@psheth.bsky.social

@psheth.bsky.social

950 Followers 587 Following

Now living in Wellington, NZ. Previously in Richmond, VA, USA. Toitū te Tiriti

Transit data showing that half of Wellington journeys are by car, a quarter by public transit, and a quarter by bike/walking Auckland and Christchurch are both over 85% car
Appealing to the supreme court is performative sure That's what they can do in this situation. Signal to the public that they care about the law, that they are willing to fight within the law, and work to win those seats under that message
Tweet saying "The last decade has been the Democrats clinging onto the rulebook going "but a dog can't play basketball!" while a dog fucking dunks on us over and over The tweet was from 8 years ago, and sadly remains just as applicable today as it was then.
In addition, this bill has not had a regulatory impact statement, was not foreshadowed in Manifestos of the Government Parties and has had a shortened select committee. And it is being rushed through at a time when the committee is struggling to find time to consider the wider Resource Management Act reforms with continued extended sittings and urgency. Despite the short timeframe the chief executive officer of the mega Ministry has already been appointed, even before this legislation has been reported back to Parliament. This is clear demonstration of the scant regard this Government has for robust Parliamentary processes.
In addition, this bill has not had a regulatory impact statement, was not foreshadowed in Manifestos of the Government Parties and has had a shortened select committee. And it is being rushed through at a time when the committee is struggling to find time to consider the wider Resource Management Act reforms with continued extended sittings and urgency. Despite the short timeframe the chief executive officer of the mega Ministry has already been appointed, even before this legislation has been reported back to Parliament. This is clear demonstration of the scant regard this Government has for robust Parliamentary processes.
Tweet saying "the last decade has been thr Democrats clinging onto the rulebook going" but a dog can't play basketball!" while a dog fucking dunks on us over and over The tweet was from 2018, so it's more like 2 decades now
No organisation representing teachers or principals has spoken out in support of the government's changes, but Stanford claimed most teachers backed her. "Schools I've talked to are hugely on board," she said.
Screenshot from Slay the Spire 2
Dog sitting on chair with coffee while the entire room is on fire Text says "it's fine"
Wellingtonians make 26% of their journeys by foot/cycle, 24% by public transit, and 51% by car
Completely full cycle lockup in front of Embassy Theatre tonight. Incidentally there were tons of open car parks nearby...
Chart comparing excess mortality across various countries during the covid pandemic (2020-2023). US and UK were the worst. Sweden, Australia, Taiwan, and Korea were middle of the pack. NZ was the clear winner by a huge margin.
Dickhead driving in the cycle lane in Wellington
Dickhead driver in the cycle lane
A dickhead driving in the cycle lane because he couldn't be bothered to wait in traffic - plate PKA193
Data indicating that about 50 percent of journeys in Wellington are made by car, 25 percent by public transit, and 25 percent by walk/cycle. In comparison, Auckland and Christchurch are both >80% car, and even Sydney is 67% car. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024001272
Data indicating that about 50 percent of journeys in Wellington are made by car, 25 percent by public transit, and 25 percent by walk/cycle https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024001272
Mobility for Wellington showing about 50% journeys by car and the rest split between public transit and walking/cycling This is a significant contrast to Auckland and Christchurch, which are almost entirely car-dependent
The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that the type of gun the Department of Homeland Security claims Alex Pretti was carrying when he fatally shot by border patrol officers on Saturday is a Sig Sauer P320 9mm pistol, which is both popular and frequently carried by US military and law enforcement officers. While Pretti was licensed to carry a gun, it has not yet been proven that the gun shown in a social media image posted online by DHS was, in fact, his. The department’s credibility is suspect, given that senior federal officials, including the president, falsely claimed after Pretti was killed that he had approached the federal officers brandishing a gun, when video evidence shows that is not true. The Minneapolis newspaper also notes: “Federal agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), also carry P320s, as do many state and local law enforcement officers.”
The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that the type of gun the Department of Homeland Security claims Alex Pretti was carrying when he fatally shot by border patrol officers on Saturday is a Sig Sauer P320 9mm pistol, which is both popular and frequently carried by US military and law enforcement officers. While Pretti was licensed to carry a gun, it has not yet been proven that the gun shown in a social media image posted online by DHS was, in fact, his. The department’s credibility is suspect, given that senior federal officials, including the president, falsely claimed after Pretti was killed that he had approached the federal officers brandishing a gun, when video evidence shows that is not true. The Minneapolis newspaper also notes: “Federal agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), also carry P320s, as do many state and local law enforcement officers.”
New constraints on DHS include $20 million that must be used to purchase and operate body-worn cameras for ICE and CBP officers, a directive for DHS to provide de-escalation training for ICE and CBP agents, as well as training reminding officers of Americans’ right to record any interactions they have with them. Many videos have gone viral on social media displaying the aggressive behavior toward people recording ICE in the streets of Minneapolis.
A post asking how to mandate vaccination for kids and whether NZ does it.
Comparison of current and new budgets for ICE. New bill increases Enforcement and Removal Operations budget by 371 million compared to prior baseline
Poll about abolishing ICE. Shows strong Dem support, strong Rep opposition, and moderate independent support (+12)
Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the House’s top Democratic appropriator, acknowledged that the legislation does not include some of the “broader reforms Democrats proposed,” such as preventing DHS from detaining and deporting U.S. citizens or blocking the department from using other agencies’ personnel for immigration enforcement.
New constraints on DHS include $20 million that must be used to purchase and operate body-worn cameras for ICE and CBP officers, a directive for DHS to provide de-escalation training for ICE and CBP agents, as well as training reminding officers of Americans’ right to record any interactions they have with them. Many videos have gone viral on social media displaying the aggressive behavior toward people recording ICE in the streets of Minneapolis.
Some fucking bullshit published by RNZ, both-sidesing murder by ICE goons.
Tweet saying "the last decade has been the Democrats clinging onto the rulebook going" but a dog can't play basketball!" while a dog fucking dunks on us over and over.
Graph of registered firearms in Australia, showing a sharp drop after the gun reforms in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre and a steady increase over the past decade to a record high now.
NZ Labour leader Chris Hipkins saying "We've had a series of governments now who have encouraged people to be aspiration for New Zealand and have promised things that have been completely unrealistic. I don't think we can afford to do that anymore." This is apparently the campaign message he's running with after 2 years of reflection and listening, or whatever the fuck he's been doing since getting his ass kicked in 2023
Map showing that nearly every country in the Western Hemisphere has unconditional birthright citizenship
UK electoral projection showing Labour getting completely wiped out and ushering in.l a far-right government
The RC's map of proposed changes in Central Wellington. Note the clearly highlighted boundary change suggestions and complete absence of name change suggestions.
A chart showing stable age for first time home buying through the 2000s and 2010s (in the early 30s),spikijg since 2019 to 40. Over that same time frame, the proportion of repeat buyers has increased markedly, as has the age for repeat buyers
Chart showing the median age of home buyers steadily increasing since 2010. There is a one year downtick in 2022, which Will is cherry-picking to downplay the larger, consistent trend upward
Stuff online poll asking "Should the Jobseeker benefit for teens depend on their parents' income" 19% yes, 74% no, 7% unsure
What the changes mean for Wellington Wellington mayor Tory Whanau said it was a “huge win” for the city known for its issues with earthquake prone buildings, both residential and commercial. Whanau believed the new system would have hundreds of owners from expensive repairs. She said the number of earthquake-prone buildings in Wellington will be about half. “Officers will review what these proposed changes mean for the Capital E building, which forms part of the City to Sea Bridge, and whether its earthquake-prone status would be removed under the new rules.” The pause on the bridge’s demolition demolition will be extended until officers reported back in the new Council term on what options the new rules could give Capital E and the bridge.
NBC News headline Schumer, Jeffries request meeting with Trump ahead of potential government shutdown The request comes after the U.S. Senate rejected a stopgap measure that would have kept the government open another few weeks.
House Democratic leaders will vote in favor of a GOP resolution condemning political violence and celebrating Charlie Kirk in the wake of last week’s fatal shooting of the conservative activist in Utah — a measure expected to hit the floor on Friday. In a closed-door meeting in the Capitol basement Thursday morning, top leaders informed rank-and-file lawmakers they will support the resolution, though they will not push other members to do the same.
Disney+ cancellation screenshot. Stated reason for canceling is "I don't give money to fascist bootlickers"
House lawmakers get $10K per month for personal security following Kirk assassination Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle had been agitating for more protection.
UK government approval rating under Kier Starmer. Somehow in the course of about a year, his government has gone from neutral to 11% approval and 72% disapproval.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. It's something too few MPs do these days, and I want to commend you for engaging with members of the public. That said, I think it's important to understand what, precisely, you find appalling in Professor Dutta's comments. You have accused him of " divisive and highly politicised rhetoric," but I have read his comments and I cannot find anything that meets this description. Are you contesting the characterization of Charlie Kirk as a "white supremacist" or "far-right" figure? Because Charlie Kirk himself argued that non-white races were inferior and aligned himself with the far-right MAGA movement. Are you affronted that Professor Dutta characterized the attempt to pay homage to him in Parliament as support for the far right? Because again, that seems fairly uncontroversial given that it is a public declaration of honour for a far-right figure. Are there other inflammatory comments that Professor Dutta has made that I'm not aware of? I will also note that you failed to answer my questions about which of Charlie Kirk's views make him worthy of homage. New Zealand's Parliament clearly does not honour every American who is murdered by gun violence (there are over 15,000 of these people per year); Parliament certainly did not honour the innocent children slain by gun violence in Minnesota earlier this month. As far as I can tell, Parliament has never honoured a foreign figure without a connection to New Zealand (but please correct me if I'm wrong). So again, I am asking you which of Charlie Kirk's views you think are worthy of homage. I am sure that a champion of open discourse such as yourself would not dodge such a basic question about a figure your wish to honour. Once again, I look forward to your response.
To be clear I have not called for him to be fired - I have said that in my view he should find another job. In my view it is appalling that a professor in a New Zealand university would respond to someone being murdered on a university campus in the middle of a debate in front of thousands of people including his own family, with divisive and highly politicised rhetoric that the professor endeavoured to link to New Zealand politicians. It is highly irresponsible language by someone who should care about university campuses in New Zealand and elsewhere being free from violence - in particular murder, and quite extraordinary coming from someone who specialises in "communication" and knows the power and value of words. This should have been a moment for him to condemn political violence - particularly on university campuses. He's free to say what he thinks though - and I'm free to say that I think that what he said was awful. Regards, Joseph Mooney
Joseph, I'm writing to you because I think it's appalling that you're using your platform as a member of the Government to call for a professor to be fired for expressing his views. Ironically, this sort of government interference with academic affairs is exactly the type of thing that advocates for free speech generally argue against. Especially in New Zealand, where all universities are public, it is highly inappropriate for a sitting member of the Government to interfere in academic affairs like you are attempting to do. It really calls into question whether you really care about free speech and open discussion, or if you're more interested in policing discourse and imposing your preferred ideology by force. Beyond that, and in the interest of free speech and frank discourse, I'm curious to know which of Charlie Kirk's views you think are worthy of homage? Is it that "black women do not have brain processing power to be taken seriously"? That a woman should "submit to [her] husband"? That "Islam is not compatible with western civilization"? That gay people should be stoned to death? That a 10-year-old who was raped and impregnated by her rapist should be forced to carry the fetus to term? That " it’s worth it to have ... some gun deaths every single year" to maintain gun access? Or is it something else he said or did? Please let me know, as it's certainly in the interest of the New Zealand public to have a full understanding of their elected representatives' views. As you are a champion of open discourse, I am sure I will hear from you on this soon.
Album cover for Radiohead - The Bends
At the time of Phillips disappearance, the children and their father were living at Phillips' parents farm in Marakopa. Jayda was eight, Maverick was seven and Ember was five. A custody dispute in the Family Court was ongoing - the children's parents had separated, and Phillips was homeschooling them at the family farm. Their mother, Cat, said she knew as soon as Phillips disappeared the first time it was not a mistake - it was "a decoy". She told the police Phillips would be in the bush, and that taking the children was not about clearing his head - he was trying to hurt her. "He's trying to teach me a lesson," Cat told media. "He doesn't care for them, they're just pawns in this game." In hindsight, police say the first disappearance was a "trial run" for what Phillips was planning to do later. "We believe it's over custody. I know there's been various opinions out there, including the fact that it may be Covid-related," Acting Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said in 2024. "From our point of view, this is straight up about custody of the children."
Campaign signs for Labour candidates in Berhampore, Wellington. On the left you have Nureddin Abdurahaman for council, with strong Labour branding (red color and Labour Party logo) along with a nice message to "keep the Maori Ward". On the right you have Andrew Little for mayor, with a generic off-white background and no indication that he's a Labour Party candidate at all. More than 1/4 of the sign is blank white space.
RNZ headline "Christopher Luxon hypes re-announcement of 7.5 billion Amazon investment from 2021"
Chart of excess mortality from 2020-2023. NZ shows no excess mortality over baseline during the first 3 years of Covid. Sweden, Taiwan, Singapore, and Australia show a moderate increase in excess mortality over that time frame. US shows significant increase in excess mortality.
The current form of the Fast Track Act is unacceptable to Labour because it has no reference to the environment in its purpose and enables unconsent-able projects to progress and harm the environment. We are not opposed to a fast track (such as found in the now repealed Natural and Built Environment Act) that does not override environmental protections. It might be simpler to amend the Act rather than repeal it - this is an issue that we will determine with the Party closer to the election. The current version of fast track is unacceptable and must change. You also raise the issue of revoking consents. This Government has put the country in the terrible position of potentially needing to compensate international companies that pollute should we revoke consents. Any environmentally destructive projects would need to be reviewed before further consideration of revocation. There may be significant financial implications of revocation and these will need to be considered along with the environmental harm and NZ's reputation. I am incredibly angry that future governments have been put in this position. I am watching the progress of applications closely. If applicants do not offer up the sorts of conditions expected under the Resource Management Act and consultation with their community then there will be no social license for the projects. We will work with communities as the applications progress. I agree that this Government's fast track is awful. You may have seen the many amendments we suggested (before the Greens) that would have fundamentally altered the parts of the Act that you raise as concerning. Labour will fix it. However we take a more cautious approach than the Greens regarding rescinding approvals made under the fast track . I am happy to discuss this further with you.
Screenshot of very old steam purchases, showing Civ IV, Civ V DLCs, Tropico 3, Braid, and Portal
RNZ headline on an upcoming teachers strike that states "Teacher's decision to strike a 'political stunt'" This is one one of the worst headlines I've ever seen. It privileges the government's anti-worker talking point by making it seem like a neutral statement without even attributing it to a minister