome.
For the illustration option:
Full scenes instead of the free cropped ones which will be published with the free chapters.
One full-color scene per month.
High-res files of the scenes.
For the 3D option:
Full scenes/designs instead of the free cropped ones which will be published with the free chapters.
Translate SpaceHighway into another language!
The target language will be chosen by a patron-only poll.
I will hire a translator for the chosen language.
Until the translator catches up with the series' current chapter, chapters will be published once they are translated, at least once a month.
Translations will become free a month later instead of a week or two.
If there is no interest in a translated version of SpaceHighway, the losing option from the past goal (Scene illustrations or 3D designs) will be taken.
e² – Earth Express (Gaia)
Public train service on Gaia. Transit connections with several Intergalactic Railways (IR) stations around Gaia. The transit routes sync with the IR connections. Also has several lines to and from Mars and Venus.Despite having changed the planet's name to Gaia, Earth Express and its iconic e² logo keeps the planet's old name. The company has been founded before the new name convention and is not forced to change its name. In 2999, the company reached out to the public with several alternative names and logos [citation needed] , by popular demand, the company kept its original Read more →
Appear first in: A01 ~ The rebirth of the Phoenix Read more →


text:
Collected Works of F.H. Bradley
F. H. Bradley
Thoemmes Press (1999)
F. H. Bradley (1846-1924) was considered in his day to be the greatest British philosopher since Hume. For modern philosophers he continues to be an important and influential figure. However, the opposition to metaphysical thinking throughout most of the twentieth century has somewhat eclipsed his important place in the history of British thought. Consequently, although there is renewed interest in his ideas and role in the development of Western philosophy, his writings are often hard to find. This collection unites all of his published works, much of which has long been out of print, together with selected notebooks, articles, and correspondence from his previously unpublished remains. The set therefore provides the opportunity to view his entire philosophy, both in the breadth of its scope - from critical history and ethics through logic to metaphysics and epistemology - and in its historical development - from the earliest Hegelian writings to the later more psychological and pragmatic work. In addition the set features introductions to Bradley's writings, life and character, providing the framework to assess his permanent importance in the history of philosophy. --the first ever publication of all Bradley's works --includes 5 volumes of reset material, mostly never before published --a collecton that all serious philosophy libraries should have --extremely comprehensive new editorial matter --volumes 4 & 5 are indexed by subject and name --collects Bradley's correspondence, spanning 50 years, with Russell, Samuel Alexander, Bosanquet, Haldane, William James, Andrew Seth Pringle-Pattison, and many others --includes Bradley's notes on Green's lectures on ethics, selected undergraduate essays, notebooks preparatory of his major works, lists of what Bradley read, essays that never reached publication, inventory of Bradley's papers, and a catalogue of Bradley's personal library.
Keywords Philosophy
20th Century British Philosophy in European Philosophy
Francis Herbert Bradley in 19th Century Philosophy
Buy the book $160.00 used (88% off) $477.48 new (64% off) $1320.00 direct from Amazon Amazon page
Call number B1618.B7 1999
ISBN(s) 1855065770 1855065924
This entry has no external links. Add one.
The Nature of All Being: A Study of Wittgenstein's Modal Atomism.Raymond Bradley - 1992 - Oxford University Press.
Perspectives on Bradley.Stewart Candlish - 1998 - British Journal for the History of Philosophy 6 (2):275 – 279.
Bradley and the Problematic Status of Metaphysics: In Search of an Adequate Ontology of Appearance.Damian Ilodigwe - 2005 - Cambridge Scholars Press.
Truth, Coherence and Correspondence in the Metaphysics of F.H. Bradley.Allan F. Randall - unknown
F.H. Bradley and the Concept of Relative Truth.Sean Sayers - 1991 - Radical Philosophy 59 (59):15-20.
Appearance Versus Reality: New Essays on Bradley's Metaphysics.Guy Stock (ed.) - 1998 - Oxford University Press.
The Philosophy of F.H. Bradley.Anthony Richards Manser & Guy Stock (eds.) - 1984 - Clarendon Press.
An Introduction to Bradley's Metaphysics.W. J. Mander - 1994 - Oxford University Press.
Writings on Logic and Metaphysics.F. H. Bradley - 1994 - Oxford University Press.
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Plant a tree in memory of Rosie L.
Be the first to share your favorite memory, photo or story of Rosie L.. This memorial page is dedicated for family, friends and future generations to celebrate the life of their loved one.
Rosie L. Hartsfield Thomas was a native of Jackson County, Florida. Rosie was born November 25, 1933 to the late Nancy Neal Hartsfield and the late Joshua Hartsfield. She was the eldest of ten children and attended public school in Greenwood, Florida and Donalsonville, Georgia.
Rosie accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age. After finding her place in the church, she joined the choir. She enjoyed and took pride in singing. One of her favorite hymns was "Amazing Grace". Her favorite scripture passages were Psalm 23 and Psalm 27.
As a teen, she enjoyed talking to elderly people because she felt they had so much wisdom. She would spend hours listening to, learning from and laughing with the community elders. As they shared their life experiences, it helped expand her view of the world.
Rosie was blessed with the gift of styling hair and sewing. She started sewing as a child, by making doll clothes and perfected this skill over the years. Her gifts of styling hair and sewing made her well known in the community. Although not formally trained as a beautician, many people came to Rosie to have her comb and style their hair. She always had a passion for helping others, so she would create hairdos and design fashions for any of the community women.
After her teenage years, she met and married Clemon Thomas with whom she had five children; William, Clemon, Ronnie, Sharolyn and Linda. Rosie was a firm disciplinarian who instilled morals and values in her children while she raised them up in the church. She was a full-time homemaker and was often sought out by members of the community since she had excellent sewing skills. She gained her independence later in life obtaining her first full-time job outside the home when she was in her early 50's (WOW, what an accomplishment). Rosie enjoyed her new found freedom and worked to build a comfortable home for herself and her children.
Rosie stayed active giving of her time and talent whenever and however she was needed. She had a great love for her family and children who always looked forward to sharing Sunday dinners at her home. Not only was she a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, she was the part-time caretaker of her grandchildren and great grandchildren and continued to sew for those who needed her services. At St. Hebron AME Church, she served on Stewardess Board #1.
Today we honor and celebrate the life and legacy of Rosie L. Hartsfield Thomas, who was a caring and giving member of her family, the community and the St. Hebron AME Church family.
Rosie leaves to cherish her sweet spirit and memory, her children: Clemon Thomas, Ronnie Thomas (Michelle), Sharolyn Wood and Linda Love (Franklin, Sr.); grandchildren: LaMontie Thomas (Brandy), Kaquana Ellis (Garnett), Takevia Hartsfield, Demetria Thomas-Masso (Dario), Tiffani Wood, Antoine Thomas, Tre' Wood, Franklin Love, Jr. (LaSheka), Daniel Thomas, Brittany Green (Delanto), Kevin Waite, Clemecia Love, Toren Wood and Tariq Waite; thirteen great grandchildren; sisters: Mattie Mae Hartsfield, Dorothy George (Bobby) and Verdine Mitchell; brothers: Clifford Hartsfield (Sandra) and Tommy Hartsfield (Judy); a loving aunt: Mable Potter; step-mother: Jellen Ford; godchildren: Monterrious Diggs and Shala Ward; special friends that she loved and called her daughters: Elizabeth Thompson and Admetric Moore; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Rosie was preceded in death by her oldest son: William Lee Hartsfield and great grandson: Kyler Elijah Green.
To plant a tree in memory of Rosie L. Hartsfield Thomas, please visit our Tribute Store.
"Email Address" would like to share the life celebration of Rosie L. Hartsfield Thomas. Click on the "link" to go to share a favorite memory or leave a condolence message for the family.


A literary critique of the 1791 and 1813 editions of the American penmanship and handwriting text "The Art of Writing, Reduced to a Plain and Easy System," by John Jenkins is presented. It considers aspects of national identity and individual identity, noting Jenkins' concern for national unity in the first edition. The author explores social and economic facets of handwriting, reflecting on gentility, opportunity, and aesthetics.
Christen, Richard S., "John Jenkins and The Art of Writing: Handwriting and Identity in the Early American Republic" (2012). Education Faculty Publications and Presentations. 8.


As you can see I fell in love with African flowers. LOL! I have old pillows that I was about to dispose but I decided to recycle them. So, I decided to use my old and new yarns to make throw covers for my old pillows. The purple is small and it made up with 15 hexagon African flowers and 6 half African flowers. The red is big and made up of 24 hexagons and 8 half African flowers. My husband asked me why did I make different colors well, the purple yarns are left over from blanket I made for my best friend. I am going to make another red to match with the big red throw.


text:
Zagel bezeichnet:

 Zagel, ein Stück Eisen, das in einer Eisenhütte verarbeitet wird
 altes Wort (ursprünglich Haarbüschel) für Schwanz, Rute, Schweif und Penis

Zagel ist der Name folgender Personen:

 Friedrich Zagel (1893–1979), deutscher Landrat
 Gudrun Zagel (* 1966), Assistenz-Professorin für öffentliches Recht an der Universität Salzburg
 Hermann H. Zagel (1859–1936), deutschsprachiger US-amerikanischer Autor
 James Zagel (* 1941), Richter am US District Court in Illinois.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


What are Continuous Inking Systems?
Tech-Wonders.com » Software » What are Continuous Inking Systems?
Continuous Inking Systems (CIS) are aftermarket kits for inkjet printers. These systems supply ink to special cartridge through tubes which are connected to the bottles or reservoirs.
The user should not worry of the cartridge running dry or about replacing them. The user can simply add ink to the bottles when they run low. The Continuous Inking Systems are especially designed to cover most Canon, HP, Epson and other printers.
The bottles which are the part of the inking system are placed alongside the printer. The number of bottles varies according to the model of the printer. Every bottle is filled with proper color ink. In this system a tube runs from the bottle cap to the ink cartridge inside the inkjet printers. These tubes are bound with each other into a "ribbon" cable. The Continuous Inking Systems provides the users with a syringe for primary setup to clear the tubes with air and help them draw ink.
Continuous Inking Systems are capable of large runs as photographs and other printing jobs can be carried out very easily without worrying about running out of ink. Other advantage of this sophisticated system is that it is cost-effective as the cartridge included is specially designed for longevity.
The installation of Continuous Inking Systems is very easy and it takes only 5-10 minutes depending upon the kind of the kit and the printer. It comprises of two major steps-loading the cartridge and then installing the inks along with the carts and the tubes.
Care must be taken so that the reservoir bottles are not positioned higher than the printer as the gravity could make the ink to flood which causes improper printing and affects printing quality. While installing the systems no permanent changes are made in the printer and the user can easily change it back to the standard cartridge. Continuous Inking Systems are easy to install and use and can be purchased online from the company dealer directly.


Mum wanted to visit the beach today. Obi was just excited to go somewhere! It was very nice, almost warm, at Arness Dock. The tide was out a bit and the water was calm. A perfectly lovely hour next to the Inlet.
Obi has a thing about waves. He absolutely must bark at them. I reckon he doesn't like how they keep moving and he can't do a thing about it!
Mum was quite a ways down the beach. I stayed closer to the car.
Mum picked up lots of loot!!! Rocks of all kinds-Obi just barked.
Adding a picture of me. Steve made a comment that photographers don't often show up in photos, so I figured I should put one in.
This rock had a face. I'm not sure you can see it. I almost stepped on it and was a bit startled!