Pakistan floods
I just want to urge people to donate money to the Pakistan flood victims. Over 14 million people have been affected by the floods. To put the level of devastation into perspective, the area affected would equal to the whole of New Zealand being under water. Please visit http://www.savethechildren.org.nz/index.html or http://www.unrefugees.org/site/c.lfIQKSOwFqG/b.6175403/k.D61F/Waters_continue_to_rise_in_Pakistan_as_millions_are_displaced.htm?msource=K1014a&gclid=CMye4tW90aMCFQ25bwodJEnouQ to donate whatever you can to help these people. You never know when you might need the favour returned.
Sick of work?
So, National is getting up in arms about people pulling sickies. Employment law changes will see employees obliged to produce a medical certificate to prove they are indeed sick and not just faking it. To me this seems like another exercise in pointlessness. We are all adults, are we not? Within reason, if a person doesn’t feel like going to work, because they need a break, maybe they should be left to exercise their discretion on the matter. The occasional “sickie” may help a person recover from the immense build up of stress that accompanies most jobs. It may, in the long run, prevent stress related illnesses, which are ultimately a much bigger burden on employers. How about giving employees the benefit of the doubt. In my opinion, forcing people to produce medical certificates will unnecessarily burden general practices with visits from patients who would otherwise just stay at home keeping their germs to themselves. Also, if a person is so sick of work maybe they should take a day to get their head together, so they can return refreshed and able to be more productive. Perhaps if employers are experiencing a lot of “sickie” pulling they need to examine the environment their employees are being subjected to and adjust it so people want to be there everyday, rain or shine.
Oil spill solution
So I have just received an email about two Kiwi engineers who think they have the soulution for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill by BP. I haven’t seen the concept explained thoroughly but it is loosely inspired by a “slinky”. The idea is based on a product designed to contain water under pressure for a garden hose. Simon Moore and Dan McElrea of Puku say the problem with the oil spill is the jagged edge at the top of the broken oil pipe which makes it difficult to seal. The engineers think a helical jam device is the answer.
“You need something you can drop in, release and it grips,” Mr Moore told TVNZ.
“In one direction it gets smaller and then you put it into a pipe at bottom of sea and release it…it will jam against the inside pipe,” says Mr McElrea
Apparently a basic slinky can hold the weight of a man.
The engineers are champing at the bit to get the design out there and solve this disaster once and for all. It’ll be interesting to see how they progress. Check out their site because I can’t explain it myself.
Smoking crims
Prisons are going to be smokefree by this time next year. This is apparently to protect staff and nonsmoking prisoners from the harm of passive smoking. Fair enough on their behalf but why does it have to be all or nothing? Can’t they just make a smoking area? It seems simple enough. Prisoners would cut down on their smoking and nonsmokers could make the choice to avoid the smoking area. Smoking is terrible and slowly kills you and what not but people should still be able to decide for themselves if they want to do it. Either make it illegal to sell tobacco and put big tobacco out of business or be reasonable in how smoking restrictions are implemented. This sort of paternalism is precisely what people complain about the left doing. It just seems disingenuous to me. I wonder what the connection is between this and prison privitisation. Are the new prison owners looking to avoid being sued by staff who get smoking-related diseases? New Zealanders have a blood lust towards its prison population that worries me. It’s on the scale of emotion that drew people to public hangings and floggings in less civilised times.
Reported child abuse at record levels
Child Youth and Family figures show a 119 per cent increase in reported child abuse cases in New Zealand over the last five years. CYF predicts the number of cases reported will reach a record level of 125 000 this year. This tragedy will have repercussions for decades to come. It affects us all and it puts each one of us to shame. Should wanna-be mums and dads be forced to take parenting classes before they are allowed the privilege of have children? Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs anyone can do and it is also the job that holds the most responsibility. We have to have a licence to drive a car or fly a plane. Maybe we should have to hold a licence to have children. Civil libertarians and religious fanatics will endlessly complain in the face of such interference into our private lives but perhaps in New Zealand we have already lost the right to claim such unfettered freedom. What do you think? I’m stumped but I want to do something and do it fast.
Getting back in the saddle
So, my kid goes to circus school. She absolutely loves it but yesterday she hurt her arm quite badly when she slipped and caught her wrist on a ring while doing trapeze. Now she doesn’t ever want to go back. She was in tears all night, not just because of the pain, but because she loves circus school and thinks she can’t do it anymore. I’m not sure how to coax her to get back on the horse. I actually had horses growing up and had to literally get back on them every time I fell or was thrown from their backs. Are kids made of different stuff these days? Admittedly, I still have a decent amount of apprehension about riding, despite how often I did it.
All Whites the new Black?
Could New Zealand’s surprise success at soccer be turning of the tide? Will the All Whites be the new All Blacks? Has football become the new rugby? I for one have a modicum more interest in the fate of our soccer team than I have ever been able to muster for rugby. But I’m a Kiwi anomaly.
Embarrassed by my profession
Thomas Carlyle
Each night when I watch the news I feel like throwing my boots at the screen. The conduct of journalists whenever a politician errs, more often than not, is more disgraceful than the act the are “reporting” on. How can journalists serve their democratic function when they behave in such a manner no one in their right mind would respect them? There is a vicious cycle of politicians behaving badly, only to be followed by even worse behaviour by the people reporting the behaviour. It’s a fine mess we’ve made. Nobody trusts politicians and nobody trusts journalists. This completely erodes democracy as people are sickened out of their citizenship. It is a journalist’s job to report the facts and hold those in power accountable. This requires a focus on real issues at hand, not drowning the important life-impacting actions of those making decisions in a cesspool of sleaze and bile. There are real stories out there that need to be told if you do your job properly. Stop being pimped by your network or your editor. You just look so desperate.
Starving New Zealand whales
Beached pilot whales are turning up on New Zealand shores with signs of starvation. Marine biologist Steve O’Shea studies beached whales in New Zealand and believes the fishing industry is starving them of their food supply. The whales’ main food source is squid, which they rely on for nourishment and hydration. It’s a worrying sign. The whales have worn down teeth, possibly from biting rocks or plastic in the search for sustenance. O’shea says almost all the whales they have studied have ulcerated stomachs, something which occurs only from bad diet, smoking or drinking. I don’t think whales do a lot of boozing or fagging. I for one will not be eating salt & pepper squid anymore.
If you want to find out some pilot whale facts head here
