World War I

During the first World War, a general’s letter revealed details of British and German Soldiers playing soccer and exchanging Christmas gifts during a one-day truce in 1914. Quote.

A letter documenting the day when British and German troops laid down their arms, exchanged gifts and played a game of soccer at Christmas in 1914 has been uncovered in England.

The letter, written from the trenches in France by a high-ranking British general to his wife, has been made public to mark the centenary of the truce.

The story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 is already well-known, and has inspired many artistic endeavors, including an advertisement this year by a British supermarket chain.

But the letter, from General Walter Congreve to his wife, is a rare first-hand account of the event.

Writing from France on Christmas Day 100 years ago, General Congreve described to his wife how when he took Christmas gifts from his mother of toffees, cigarettes, pencils and writing paper down to the trenches he heard about “an outstanding state of affairs”.

“This morning, a German shouted out that they wanted a day’s truce, and would one come out if they did?” he wrote.

“So, very cautiously, one of our men lifted himself above the parapet, and saw a German doing the same – both got out, then more.”

The general described how the German and British soldiers then exchanged cigars, sang together and played soccer.

“Officers, as well as the men, were out and the German colonel himself was talking to one of our captains,” he wrote.

He also wrote of how the truce had exposed the position of a young man considered the German army’s best shot: “They say he’s killed more of our men than any other 12 together, but I know now where he shoots from, so I hope we down him tomorrow.”

A councilor at the Staffordshire County Council Archives where the letter was uncovered, Ben Adams, said it was a very moving piece of history.

“This was in the middle of the most horrendous war imaginable, the most horrendous circumstances imaginable, so for those men to have an opportunity to almost live a normal life, chat and meet with other men in the way that they would hope to do outside of war, but knowing within 48 hours it’s back to the gruesome business of trying to win – it’s quite extraordinary,” Mr Adams said.

General Congreve did not take part in the truce because he was worried he might be too big a target for the Germans to resist.

Mr Adams said it was understandable given the general’s enormous responsibilities.

“At the time General Congreve was probably in charge of something like 35,000 to 40,000 men – he would have been a real target for the enemy,” he said.

“He actually is a very brave man, he was a holder of the Victoria Cross – he won the Victoria Cross in the Boer War.”

General Congreve survived the war and died in 1927.

His son Billy, also a Victoria Cross holder, was killed in action in 1916. […] E

Jacinda Ardern cracking
Photoshopped image credit: Luke

Newshub reports: quote.

A former top rugby boss has called Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters “traitors”, and warned he’s coming to get them.

Ex-New Zealand Rugby CEO David Moffett, a member of the New Conservative Party, made the comments on Thursday after the Government announced it would support the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. end quote.

The only thing that makes me feel happy about this whole thing is the reaction to it. For the first time in as long as I can remember, people actually are up in arms about a political issue. Not ‘up in arms’ as they were over the TPP, which involved nothing more than orchestrated attacks on the government by left-wing activists; it is ordinary people who are outraged by this action. It gives me hope that the true colours of this Marxist government are starting to be seen for what they are. quote.

“Yes we’ll see whether you 2 traitors are still smiling when we are done with you next year,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Have a good break coz you’re going to need it. Next year will likely be your Annus Horibilis because we are coming to get you.” end quote.

Strong words, but deserved. Moffatt is an ex-rugby man, and so people will take notice. The sneaky, underhand way in which the government has handled this matter is now plain for all to see. Like the Sroubek affair, Jacinda hoped that it would all just pass under the radar. It didn’t. Once she was asked questions about it, her furtiveness became obvious and embarrassing. We are not going away, Jacinda. This whole issue of our sovereignty, which you promised you would never compromise, is not going to go away. quote.

The controversial pact would create a non-legally binding way of addressing why people migrate, how to protect them, how to integrate them into new countries, means of returning them home and other issues.

Mr Peters, Foreign Affairs Minister, said New Zealand will sign up after he received legal advice saying it won’t affect national sovereignty.

But the decision has angered Mr Moffett, who called Mr Peters and Ms Ardern “leftards”.

“There are 53million people, mostly from Africa and Sth America ready to invade other countries in the name of migration. They want out of their own countries run by criminals and dictators. The same countries that the UN want us to give $billions to…… Say No NZ,” he tweeted. end quote.

The Crown Law office have only commented on the document in front of their noses, but Angela Merkel let the cat out of the bag last week. Once the compact has been approved, all it will take is for a vote to be taken in the UN to make the compact binding. If two-thirds of countries agree to that, then it will be binding. Because so many countries that have signed up to it want their citizens to be able to migrate, the majority will be reached easily. The Crown Law office has not considered that possibility, because it was not asked to consider it. It has advised only on the document as it exists today. quote.

“You can all be guaranteed that I will not stop fighting for all Kiwis, no matter what side of politics you are on.”

His tweets have been met with some criticism, with one person calling them “a tad aggressive”.

“Hang on… aren’t you a migrant who moved to NZ for economic / job purposes?” a commenter said. end quote.

I too am a migrant who moved to New Zealand, but I went through all the proper channels, did everything right, had interviews with Immigration NZ, filled out copious forms and waited for the required periods for my residency to be approved. To think that someone could just turn up from Africa on a boat and have all the same rights without proper process is horrific. But that is what will happen.

I am glad the government is not going to get away with this, and I am particularly glad that Winston Peters is on the rack because of it. Anyone who has campaigned for all of his political life on lowering immigration, then doing a 180-degree turn and signing this document, is indeed a traitor. At least we have all seen the truth about Winston now. His legacy is truly in tatters. At least some good has come out of all of this.

Oh dear. The prime minister of the open and transparent government is now being accused of being dishonest about her text messages, received from Richie Hardcore, a supporter of Karel Sroubek, because she has pretended, all the way through this farcical situation, that she had no personal interest and a lot of secret information about the case that would change our minds about giving residency to a wife-beating drug lord who is in jail on drug trafficking charges… but is a lovely boy really.

Well, his mother says so anyway.

But the opposition doesn’t think so. Stuff reports: quote.

The Opposition leader claims the prime minister has been dishonest about a text message she received from a friend of Czech drug-smuggler Karel Sroubek.

When asked if he believed that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had lied about a message from Richie Hardcore, National leader Simon Bridges said by omission, she had been dishonest and that was “pretty much the same” as lying.

Ardern confirmed she received the message but said she did not engage with the unsolicited message. end quote.

I don’t have the prime minister’s mobile phone number to send a text to. Do you? So Richie Hardcore is a privileged person. Now why would that be? quote.

Bridges said it “beggars belief” that this was the first or only communication from Hardcore to Ardern about Sroubek.

He believed she knew more about Sroubek than she was saying or that Hardcore had been lobbying her. end quote.

I have to admit, this makes sense. Hardcore is clearly a close associate of Jacinda and Clarke. He is also an associate of Karel Sroubek. That the prime minister thinks it is okay to give her immigration minister directives to award residency to people supported by her friends is both surprising and very disappointing. That she may have actually done it beggars belief. quote.

“For nearly two months, my colleagues and I have been asking serious questions and the picture painted by Ardern was that she knew nothing about any of this … that’s dishonest.”

He said he did not buy her comment that her phone number was widely available and questioned why she would not release the text message.

Hardcore works in counselling and rehabilitation in Auckland and it is understood Ardern had met him at various events.

He had previously provided references in support of Sroubek (or Antolik as he was then known) to the sentencing judge in March 2016, arguing against him being jailed, and then to the Parole Board in December 2017. His pleas fell on deaf ears on both occasions: Sroubek was jailed in 2016, and the Parole Board refused early release in 2017.

When asked about the message on Thursday, Ardern said she would not release the text because she received a number of communications from a number of individuals in various capacities but she would consider an Official Information Act request. end quote.

You have to ask why she will not release the text. Let’s face it, the reason cannot be good. It is getting harder and harder to believe that Hardcore did not solicit the prime minister… particularly as Sroubek is such a lovely citizen, just grossly misunderstood. Sroubek’s wife, who is in a safe house in fear for her life, is clearly misguided in her assessment of him. quote.

She confirmed she had known Hardcore for a number of years and had proactively shared that she had received information from him, highlighting, it was only after the minister made his decision on the Sroubek case.

“I’ve only been asked in the past about whether I knew anyone that made representations on this case. I’ve made it very clear I knew nothing of this case until it was in the public domain. I do not know who made representations on the case and I could not, hand on heart, say whether anyone who contacted me made representation. I saw yesterday that the opposition were asking very direct questions – made the decision to put out there what contact I had received. I want to reiterate I did not receive this communication until the case was on the public domain.” end quote.

Whatever. What was all the stuff about ‘read between the lines’? She had ignored all representations on this case, in spite of the fact that he should never have been given residency. Not at any point, not at any time.

The prime minister is obfuscating here, and the deputy prime minister is covering for her, but then, as he is one of her henchmen, that should come as no surprise.

Winston was always a master of trying to hold the previous government to account, but he is ducking and weaving like a snake. He may appear smart in the house, but he is fooling no one. This government is probably the most dishonest government ever, and Winston Peters put it there.

Why is painting faces black considered racist, but painting them white is not?

Traditionally, geishas paint their faces white, so do Halloween characters and traditional French mime artists. I’ve never heard one word of complaint from white skinned people about racism in the face of white-faced performers.

French mime artist

A traditional Dutch character, Black Pete, is joining Rotorua’s Christmas festivities this year and calls of racism are upsetting the event organisers. The same thing is happening overseas, including in Holland where the tradition originates. Newshub reports. Quote.

‘Black Pete’ to appear at the local feast of St Nicholas on December 5.  The traditional character sees those playing them paint their face black and lips red, then put on a curly black wig and hand out presents and sweets to children.

The demonstrators were on their way to Dokkum, above, to protest against the inclusion of Zwart Piet in the town’s festival. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images

It’s been called racist – even by many in the Netherlands, where the character originates – but Rotorua Netherlands Society member Douwe Visser believes it’s just tradition.  He told NZME it will have to change in the future, after some conversations in the community, but not now.” End of quote.

Origins of the character are not considered insulting – it is only our politically correct over-sensitivity that has caused this change in thinking.  People are dreaming up insults that never existed previously. Black Pete is a good guy.   Quote.

I think it has to change a little because for some people it’s looked at as insulting, but originally it wasn’t meant that way,” he told NZME. “I think it will change in the future, but we’ll have to talk about it.” End of quote.

Rotorua Multicultural Council president Margriet Theron said she’s in two minds about the costumes and will wait to see what the public has to say.

“The old Dutch people are very attached to the tradition but … I don’t think it’s going to go down well,” she told NZME.

It hasn’t gone down well with the NZ Human Rights Commission, who told NZME people need to challenge the perpetuation of racist stereotypes and customs like Black Pete.

“Racism, overt or casual, is not acceptable,” a spokesperson said.

Fights in the streets have broken out in the Netherlands over the character.” End of quote.

The NZ Human Rights Commission has lost the plot, yet again.

We need to stop being so precious about “racism”.  Let’s get a French mime artist to tag along with Black Pete at Rotorua’s Christmas festivities to highlight the ridiculousness of the racism argument.  They can both hand out sweets and pressies to the kids.

Seeing that you are no longer allowed to express your opinions about climate change onStuff (unless you are a fawning believer, that is), I thought maybe you would like the opportunity to have your say on some of their climate change articles on Whaleoilinstead. quote.

quote.

[Mike] Smith, the activist, is now in charge of climate change policy for the high profile Iwi Leaders Group. end quote.

Well, we are off to a cracking start. We all know how level-headed and objective the average activist is. quote.

He says Māori, in particular, are at greater risk from the effects of climate change.

“We’re super vulnerable, like we are to anything,” Smith says.

“When it comes to climate change it’s like the poorest people in the world are going to be hit the hardest first and that’s a lot of us.” end quote.

I think the climate mantra is that, in general, the poor on the planet will be most affected – like those who live in the Bay of Bengal or Banda Ache in Indonesia. I don’t think the climate dogmatists meant Onehunga or Upper Hutt somehow. quote.

“It can be quite overwhelming the global climate change issues,” says Ōtaki resident and environmental scientist Aroha Spinks.

“To see those prediction models of how much water was going to be along that coastline was a big eye opener,” says Spinks.

“I’m sure some people got a bit of shock to see how much of that coastline could potentially be underwater.” end quote.

Or then again, it might not. quote.

Urupā, Māori burial sites, are common along New Zealand’s coastline and could soon become submerged.

“For some hapū and iwi there is a real pressing need to act to move tūpāpaku (corpses) to higher ground,” says Niwa research scientist Dr Darren King. end quote.

Forgive me. (Shakes head.) I thought we were all going to be 20 feet underwater in the next two years. If moving corpses is the biggest issue, well… sorry. quote.

“The climate change challenge for Māori society is about sustainable living arrangements and development, as much as it is about natural hazards management such as risks associated with flooding, storms and coastal erosion,” [King] says. end quote.

Not about maintaining your traditions then? quote.

A major challenge for Māori communities is how they will pay for any necessary physical adaptations. end quote.

How about using some of that Treaty settlement money that has been paid in compensation to Maori over the last 30 or so years? Just a thought. quote.

For well-off households and communities, the costs of adaptation will be manageable. But many Māori communities struggle to survive in the present let alone thinking about what needs to be done to adapt to, and help reduce climate change, says Dr Rhys Jones, a public health medicine specialist.

“A lot of people talk about climate change as a threat multiplier for people who are also facing disadvantages or poor health, it exacerbates those threats,” Jones says. end quote.

So… if we have money, we’ll be okay? So we are not going to be 20 feet underwater in the next two years then? Or is it just the poor that will be? quote.

Substandard housing is an issue for all New Zealanders especially during an extreme weather event. But many of those living in poor housing are Māori, says Jones, who represents over 600 health professionals in Ora Taiao, the Climate and Health Council.

“It’s not just the immediate event, it’s the period after; washed out roads, power out, no water. There are huge risks to health as well, if they can’t access water and can’t get to health services.” end quote.

A lot of these problems can be remedied, at least partially, by local councils taking steps to improve their floodwater management. I did not realise that weather was racist. People in better housing can still suffer the effects of floods. quote.

Smith is up for the challenge but is concerned others aren’t.

“We’ve got ten years to get our emissions down. We’ve got to shift public opinion and support governments that are prepared to do the right thing even if it’s going to hurt.” end quote.

Even if it is true that we have 10 years to get emissions down (isn’t it funny how it has been 10 years since about 2002? Shouldn’t we all be 20 feet underwater already?), there is just about nothing that little ol’ New Zealand can do about it. Unless the big emitters start to pull their weight, we will still be 20 feet underwater… in 10 years time.

The article states that Maori will be more affected than other New Zealanders because they live in poor housing and need to move their corpses. Excuse me making light of it, but nothing in this article makes the future seem very dire, for Maori or for anyone else.

And Stuff does not allow anything other than sycophantic comments on an article like this?

Stuff needs a new logo.

How about this one from the awesome Boondecker?

Says it all really.

There are only two sexes and two genders. The science is settled.

Many on the Left claim that the science is settled when it comes to climate change when clearly it is not, as not all scientists agree and there is plenty of conflicting data. Even those who agree that it is changing disagree whether that is actually a bad thing or just something that is natural and that has always happened.

When it comes to gender, however, the science really has been settled. It is incredible to me that thanks to militant activism from the Trans lobby they are actually getting away with creating out of thin air new genders, when the science on gender is not only settled but there is 100% non-conflicting evidence making it very clear that there are only two sexes, male and female, which means that there are only two genders, male and female.

The tiny percentage of intersex people does not change this as they are not a new sex; instead, through an accident of nature they have been given both. When someone is born as a conjoined twin no one declares that they are a new kind of human. We instead see it as an accident of nature where something went wrong. We don’t say that there are humans and then there are Dual humans.

The meaning of the word gender has been hijacked, as even the militant activists realised that if they came out with the ridiculous statement that there are more than two sexes they would be laughed out of the room. Instead, they started educatingbrainwashing the public that gender was completely different to sex and was fluid!

Milk is fluid, water is fluid, gender is not fluid! Gender means the same thing as sex and there are only two sexes, male and female.

The Oxford dictionary provides the following definitions for sex and gender and acknowledges the propaganda of the militant Trans activists BUT emphasises that their definition of the word gender DOES NOT correspond to established ideas of male and female. quote.

Sex

Either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and most other living things are divided on the basis of their reproductive functions.

‘adults of both sexes’

Gender

Either of the two sexes (male and female), especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. The term is also used more broadly to denote a range of identities that do not correspond to established ideas of male and female.

‘a condition that affects people of both genders’

‘someone of the opposite gender’
‘everyone always asks which gender I identify as’ end quote.

Give them a few more years and I guarantee that the Trans activists will have bullied the Oxford dictionary into changing the definition of the word, as changing our language and making up new words is one of the most powerful tools in an activist’s toolkit. The word Islamophobia is one such example of language activism.

I cannot tell you how much I wish National was not going through a meltdown at the moment. The things that are going on in the background are the stuff of nightmares, but there is no cut through – because everyone is talking about Jami-Lee Ross. Since Ross has clearly had instructions to act like a slow release grenade, it will go on for a long time. The damage being done to the country in the meantime is considerable.

A newspaper reports: quote.

New Zealand is heading into a gas supply gap and will need a new discovery to arrest the production decline it is on now, MPs heard yesterday.

The country has just seven years’ firm supply, and production is forecast to start falling away from 2021, according to Patrick Teagle, a New Zealand-based executive for Austrian oil and gas company OMV. Teagle was talking to Parliament’s environment select committee. end quote.

Last week, Energy Minister Megan Woods swatted this information away as scaremongering. Now it seems that it is all absolutely true. quote.

The company, soon to take over operatorship of the Maui and Pohokura gas fields, will work to mitigate the decline in production from those fields as a priority, he said but that will only slow the decline.

What the country needs is a new discovery, just when the government’s proposed ban on new offshore exploration is “discouraging” the potential partners that OMV and other firms will need if they are to explore offshore, he said. end quote.

Now this is awkward. Didn’t the government announce that there were to be no new permits for oil and gas exploration? So, if there is no gas to be found in areas covered by existing permits – there will be no new discovery? quote

“It needs to be understood that demand will outstrip supply and we are heading towards a gas supply gap in New Zealand,” Teagle said.

“We have real concerns about our ability to maintain security of supply over the next decade.” end quote.

This train wreck of a government would have seen this coming if only they had done some basic consultation with the industry, rather than just blindside them because they felt like it. So, you know what will happen? We will end up importing gas, even though we probably have years more of supplies in our own economic zone. That, of course, is no use to us if we are not allowed to go and find it. Let’s just pay a fortune to other countries instead. There is great economic management for you. quote.

The clash of viewpoints among the 12 submitters was stark. Government MPs didn’t appreciate being told the ban would increase emissions rather than reduce them, that the ban had already halted some investment, and that reduced domestic gas supplies would increase electricity costs for all consumers and sacrifice opportunities to reduce coal use and replace higher-emitting imports – like fertiliser – with lower-emission local production. end quote.

If they had done some basic consultation with the industry, all of these scenarios would have become clear. They could then have moved forward with their plans to reduce emissions, fully aware of the economic as well as the environmental impacts of their policies. But no. Only a responsible government, with the best interests of its country at heart, would do that. Nobody in their right mind could describe this bunch of charlatans as ‘responsible’. quote.

The Labour-led government has leaned heavily on its claims that the 100,000 square kilometres of existing exploration acreage is sufficient to ensure on-going gas supplies during a managed, 30-plus-year transition.

Official advice issued last month estimated the potential loss of Crown revenue at $1.2 billion to $23.5 billion out to 2050, and warned of a potential increase in global emissions if locally-made petrochemical production was replaced with product made offshore. end quote.

Particularly as we may end up buying the product from ‘rogue’ countries that have poor human rights records and even worse processing procedures from an environmental perspective. At least if we produce the stuff ourselves we are in control of how it is done, of the treatment of the labour forces and we get revenue from it as well. I cannot see a downside to this.

But this government knows best. It always has. As the Jami-Lee Ross trainwreck rolls on, nobody is paying any attention to some serious issues for our country.

Don’t you just love Judith? While the government fluffs around with unnecessary urgent legislation and yet another working group, this time on fuel prices, Judith just cuts to the chase and she does it so well.

TVNZ News  reports: quote:

Judith Collins says the Government is in a panic about the fuel price crisis and has called for them to cut the regional fuel tax.

On TVNZ1’s Breakfast, Ms Collins said the Government’s plans didn’t go far enough.

“If the Government wants to do something right now, it could cut that tax, say we’re not going to have that regional fuel tax, 11.5 cents a litre in Auckland plus everything else that’s going on,” she said.

“Right now, with the fuel prices so high and the Government saying it’s all so terrible, they’ve just worked that out, at 11.5 cents a litre in Auckland alone plus everything else round the country, right now is the time for the Government to say we’re going to put that on hold while we sort it out.”

Mrs Collins said for every litre of petrol sold, $1.25 went to the Government and 31 cents went to the fuel companies. end quote.

Spot on, Judith. If the government was really concerned about people being ‘fleeced’ over fuel prices, they could actually do something more or less instantaneously. Instead, they are just going to go through the motions of looking concerned, rush through legislation and then wait for about a year for the report to come out. Wow. They are really concerned about motorists being fleeced, aren’t they? quote:

“The dollar has dropped, oil prices internationally have gone up, every time that happens, the Government’s tax take goes up because it’s basically a percentage of the fuel.” end quote.

Another reason why they will do as little as possible. The tax take actually gets bigger because of the GST content. 15% of $2.42 is more than 15% of $2.25. They are laughing all the way to the bank. quote:

“In my electorate Papakura for instance, people have to travel around, don’t have much choice at all and they’re the people paying for it.” end quote.

It is not just individuals, although they are certainly being squeezed at present. I heard a story of a small trucking company today where the monthly fuel bill has increased by $13,000 and, I assume that this is only going to get worse.

Those costs will have to be passed on, and then the price of everything starts to rocket. We will be looking at significant inflation in a very short time, the likes of which we haven’t seen for over a decade.

I feel sorry for the people on low incomes who voted for this government. Yes, you can always argue that it is their own fault. But for reasons known only to themselves, they believe that Labour is the party for the working man, and that they will look after the ordinary guy just trying to make a living.

There was a time when all of that was true but nowadays Labour is the party of the elite. Good on Judith Collins for calling them to account. We need more of this.