Posts by Max Call
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Meh... I'm not convinced Australia and the US even really give that much of a shit about our 'iconic' nuclear weapons policy. I just have to wonder if among all the hot air around 'climate change', anyone is going to be raising the subject with Hu Jintao? Or is China's frankly appalling environmental record another one of those pesky 'sensitivities' we avoid at all cost?
as opposed to US, Australia and NZs stunning records? What are we supposed to say? Oh , we got rich at the cost of the environment and increased CO2 emmissions - but you guys have to pay now too
I'm not saying Chinas development and environmental impact is no concern - but it may look a bit rich coming from countries who have the highest per capita footprint and wont sign up to the Kyoto protocol.... do as we say (not as we do). -
what is going to happen to the housing market when all those baby-boomers retire and the govt lets higher than current levels of immigration (maybe even higher than a few years back)?
Sometimes when I venture down to Papamoa (Fashion Island or Plaza) it sounds like I am in Britain.... they have all bought lovely $500k-ish houses out in Papamoa.
For those that haven't ventured to this part of the country for a wee while - it really has exploded. Though i have heard recently that new house building is now in decline in BOP when I first moved over this way 3-4years ago Tauranga city was having to expand by 20 new houses per week to keep up with growth. We ourselves looked for a rental at this time and 5 of the 8 companies i contacted who dealt with rental properties didn't even have one property to show me! It is quite different now (saturation levels maybe?) and supply is definitely outstripping demand in both property and rentals but if immigration levels were upped again? -
whoops - i get it now
Hey Stephen from Tokyo,
I am there next week for short visit (10 nights)
Any recommendations/hot tips? (food, beer, sights)
will be a bit of a culture shock for me (i have only travelled to english speaking countries before) and i want to make the most of it!
I have (of course) read everything i can find on internet but there is nothing like a locals knowledge -
some of the NZD prices quoted for food in above post are way off reality (my reality in Tauranga anyway).
I have never paid anywhere near $10 for kg of cheddar - you usually would get this for around $7 on special. Also is not comparing peaches with peaches!! They would be in season (or close to it in States) and the peaches on offer here are imported from States because it is winter here. In our summer i would pay around $2kg for beautiful (far superior tasting) peaches here in NZ.
I could go on but others have already covered bits and pieces. -
thanks for your time and help James.
I am currently studying a Grad Dip Teaching (Secondary) and am researching for a paper i need to write on this topic. My original degree was in Geo and then i had a career in rural banking so this is all new territory for me - but i am thoroughly enjoying it nevertheless.
however i have too many threads i am interested in around this topic to cover in my essay (word limit!) but this is frustrating because the more i read about the more questions i have... though as a (future)teacher it is of course my job to not only 'teach' but learn.As an aside, in my limited experience teaching (seven weeks at a decile 4 local College) teenagers are people too!! I feel there are too many people in MSM, politicians etc who portray only the negative and some people who don't have much contact with teenagers may get the impression that they are all evil sociopaths intent on self and community destruction - not true!
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Just read some of your select committee submission James.
Will finish the rest after i write this post.
I was interested in the link between the age of somebody (adolescence) and deliquency and that it "normative".
Do you have any references regarding why 'teenagers' exist in our society (and not in others)? Also if deliquency is normal for a teenager (for the reasons you have outlined) what happened in our society before this demographic existed? (and in other societies where it does not exist).
Do you think the widening gap between sexual/physical and mental maturity is having an impact on these things too?
I am genuinely interested in any references you can give me.. i am currently looking at risk-taking behaviour in teenagers with regards to alcohol in particular. If the references you cite in the report cover this as well, all good. I am going to try to get these from Uni library.
And i agree - you have written the submission well - very clear -
Could you translate please - surely a ball is the same whichever way up it is?
Is this a serious question? Just in case it is.... turning the ball over refers to possession being given/awarded to the opposition. For example, if you knock the ball forward then possession would be awarded to the other team (rugby)
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Jackie Clark: "Would it be overly naive of me to ask if anyone has ever done research into why people need to get high?"
http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/bookstore/walton2002.cfm
click above link for summary of book that contends that we all have (to varying degrees) a biological drive to 'get high'. I hav read book and it puts forward an interesting case. The rest of the website this book is on is also interesting reading.
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Michael: "I see your point but must dispute any action that is more inclusive to be called gerrymandering."
yes I agree.
It has kind of evolved to deal with proportional representaion - so what is this called? Suemandering? -
my comment was more aimed at looking at Sues motivation for the proposal....
a cynical person may say it is a kind of gerrymandering (via age rather than geography)
Personally i think it is pretty cool that someone is looking out for young people down there in Wellington. Most of the debate that comes out of the beehive regarding young people is focussed on their 'problems' and is very negative... almost like they are a different species who are evil and need containing (boy-racing, crime seem to popular topics for Bob Clarkson, my local MP)