Open Mike 20/09/25
Open Mike 20/09/25
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6:00 am, September 20th, 2025 - 28 comments
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Today's Posts (updated through the day):
Ah well … good to see a new team stand on the world Rugby stage and truly raise its profile it in the growth market of north America.
Yep.
I like Canada's style of rugby as well. Canada have the benefit of several players playing in UK club teams.
We need stronger competition in the South & Pacific – How about Sth Africa in the Pac4/5 series?
BF's just need to focus on maintaining their #3 world ranking for now. Then back to the drawing board and build towards the next RWC in Aussie.
All eyes and feet on the women's day of action today. As we go marching, marching in the beauty of the day.
It is a very nice day for it in Auckland. I went on the march for pay equity today. A couple of my pics of it are here.
Taken as the march was leading off from AUT.
Was with you all in spirit.
Next up, a run on iodine tablets.
Romania is the second NATO country in the last week to report a Russian drone incursion, as the alliance remains on edge over a wave of airspace violations reported by Poland several days ago.
https://www.businessinsider.com/romania-nato-country-f16-russian-drone-very-close-2025-9
Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat to protest after three Russian fighter aircraft entered its airspace without permission Friday and stayed there for 12 minutes, the Foreign Ministry said. It happened just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland and heightened fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over.
https://apnews.com/article/british-intelligence-mi6-russia-war-443df0c37ff2254fcc33d5425e3beaa6
Apologies if this has been posted aleady. A view that I find insightful coupled with a good turn of phrase.
friendlyjordies and their take on the response to Charlie Kirk's death.
All the more poignant considering fj was the target of an assassination attempt.
Included how 1/3 of university students (a comfortable section of society) think violence is an acceptable response to speech.
The analogy of a Seaworld dolphin having it's echoes bounce off the concrete walls slowly driving it insane is akin to the mostly on-line folk and their echo chambers.
How we are at a point of American culture meets 21st century brain-rot.
12minutes.
The US military obeys another illegal order from Trump and Hegseth.
President Donald Trump said Friday, September 19, that the US military had struck another drug trafficking boat in international waters, killing three people.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/global-issues/article/2025/09/20/trumps-announces-new-deadly-attack-on-alleged-drug-boat_6745570_199.html
🤣
Unhinged reaction to illegal use of military force. Suppose you'd find it even more hilarious if it turned out to be innocent people killed.
Dude probably shouldn't be left alone with small animals.
Definitely shouldn't. Not suitable for peace keeping or Corrections either I'd say.
#justicefordrugtraffickers
Alleged. And as the following link says….
Didn't realise you supported extra-judicial assassinations PR. Or you're only against that if it's people you like?
It's like free speech. I support free speech but I'm not an absolutist.
Yell fire in a theatre, threaten to kill someone etc etc
But taking out drug traffickers is something I'm OK with
Hell I'd support the USA invading Mexico to take out drug cartels
What about Canada invading America to depose the facist government in Washington?
or the US invading NZ for our resources in 10 years time as climate collapse progresses? Person with the biggest stick wins eh.
Supports extra-judicial assassinations ✅
Supports the removal of international law and conventions ✅
Have you thought about how vulnerable that makes a country like NZ?
All of the people in the chain of command that ordered these strikes will be in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. There's no statute of limitations on murder so they'll have half a life-time or more to sweat on how long before there's a political will to revisit their crimes.
“We have uniformed military asking their chain of command for letters that ensure that they don’t have personal liability for any illegal action in these operations,” she said. “I have no problem going after drug traffickers.”
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2025/09/18/boat-strikes-trap-dems-between-oversight-and-optics-00567095
They're going to do their killing on quiet.
Draft legislation is circulating at the White House and on Capitol Hill that would hand President Trump sweeping power to wage war against drug cartels he deems to be “terrorists,” as well as against any nation he says has harbored or aided them, according to people familiar with the matter.
[…]
The draft, which was described to The New York Times, would cover groups that the executive branch designates as terrorists and that Mr. Trump determines, in consultation with Congress, have either trafficked in drugs to finance terrorist activities or used terrorist tactics to advance narcotics-related enterprises. Nations that harbored such groups would also be covered.
It does not define what constitutes sufficient consultation with Congress or what counts as terrorist tactics.
Such an authorization would amount to giving Mr. Trump “a blank check,” said Jack Goldsmith, a Harvard Law School professor and a former senior Justice Department official in the Bush administration.
“It’s insanely broad,” Professor Goldsmith said. “This is an open-ended war authorization against an untold number of countries, organizations and persons that the president could deem within its scope.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/us/politics/trump-drug-cartels-war-authorization.html
Does anyone know why The Daily Blog seems to have been down all day? It's unreachable. And by the way from about 10pm tonight in Christchurch to early morning – there are high winds eventually building to 150km an hour in high or vulnerable places. So take care, and get your trampolines etc down and away.
Is there some measure to take to manage differences in pressure – something about opening windows on the off side from the wind so that the wind can pass through the building and away presumably? But I don't know. All the best for you down there.
Maybe try a different browser than the one you normally use to go there. The one I normally use has it timing out. then I used a different browser and it opened just fine.
Thanks Karolyn yes that is what I got 504 Time Out. And I couldn't even get in. My favourite line from Hotel California – 'We are programmed to receive' – doesn't include me.
Apparently they've been receiving bomber threats..
Government plans for building sector called foolish.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/09/20/misery-for-homeowners-expert-warns-against-luxons-building-sector-plans/