Monday, December 31, 2007
Slapping Parents Around Again?
Yep, nothing to do with the problem (truanting) largely relating to secondary students, comprehensive trade training no longer being available in schools and raising the leaving age to sixteen (and possibly soon to seventeen).
What is it that gives professionals the feeling that it is their right to impose on others in such a grand manner given that their intent is so far outside their mandate - which one would imagine to be the education of children?
Topical Forcing ... the twilight hour (betwixt and between).
Almost, but not quite, a 'bob each way' Parker. Perhaps our Bob is simply trying to follow in the footsteps of trans tasman Big Man, Peter.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Christmas - it means so many different things to different people.
To me, it means several weeks with minimal contact with the wider world - definitely no computer - time to reflect, to dream, to plan, to play, to enjoy (at least some) of the family... and perchance to catch a fish or two ... well just one would do, as long as it was big enough to keep and eat ... and I have been good!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
The Right Thing By your Mates.
To this ...
But then mates will do that for each other.
"I want to see how it's going, and how you are coping."
"If you can't do the time ...."
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Top Scientists?
I think these doomsdayers should post their names, photos, credentials, research experience and statistical qualifications for all to see.
One can only assume that these people are so dependent on political funding that they are prepared to compromise basic scientific standards to achieve this, alternatively they simply do not have sufficient research/statistical knowledge to fully appreciate what they are supporting.
Intuition in this matter is simply not good enough. Perseverative thinking is contaminating their view of the world.
(contaminated = http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=145245).
Now, Who Said Crime Doesn't Pay?
Graham Henry is the head coach of the All Blacks again
Henry said he is grateful for the chance to continue. He said lessons had been learned from the 2007 Rugby World Cup campaign.
Eagle said the union "accepts it was jointly responsible and accountable for the [World Cup] result and the planning that went into the campaign".
So what of the 'people's choice?'
Deans has been the No 1 choice of Australian rugby supremo John O'Neill ever since they started casting their net for a new Wallabies coach.
He had, and still has, the look of a man confident that he would achieve what he wanted.
So either he has 'salved his conscience' and can coach the Wallabies with no regrets (he's been rejected) - and they will contract him until after the next World Cup.
Alternatively the Rugby Union has offered to pay him handsomely, offered him all they possibly can in respect to those lesser status coaching roles, as a means of retaining him here. The two year contract for Henry would suggest something akin to this.
This was always to be a 'win/win' situation for Robbie.
Interesting And Useful Stuff.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Nowhere to stay
Dr Connolly and Mr Doolan.
Now this would really suggest that our social workers do not have sufficient ability, and/or confidence in their ability to realistically and reliably identify potential for harm.
They say "sensationalist" media coverage of high-profile child deaths is making social workers less willing to trust the families of the children referred to them.
Again, 'trusting families of children?' What is required is having the ability and confidence in their ability to reliably discriminate potential cases of child abuse and act on this.
They call for a move away from the "culture of blame" to what they call a "public health model of welfare" which targets the whole range of factors that lead people to harm children.
The number of children and young people in CYFS care has risen by half this decade, from 3533 in 1999-2000 to 5191 at the end of last year, despite an actual decline in child deaths from 1.07 a year for every 100,000 children in the 1990s to 0.79 a year in the first five years of this decade.
Now, I don't think that CYFS have ever been solely judged on child deaths ... more for the quality of their employees, separating families, inappropriate placements ... CYFSwatch would, I believe, attest to this.
This sensationalist reporting has largely, if I recall correctly, related to those cases already under CYFS care, associated with or that have been investgated by CYFS, that have resulted in deaths. That is, it has been indicative of a failure to adequately appraise the situation or assess the risk - a lack of confidence in their ability, or lack of ability, to reliably discriminate potential cases of child abuse and to act on this.
Dr Connolly and Mr Doolan say that every high-profile child death review has led to tightening managerial controls over social workers which have made them less willing to risk leaving children with their families ... But wait, these are the two top social workers, presumably those very people who have driven the policy to tighten managerial controls and over include as a means of protecting themselves and not the children and young persons that they are mandated to protect.
Is this really anything more than a means of avoiding addressing what have become seen as systemic problems within this service. Further abrogation of responsibility and this at a time when the situation has been absolutely simplified for them by the Bradford 'bash the parents' bill - which of course was also driven by their (CYFS') incapacity to reliably discriminate potential cases of child abuse and act on this with minimal over inclusion.
So ... still trying to 'protect their backs?'
'Grubbies.'
36% of the UK population - that is 21 million people – said that they do not take a bath or shower every day, while 6% - 3.6 million people – bathe once a week and, rather shockingly, 1% - or 600,000 people – said they take a bath or shower just once a month.
The same number of people also said they only change their underwear on a monthly basis.
Now 1% isn't a great proportion of the population, but 600,000 'great unwashed' is more than the entire population within the Canterbury region.
Just another thing to be taken into account when working out those prenuptials.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Let's Spin Chris.
... and 11,000 maori truants a week, total 43000 truants a week and 20% of maori kids leave school before the age of fifteen ... Oh.
Oh, Chris, so most of our failures had already left the education system.
"The new curriculum focuses on literacy and numeracy as key areas where we need our young people to achieve and we must continue that focus," Mr Carter said.
Aha ... but the new curriculum also focusses on 'reframing failure as success.'
But then, appearances are so important, Chris.
But really Chris, would you be able to tell?
Appears you may just have been one of the products of that 'context reading' experiment that proved such an impediment to so many New Zealanders being able to 'acquire that mandated education,' those 'victims' that are now educating our youngsters today... perpetuating this 'cycle of abuse.'
It took generations to create and will take the same to remediate ... so let's not pretend that our 'information economy ' is just round the corner. It is passed time the charades should cease ... and the crass alternatives on offer, the ability to pass NZCEA by text messaging language, just simply 'don't cut the mustard.'
All teachers should reach a criterion perfomance before being 'set loose' on classrooms, all teachers should be registered ... that a further three year moratorium has been granted on registration is absurd - this largely affects Kura, those that simply require the best teachers to succeed ... to pretend this is 'maori for maori' service is offensive.
But perhaps we are seeing the initiative being taken by universities, perhaps they are 'fed up' with the devaluation of degrees and again placing more importance on the attainment of a criterion level of performance prior to admission ... finally.
Oh Dear.
Hospital officials have apologised for the conditions experienced by patients, and admitted it was "unacceptable" for patients to clean toilets themselves.
This requires somewhat more than an apology, quite simply it is unacceptable. It is probably this dereliction of basics in respect to health that has contributed to the spread of infections in our hospitals. Arguably it is hygiene, plumbing and sewage, that has made the biggest difference to human health and longevity ... medicine has, aside from antibiotics, ridden on the 'back' of this ... so how can they now, 'hop off the back of the golden horse' that has served them so well?
Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health desribes how the US health care system may contribute to poor health ... The Third Leading Cause of Death in the US
ALL THESE ARE DEATHS PER YEAR:
12,000 -- unnecessary surgery
7,000 -- medication errors in hospitals
20,000 -- other errors in hospitals
80,000 -- infections in hospitals
106,000 -- non-error, negative effects of drugs
These total to 225,000 deaths per year from iatrogenic causes!!
Little wonder that noro virus has infected so many of our hospitals, and those in our hospitals.
Simply Wanking.
If your wife wanted another child it required broadening the genetic base ... but not anymore.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Britain had breached the rights of a murderer and his wife by denying them access to artificial insemination.
Kirk Dickson, 35, wants to have a baby but will not be released from prison until 2009 at the earliest. By that time his wife Lorraine, 49, of Beverley, East Yorkshire, who already has three children from other relationships, will be 51.
So it is a right now in europe to artificially inseminate one's partner from behind bars ... in New Zealand this still requires sleight of hand in the broader sense, prestidigitation if you prefer.
Either way, the more rights that are granted to our 'sufficiently serious criminals that require incarceration,' the less the deterrent effect imprisonment must have. It is little wonder that corrections departments have the reputations they do ... they have earned it, at their own direction, the direction of the justice system and politicians.
Mind you, perhaps Britain will continue to deprive this couple of their 'human rights?'
Monday, December 3, 2007
Oh Dear.
Experts baffled by cholesterol study - consequently findings rejected.
But the researchers found no relationship between total cholesterol levels and risk of stroke death, especially at older ages and among people with higher blood pressures.
"I don't think they [the findings] muddy the fact that statins, which lower cholesterol, do lower stroke risk," Dr Sarah Lewington said.
Caused by fatty deposits that clog arteries, coronary artery disease is a leading cause of worldwide death.
The deposits build up in the arteries that supply the heart with blood. Narrowing of the arteries and reduction in blood flow to the heart can lead to heart attack and other conditions .. like strokes.
But, In a commentary accompanying the study ... they say, a link between cholesterol and stroke risk "probably exists".
"Because most of the benefit of statins in preventing cardiovascular events can be ascribed to the LDL reduction, it is puzzling that LDL cholesterol is not associated with stroke risk," they wrote.
And further, contrary to the findings in the study, They added that "there is good evidence that lowering blood cholesterol with statins reduces stroke risk."
But no, not from this study there isn't, and no contray equivalent studies are cited.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Brave Alright.
"These are iconic things. They are part of New Zealand's history."
"The theft has left many veterans ( and I am sure many others) disgusted."
It is to be hoped that these icons are not subsequently located in that mist-ridden terrorist Urawera hideaway that was once the refuge of a Colin Mcahon painting ... after all Colin Mcahon created a series of paintings depicting our whakapapa ... and these medals similarly, and more emphatically, represent the same.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Gotcha.
Should our Prime Minister and her helper Michael be frightened ... sedition ... the "notion of inciting by words or writings disaffection towards the state or constituted authority". I would have thought that on many occasion they have both passed the threshold.
Last month was extremely dry in many parts of New Zealand, especially in the South Island
Meanwhile, much of the South Island is facing the definite possibility of a summer drought, with NIWA's Seasonal Climate Outlook saying La Nina conditions are in full swing.
NIWA agricultural climatologist Alan Porteous says the problem farmers currently face is that soil moisture levels in the east of the country and parts of Otago have already reached summer deficits.
Farmers could be facing a drought as devastating as in 1988/89, according to the climate outlook.
Are we to understand that Kiehl (Reference: Jeffrey T. Kiehl, 2007. Twentieth century climate model response and climate sensitivity. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 34, L22710, doi:10.1029/2007GL031383, 2007) is arguing that the various GCMs are akin to a zero sum game in which, no matter how the key variables are changed (GCM=global climate models). The end result is always the same because the data is fitted to the “temperature record”, what ever that is ... The temperatures are not used as inputs. They are used to “check” outputs i.e. to define acceptable research... sooooo ... Jim Salinger, NIWA, perhaps Augie had more than a little insight in to your political posturings?
Now, If This Were France.
In France this would have evoked a response of these proportions.