pork industry board torture pigs for profit

Pigs are very sensitive creatures. They deserve dignity and to be treated with respect. Holding them in these cages is cruel and torture for them. Our insensitivity towards animals contributes to the causes of the breakdown of our society. As our general insensitivity rises, or our sensitivity decreases, we become more callous and ultimately desensitised, to initially the animals cries of pain and suffering, but eventually to other humans cries of pain and suffering.

So we watch the news and see a woman crying in the middle east because her family has been blown up and it barely touches us.

"Comedian Mike King, who used to front a campaign promoting pork products, says the "callous and evil" practice of crate farming pigs should be outlawed immediately."

"The pigs were unable to move and obviously in distress, chewing at the cage bars and frothing, King said.

There was one dead pig in the sties and Mr King described the pigs as being "despairing, terrified and lost".

It was "callous, evil" treatment of pigs and the sound of "screaming" pigs he would never forget.

"It was like they were screaming for you to help them.

"If I had known this was going on I would never have supported this. I firmly believe that anyone who sees this would say this has to stop.""

"However, the Pork Industry Board said intensive farming was the only way it could remain competitive and changing from crates and stalls would cost millions of dollars.

They were the best way to prevent indoor pigs them from injuring each other.
The board said less than half the country's pigs, about 20,000, were kept in such ways and by 2015 the proposal was they would spend half their time out of the crates."

So it is all about the money or profit again. If it was me I'd put the pork industry board into cages... and leave them there.

UPDATE

"Green Party animal welfare spokesperson Sue Kedgley criticised Mr Carter's apparent lack of knowledge regarding pig farms after being shown the footage on the Sunday programme.
"Mr Carter looked shocked and said he had no idea sow stalls were widely used in New Zealand," Ms Kedgley said.

"I am incredulous that the minister, who has been chair of Parliament's agriculture select committee for three years, would not know sow crates are used widely by New Zealand pig industry.

Meanwhile, in light of last night's Sunday programme, the New Zealand Pork Industry Board has postponed this year's Bacon of the Year awards. The board said it supported the Minister's investigation and believed it was inappropriate to proceed until the issue was resolved."

Ummmm yes quite a good idea to hold off that award - now get back in your cages!

Sorry Mohammed, you're too brown!

"Award-winning author Mohammed Hanif has accused New Zealand immigration officials of racism after he was detained for three hours on the way to receive his Commonwealth Writers first book prize."

Many may look at this story and say that this is rubbish it is not racism because the hunt is still on for terrorists and they just happen to be swarthy brown types, so it makes sense to check those people out even more than others.

The sad fact is that it is racism. All brown people are not terrorists. Differenciating people based upon the colour of their skin is racist and also dumb. Just think, if you were a terrorist and you knew the profile of terrorists that the governments were looking for, it would make sense to look the oppostite of the profile, wouldn't it? So, by having a set profile you actually increase the likelihood of an attack not lessen it. That is all based upon the supposition that someone is trying to commit a terrorist attack, which i don't believe.

"He believed he was singled out by authorities because he was "brown" and when asked if he considered the delay was due to racism, said "yes".
Searching his luggage was pointless, he said. "They're not going to find terrorists by going through their underwear."

Officials did not seem to listen when he told them he was in New Zealand for Auckland's Readers and Writers Festival, he said."

Sorry Mohammed they don't care about your achievements or what a good father you might be - they just care that you are brown... and therefore a threat.

The irony is that this country is BROWN not WHITE. And the sooner we get back to that reality the better we will be, as a country, as people and as a nation.

Great 2009 Reader Survey on Ngai tahu website

It's great that Ngai Tahu are doing a survey on the magazines, Te Karaka and Te Panui Runaka. It's also good that they have sent out the survey via the latest TPK and also added the information and survey onto the Ngau Tahu website. Good thinking!

I hope they get a lot of response and that it offers some guidance. My preference is for both of the publications to have on-line versions. These would not be exactly the same as the paper versions but would instead be created for the medium that they will in. For instance the ability to comment on articles or download photos, upload videos and so on. They would compliment the paper versions. Because the nature of the net is up-to-the-minute information, the online versions will need to take that into consideration. Perhaps with a 'news' section or something along those lines. It could also provide maori, or indigenous news as well as Ngai Tahu news. OTRONT could provide articles as part of their normal reporting proceedure. Each of the paptipu runaka could add content too.

Any ideas that can improve the communication and flow of information between Ngai Tahu whanui gets a big tick from me.

maori will make the cycletrack unique

I'm a fan of the new cycleway initiative. Good on key for twisting english's arm up his back and signing off on the $50M. This isn't the whole answer but it does create some jobs: and the advantage of having a cycling holiday traversing the country sounds like fun to me.

The way to really get the project going is to think of ways to create experiences for the riders. Yes, the scenary is awesome but there are real advantages in building context around the journey. What better way than to offer people tangata whenua interpretations that actually mean something.

Could be something to mull over.

enstein and the father dilemma

We have a dilemma in our country around fathers who, leave their children because they cannot live with their woman anymore, or more likely, the woman has decided she can't live with the man. The dilemma is how to help these men retain and strengthen their relationships with their children, most importantly, their sons. I don't think many men have the support they need to help them negotiate this path.And I am not advocating any cessation of the support for women and children who escape from an abusive relationship with a man. Many men spiral into abuse and they do it almost automatically. Why?

The hard part for many men is to reconcille the situation with their role and responsibility. Too often we get the lament that they were driven to violence, that they had no choice. But it is all rubbish that clouds the truth of accepting responsibility and moving on. Counselling is often the best way to front up to the underlying issues causing a man to be abusive. Often father issues arise. The experience their children are going through activates memories and fears that they have felt, when they were young. With no techniques for negotiating the conflicing feelings many men retreat into depression. Our fathers were supposed to teach us how to cope with these situations, but for too long fathers have not been able to furfill that role.

I'm reading a book about Enstein at the moment. He left his two boys and his wife, this is what he had to say about imaging life away from his sons;

”I would be a real monster if I felt any other way. I have carried these children around innumerable times day and night, taken them out in their pram, played with them, romped around and joked with them. They used to shout with joy when I came; the little one cheered even now, because he was still too small to grasp the situation. Now they will be gone forever, and their image of their father is being spoiled.”

Men have a great fear of this. That their sons will forget them, if they leave. Where did this fear come from? Is it just a normal part of our psyche? How does it relate to the dilemma outlined above, that face men who are leaving their families?

I think the world wars had a lot to do with it. A least two generations of men damaged by those world events. The women also damaged in so many ways. The men that came home had to just get on with it, they had to carry everything inside them.

I am not sure if that made them good fathers. Humankind has been carrying the unintended results of that global conflict for many years.

They did their best, these men, but they were damaged. How could they not be? Their sons grew and continued the same distant parenting style. On top of that, men nowdays, have the pressures of work Our society has sped up so much it's frightening. We do everything fast nowdays. This affects people, especially men, because our society encourages “man as breadwinner” as a social norm. As pressure comes on to provide for our families the cracks can start to form. They appear as increased drinking or drugs, as unhappiness and anger, as violence and abuse. The feelings of self loathing increase and the downward spiral begins.

I think a lot of these feelings of “unworthyness” are a result of our wanting our fathers to be there for us.

If, as you go through a relationship breakup, you keep on thinking of the children, what's best for them, how to make it easier for them: then you stop feeling selfish and acting selfishly. You start to concentrate on what is doable, you think about ways forward and options. At that point, as a man, you become empowered and in your power, in your mana.

It is those moments of understanding when you need your dad, or at least his words and advice. And often that is when our fathers are not there for us. But we can be there for our children, even if we are seperate from the mother. Being there for our sons is our sacred duty. We must be there for our sons by putting our own fears and hurt and embarrasment, and self-denial, and blaming others to one side and let it go.

I believe that the models we are using need to be revisited. Maori men for instance need maori support and a maori way of teaching and learning. We are polynesians not english.

Co-parenting is a good way to be there as a parent.

Developing safe communication tools is the best place to start – I recommend Non-violent Communication - a language of life, by Marshall B Rosenberg

Enstein was, in many ways just like the rest of us. He made mistakes, he was selfish, and he left his boys to be bought up by their mother. He was able to forge good bonds with his sons and we can too.

Enstein letter to his son;

“I will try to be with you for a month a year so that you will have a father that is close to you and can love you. You can learn a lot of good things from me that no one else can offer you. The things I have gained from so much strenuous work should be of value not only to strangers but especially to my own boys. In the last few days I completed one of the finest papers of my life. When you are older, I will tell you about it.”

Ecobob - good website

Ecobob is a great website for searching for eco-products and companies.

"Behind Ecobob is a team of people who are passionate about encouraging sustainable living."

"One of the most-visited areas of ecobob.co.nz is the searchable list of eco houses in New Zealand. People can browse the eco houses by category, such as solar power, rainwater collection, environmentally friendly insulation and non-toxic paints.

The aim of Ecobob is to foster an online community of people sharing ideas on eco living. The chat forum is regularly used and people can either share their thoughts or ask for help on a particular eco-issue. People often email us about eco-events and new eco friendly products which we can profile on the website.

I think with the recession biting, Kiwis are becoming much more conscious of how they spend their money. The great thing about living in an eco-conscious way is that if done right, people can save money and improve their quality of life.

We hope to play a part in that through the online community on ecobob.co.nz and the listings on greenlist.co.nz. Perhaps we'll see a move towards buying quality stuff that really enhances our quality of life."

It is an interesting paradox that the more we focus on eco-ness the more money we save.

rankin in the family commission

I'm not a fan of Christine Rankin. i don't like her politics or her opinions and i don't see much value from her new appointment as a family commissioner. To me the definition of a 'family' is bigger than mum, dad and the kids. I like Sue Bradford's child discipline bill and I don't like 'For the sake of the Children Trust', Destiny Church or Family First. All organisations that rankin has supported."

"Rankin has been divorced three times.

She recently married her fourth husband, whose former wife was found dead in her Wellington home six months ago.

Police said the circumstances of the death were not suspicious.

Rankin was appointed head of Winz (now called Work and Income) under the National government in 1998.

She became a controversial head of the large government department because of her unorthodox management style and her distinctive clothing.

After Labour took office in 2000, Rankin was not reappointed by then social services minister Steve Maharey, leading to a public spat over the length of her skirts and her earrings.

Rankin unsuccessfully sued the State Services Commission for $1.2 million."

So, apart from controversy what can we expect from rankin... not much in my view.

UPDATE
A few other people are unhappy that this person has got this role including:

"Ms Rankin is simply the wrong person to be appointed to a body of this type. She is divisive and controversial and her appointment will be disruptive to the ongoing work of the commission," Mr Dunne said.

Green MP Sue Bradford said National was subverting the commission through political appointments, and accused it of sabotage.

The Standard blog

Colin Espiner's blog

greens losing it

I've been commenting on a few blogs about the greens and also the maori party. It seems to me that the greens have lost their way at the moment. Their message is fuzzy and with the by-election in Mt Albert we have already seen some pretty un-green like activity, such as norman saying he is the only progressive candidate because shearer is a grayman.

The greens have got to get it together. They will be picking a new co-leader soon. i hope they go for someone who can lead.

The photo above shows a side of the greens that i wish wasn't there. i mean really... get more muscle vote for russel... power suit, arms folded - yeah go the greens - you are losing it big time.

Hat tip - kiwiblog

enstein and maori

I'm reading a great book at the moment: Einstein – His life and universe by Walter Isaacson.

I am filled with awe when I think about Einstein. He created a paradigm shift in the way we think about the universe, and he did it through 'thought experiments'. Thought experiments allow the experimenter to create realms that are impossible, so that they can consider the companents of that realm, to learn fundamental truths which help them understand the world. In Enstein's case his first thought experiment was to imagine an observer moving beside a beam of light, at the same speed as the light. What would they observe?

We conduct mini thought experiements every day as we daydream, and contemplate, and imagine the future. They are a worthwhile activity and they help us create the world we want to live in.

For maori it is even more worthwhile – it brings hope. Many of my day dreams are around imagining this country with maori receiving their rightful mana and status and governing for the benefit of all. Working with the greens to create a land where kaitiakitanga is foremost.

In the book about Enstein, Banesh Hoffman says about Enstein that, “His early suspicion of authority, which never left him, was to prove of decisive importance. Without it he would not have been able to develop the powerful independence of mind that gave him the courage to challenge established scientific beliefs and thereby revolutionize physics.”

We also need a powerful independence of mind and courage to challenge the established disrespect given to role of maori and thereby revolutionize this country. Some people are frightened by this but it is inclusive not exclusive. By righting the wrong of colonisation and giving maori their country back will create an actual country that we can be proud of. Filled with all peoples. Build on the right principles with a foundation that goes back forever.

And I too, have a suspicion of authority. I don't like to be told what to do or think. I resist that. When people try to get me to think a certain way, I always wonder why they are trying to get me to think that way. This attribute is especially active while reading the newspaper and surfing the net.

I'm only about 100 pages in to the Enstein book but I am really enjoying it. My final thought is another quote from Enstein, “It is a glorious feeling to discover the unity of a set of phenomena that seem at first to be completely separate.”

A lot of our minds work like that. For me this blog is an expression of that concept. All of the posts are interconnected, as are we all, but we are also, all seperate. I try to find connection between apparent seperate phenomena and unify them.

Underneath it all, that connection is there.

85 maori exhumed so runway can be completed for rugby world cup

I really struggle to understand how insensitive some companies can be.

"The buried remains of 85 bodies have been exhumed by construction of the second runway at Auckland Airport - angering local Maori whose ancestors were unearthed."

This is just terrible. How could this company desecrate these departed.

The two-day hearing at the Auckland Town Hall was for submissions opposing a Manukau City proposal to change the district plan.

Under the plan change, airport company land would be rezoned from rural to urban, to allow for further expansion of commercial activities.

This would mean extending the Metropolitan Urban Limit (MUL) and requires ARC as well as Manukau City approval. In a submission to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, the airport company referred to the MUL extension and said the lack of "greenfield" space for development was holding the city back economically.

The Makaurau Marae opposes the proposed district plan changes.

"For us, this plan change cannot go ahead. They've dug up 85 here. If the plan change goes ahead, they'll dig up another 1000 or so," Mr Roberts told the Weekend Herald."

And in the final sentence of the article it all becomes clear.

"The first stage of the $32 million project is due to be complete by early 2011, in time for New Zealand to host the Rugby World Cup."

And how do local tangata whenua feel?

"The airport company was granted authority by the Historic Places Trust to go ahead with the $32 million project, so any remains accidentally dug up could be removed.
"One or two or three was okay. But 85? Our people are very upset about this," said Mr Roberts."

"More than 50 members of the Makaurau Marae, a hapu of Tainui, attended a joint meeting of the Manukau City Council and Auckland Regional Council to voice their outrage last week.
Kaumatua Te Warena Taua told the panel that the treatment of the tangata whenua was "shocking".
"Just yesterday, more bones of our people were turned up. We told the airport, 'Don't go there, our ancestors are buried there'," Mr Taua said on Thursday.

"Nine of our kaumatua have died in the past three months. This is a sign that things are not good.""

Let's put a stop to this, our people deserve better than this.

Bed share but not if your drunk, stoned or tired

So, Doctors are issuing warnings about bed-sharing.

Bed sharing is natural and the best way to connect with baby. Benefits of bed sharing or co sleeping are many. Bed sharing isn't the problem, it's bed sharing when your drunk (or been taking any intoxication, including weed, pills etc), or as the doctors put it:

"The Health Ministry advises against bed-sharing when: The baby's mother has smoked during pregnancy. The adult in bed with the baby has been drinking or taking drugs or medicines that might reduce their awareness of the baby. The sleeping adult is excessively tired."

The education should be around all of the above risk factors. Most people that i know that bed-share, including our family, just don't tell people because they don't want to be judged by ill-informed people who just work from fear. Most people do bed share in some way. But if you are not sure, then put the bassinet or the crib next to your bed... it works. We have the whole bedroom set up as a big bed, in other words a single and queen bed together.

Is bed sharing a cultural 'thing' as stated below?

"Auckland GP Shirley Tonkin said anti-bed-sharing messages had been "opposed by prominent Maori who have claimed that it is a valued cultural practice and to oppose it is being culturally insensitive".

David Tipene-Leach, former head of the Maori cot death prevention programme, said there was huge resistance in the community to banishing babies from the parental bed. Instead, he proposed the use of woven flax bassinets for use in a shared bed."

In my experience it is only uptight anglosaxons who make a thing about it. Most, if not all, other cultures do the natural method of keeping baby close, especially at the beginning, and building the connection between baby and mother and father. BUT no bed sharing if you are drinking, smoking or working 3 jobs so are very tired.

Walk like you've never walked before

By necessity I have been walking a lot lately. By a lot, I mean anywhere from 2-3 hours a day. It is an amazing way of getting around.

For a start it is relatively slow. I am a fan of the slow revolution. Slow food, slow cities just a general slowdown from our normal frenetic pace of life. So what happens when you go slow? You start to see things that you don't see when you go fast. I enjoy walking past peoples houses and seeing the work they have put in to keep their gardens tidy. And quite often you meet people on the street, strangers, and you get to say hello to them, in a friendly way. It's great - quite often people will say hello back! A smile, a gidday and then carry on. Near where I live we have some new immigrants from Nepal, what a beautiful people. i love the diversity of life, the richness of difference, the glory of individuality. More diversity from more places is great.

Another benefit of walking is that it gives you a change to think. We need more time to mull, to consider, to contemplate and even to day dream. All of the time we spend in these activities is not wasted, in fact it is some of the most productive time we can spend. Why? Because unless we know what we want, or how we feel about things, then how can we know whether we are on the right path. And if we aren't heading towards the things in life that are important to us - then what's the point?

My third benefit of walking everywhere is that it makes me feel closer to my tupuna, my ancestors. They walked over this land and explored and fought and loved. When I walk I often think about their lives and what it must have been like when the forests were still here and big swamps and untamed rivers abounded.

Walking can be a pain, especially if you are in a hurry... but I highly recommend it. You meet nice people, you see the place you live in, you get time to mull and contemplate things, you get fit and fell healthy and it brings us closer to our ancestors.

I am lucky in that where I live is 'walker-friendly', everything is 'walkable' and of course, in the city it is not as easy, if not impossible, to walk everywhere - but we do what we can with what we have.

All we need to do now is make it 'walker-friendly' for everyone out there.

Science fiction expands your world

As I may have mentioned I am a Star Trek/science fiction fan. New Star Trek movie came out last night... am looking forward to watching it on the big screen. Margaret Agnew has a great review here. And the trailer is here.

favorite line from first series... "It's life Jim, but not as we know it." Almost used that as my blog descripter.

Te Wai Pounamu iwi and Hauraki iwi all work together

I like this comment, in relation to the payment of 97M in redress over marine farming, from Ngai Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Mark Solomon:

"Chairman Mark Solomon described the deal as a unique moment in inter-iwi co-operation.
"It's the first time in my time involved with iwi that all the tribes of the South Island have come together alongside the Hauraki tribes and have reached a settlement" Solomon said.
"I'm really proud of the achievement we've made together.""

It is a good sign that Te Wai Pounamu iwi are working together. This is a pretty small amount of compensation for there being "no coastal space available for marine farming, a cash settlement was the only means of redress."

I am not of the camp where "all marine farms are good and we should just set them up all over the place." But i do think maori should have not only a say but the big say regarding this area.

"The $97m was agreed last October after complex negotiations. It represents the financial equivalent of 20 per cent of developed aquaculture space, over which iwi were granted a right by the Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act in 2004. They retain a right to a 20 per cent share of any future space allocations.

The 2004 act followed a Waitangi Tribunal finding that Maori aquaculture interests formed part of a "bundle of rights" and should be recognised."

Fight when you can win.

This is a very good post from Audrey Young on this issue.

"Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia mentioned on TV One on Sunday that co-leader Pita Sharples was thinking of leading a small delegation to meet Commodore Frank Bainimarama - Fiji's ruler since the December 2006 coup - along with Tuwharetoa paramount chief Tumu te Hehuheu and King Tuheitia."

"Turia acknowledged on Sunday it would require the approval of the PM (he gets to approve all overseas travel including private trips).
On Sunday Key responded quickly saying a visit by Sharples would be okay so long as it was in a private capacity as Maori Party co-leader and not as a minister representing the Government.

On Monday he had had a change of heart. He said he had talked to Sharples, that he had agreed New Zealand had to have one voice on the issue of Fiji and that he did not believe Sharples would be going to Fiji.

On Tuesday, it became very untidy: Sharples said he might still go and Key said he would stop Sharples from going if he went ahead."

The Maori Party and National have prided themselves on their relationship, promoting it as a partnership. Now it looks as though Key can tell the Maori Party what to do and that is the opposite of mana-enhancing.

Scotty Morrison on Te Karere last night said it all: "Will you bow to the wish of John Key?" he asked MP Hone Harawira. "We will go if we want to," Harawira replied."

The maori party has the mana. Let it go, save the big fight for another day, a day when you can win the battle.

Hard to pull the barb backwards - it gets messy

Sorting out an unworkable deal...

"Ten iwi are to be paid $97 million to replace an unworkable deal that gave them a share of marine areas for fish and shellfish farms.
The original deal gave iwi 20 per cent of all marine farming space created between 1992 and 2004, when it was signed. It also guaranteed to Maori 20 per cent of any new space created after 2004.
But not a single transaction has resulted for farms created before the signing date."

"The bulk of the iwi come from the top of the South Island, a group known as Te Tau Ihu tribes. The Hauraki confederation on the Coromandel and Ngai Tahu make up the group."

I hope this new one doesn't come with as many fishhooks as the last one...

Big opportunity for Ngai Tahu

Pretty sure we will see more and more of this.

"Queenstown Lodge is on the the market for sale through a private treaty, nearly six months after it was placed in receivership."

"The property has 130 beds in 56 rooms, together with four self-contained apartments, licensed restaurant and bar, lounge-games room, spa and sauna complex, and reception area."

Perhaps Ngai Tahu should be keeping their eyes and checkbook open. We could pick up a bargin and maybe turn it into a training centre for rangatahi. Or run the place as an eco-cultural lodge, based around our stories, our way of welcoming people and looking after them.

Water wastage

Interesting news.

"About 15% of Dunedin's water supply, recently upgraded at a cost of $64 million, is slipping through the cracks.
The figures meant about 2.4 million cu m of water was being lost to leaks and burst pipes each year, council staff confirmed."

and even more interesting

"Dunedin's leakage compared favourably with Wellington, which lost about 20% of its water each year, but poorly with Hamilton, which lost about 11%, Christchurch, which lost 12%, and Auckland, which lost about 14% (or 7.6 million cu m of water) each year."

I've never thought about the leakage of water from old pipes. It seems like a lot of lost water.

DOC forced to revel secret deals on dams

I am disturbed by this news.

"DOC yesterday released details of 12 financial agreements, worth $22.23m, with developers in the past seven years after requests by The Press under the Official Information Act.
All of the deals, except one $105,000 agreement, were with power companies.
The department says the deals address environmental impacts and show its "practical and open" approach.

Critics described the deals as outrageous and accused the department of not doing enough to protect the environment."

"DOC policy general manager Doris Johnston said the agreements showed the department's practical and open response to conservation concerns.
"If the department can get an agreement to fund acceptable work to help mitigate the environmental impacts of a development, we will do so," she said.

Dunedin conservationist Dave Witherow called the agreements "utterly outrageous".
"If they were so proud of them, why did they have to be dragged out of them?" he said.
"If you prefer this course, which is what DOC does, then New Zealand will end up like all these other countries over-populated and environmentally rooted, with DOC left to look after the mummified remnants."

He described DOC as "feeble" and said it did not object to any significant project.
Upland Landscape Protection Society member Ewan Carr said DOC was failing in its role as an environmental safeguard.
"It has abandoned its obligation by receiving cheques on the quiet," he said."

Deals on the quiet, with power companies, dragged into the open by the Official Information Act... My question is ,"Who are you working for DOC?"

Rakiura might get a 54 bed eco-hostel

Rakiura

Not sure about this one.

"The Youth Hostel Association of New Zealand is one ecofriendly footprint closer to building a two-storey 54-bed hostel and education centre on Stewart Island."

"The Southland District Council resource management committee this week granted land use consent to build the $3 million hostel, subject to appeals."

"We are wanting to create an interactive experience for people to introduce them to the environment."

Okay, if people need somewhere to stay on Rakiura - lets give them an eco-hostel... but if you really want to create an interactive experience and introduce visitors to the environment - why not just take them outside?