New Zealand
Analysis of climategate emails
Monday, January 18th, 2010I have always been sceptical about the more extreme claims of the Global Warming True Believers. However, despite news media and left wing politicians using the climate change issue to bludgeon the economy, I really had believed the underlying science.
However, many people saw the climategate emails as proof that the science had been manipulated. [...]
What DO Economists Agree on ?
Friday, February 20th, 2009In chapter two of his first year economics textbook, economist Greg Mankiw includes a table of propositions to which most economists subscribe, based on various polls of the profession. Below is the list, together with the percentage of economists who agree:
A ceiling on rents reduces the quantity and quality of housing available. (93%)
Tariffs and import [...]
Maori receive IP rights over Haka ritual
Thursday, February 19th, 2009In a landmark decison, the New Zealand government has assigned intellectual property rights in the traditional Maori haka, the Ka Mate, to Ngati Toa, a North Island tribal group.
The haka war dance, made famous by the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, was officially handed back to a Maori tribe on Monday 11 February to [...]
Amazon to take MP3 store global ?
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008Amazon currently offers DRM-free MP3 tracks from all four major music labels, something no other digital music store can boast. That’s 3.3 million songs from over 270,000 artists. But if you live outside of the US, good luck actually purchasing any of that music.
However, Amazon has announced plans to take its Amazon MP3 store global [...]
No Royal for Sir Edmunds’s funeral
Sunday, January 20th, 2008The Sunday Star Times has labelled the decision for no member of the Royal Family to attend Sir Edmund’s funeral as a slap in the face for all New Zealanders. In a separate story, they also report on reaction quoting a UK royal correspondent who labels it an “astonishing” snub.
The Royal Family sent a [...]
Help the hungry Japanese
Thursday, January 17th, 2008From Kiwi Blog:
The Japanese government must believe their people are very hungry, otherwise they would not be hunting whales in the Southern Oceans.
To assist our Japanese friends, we propose to send packets of instant noodles to Japan to save the whales from being eaten. To show the intent of these noodles, please attach a letter [...]
Pacific Watch: Venezuela In The Pacific
Monday, December 31st, 2007From The Hive:
We reported a few weeks ago on Professor Jane Kelsey’s positive attitude to the rising Cuban and Venezuelan influence in the Pacific. A very similar attitude seems to be adopted by leftist groups in Australia. This article is a few weeks old but gives the flavour of this viewpoint. The same website carries [...]
The battle for the Pacific
Friday, December 21st, 2007An interesting post on battle between China and Taiwan for the Pacific that analyzes a recent speech by John bryan, the departing New Zealand high commissioner to the Cook Islands.
It’s interesting to note that, like the Cook Island’s, Niue’s foreign affairs are managed by New Zealand. However, Niue has recently established diplomatic relations with [...]
Theft of Victoria Cross medals
Tuesday, December 4th, 2007New Zealand Police are to question medal dealers and international collectors in a bid to capture the thieves who robbed the Army Museum in Waiouru, making off with 100 medals.
A border alert has been put in place to prevent any of the medals, taken early on Sunday morning, from leaving the country.
The missing [...]