jeffinvaKooglercoming this summerRegistered Userregular
I have to do some research backed technical writing, leaning towards the persuasive, the audience is a mixture of software developers, DBAs, and their PHBs. I haven't done any technical writing aside from tech specs and instruction writing since... damn, like 2009. Going to have break out an old book, make sure I have a sound checklist and purpose.
New flag chat!
The Prime Minister of New Zealand has promised a referendum on a flag change.
Good morning.
It’s good to be here in a place where ideas are encouraged and discussed, because that’s what I want to do today.
Anzac Day is approaching and, as you know, next year we will commemorate the centenary of that fateful landing by the Anzacs on the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25, 1915.
In the struggle, the sacrifice, and the wretchedness of Gallipoli, an Anzac reputation for courage, endurance and mateship was forged that has endured long after those who survived that campaign have passed on.
Each year, on Anzac Day in particular, we remember our fallen as we should and as I hope we always will.
But once the centenary has passed, I think it will be time for us to take some decisions about how we present ourselves to the world beyond 2015.
For more than a hundred years the New Zealand flag has served us well, and we in turn have served it well.
It has given us an identity.
We have given it our loyalty.
But the current flag represents the thinking by and about a young country moving from the 1800s to the 1900s. A time before commercial air travel. A time when we had less of a role in the Pacific, and a time before Asia registered in our consciousness. That was a time before the rise of superpowers and before we had forged a formidable reputation on the battlefields of Europe. It was prior to the first tour by the New Zealand Rugby Union to the UK, and when our forebears thought their colonial protector would always be there for their descendants.
When you think about it, those who had a hand in the flag’s design did well to include symbols that have endured for more than a century.
But it’s my belief, and I think one increasingly shared by many New Zealanders, that the design of the New Zealand flag symbolises a colonial and post-colonial era whose time has passed.
The flag remains dominated by the Union Jack in a way that we ourselves are no longer dominated by the United Kingdom.
We retain a strong and important constitutional link to the monarchy and I get no sense of any groundswell of support to let that go. Nor could we or would we dispose of the cultural legacy which gave us a proud democracy, a strong legal system and a rich artistic heritage.
Each of these we have evolved and interpreted in our own way as an independent nation.
I am proposing that we take one more step in the evolution of modern New Zealand by acknowledging our independence through a new flag.
Some people say that we should look at the flag only if we’re also reviewing our wider constitutional arrangements.
I don’t agree.
Our status as a constitutional monarchy continues to serve us well.
It’s an arrangement that provides stability, continuity and keeps our head of State above party politics.
However, this country, the way we see ourselves in the world and the way others see us, has changed dramatically in the past century. Our flag does not reflect those changes.
I acknowledge that New Zealanders have a range of views on the idea of changing the flag. I also acknowledge that significant change can be difficult and unsettling for some people so this is not a debate to undertake lightly, or quickly.
But my personal view is that it’s time our flag reflected that we are a sovereign and successful nation that rightfully takes its place among developed economies in the 21st Century.
We are in a tremendous position to enjoy the benefits and challenges that our inter-connected and globalised world offers.
We are a country of travellers. Overseas experience is a rite of passage for many young Kiwis.
We are an open economy. Initially we were forced into it when Britain joined the Common Market but now we embrace the challenge of selling our goods, our services and our ideas into some of the most competitive markets in the world.
We do business all over the globe and, every year, 100,000 of the world’s young people come here to learn. In doing so they become part of the next generation of connections with the countries to which we are closely linked.
We are fiercely protective of our independent foreign policy, and rightly so. That does not mean we don’t act in concert with other like-minded countries over many things. Of course we do. We are a constructive and engaged nation always willing to work either behind the scenes or at the top table in international negotiations.
We stand ready to respond, when asked, to international emergencies, to contribute to international peace-keeping when appropriate and, from time to time, to serve in a military capacity in potentially hostile situations.
So we are independent, but in no way isolationist.
It’s my contention that when we engage internationally, in forums ranging from secondary school debating to the United Nations, or from age-grade representative sports teams to the Olympics, we should be represented by a flag that is distinctly New Zealand’s.
A flag that is only New Zealand’s.
A flag that is readily identified by New Zealanders, and with New Zealanders.
I believe the current flag is not that flag.
I believe that not only can we do better, but that this is the right time to get on with it.
At the same time, I acknowledge there may be many New Zealanders who want to retain the existing flag, and that will be one option.
I have given careful thought to this.
Back in 1965, Canada changed its flag from one that, like ours, also had the Union Jack in the corner, and replaced it with the striking symbol of modern Canada that all of us recognise and can identify today.
Fifty years on, I can’t imagine many Canadians would, if asked, choose to go back to the old flag.
That old flag represented Canada as it was once, rather than as it is now. Similarly, I think our flag represents us as we were once, rather than as we are now.
By law, the flag can be changed by a simple majority of Parliament but, as I’ve previously said, I do not believe that such a decision is one that MPs should take for themselves.
A flag that unites all New Zealanders should be selected by all New Zealanders.
This decision is bigger than party politics.
I would like us all to talk about it, but I do not think that it should dominate or distract from the other debates that occur in an election year.
The Government certainly has a lot to talk about in 2014. When the country goes to the polls, National will be asking New Zealanders for their continued support for our programme – a programme that has put New Zealand back on the right track.
The progress we have achieved has not come about by accident, and continuing that progress will not be achieved by chance.
We came into office with the country in recession, finance companies toppling and a Global Financial Crisis paralysing financial markets.
But our careful stewardship of the Government’s own finances, our Business Growth Agenda, and the determination of our strong team of ministers to get better value for New Zealanders and their families from public services, have been the right choices at the right time.
As Finance Minister Bill English says, we go into this year’s election focusing on managing growth, rather than on managing recession. Managing growth gives us far more choices about how we support New Zealanders and their families, particularly the most vulnerable.
We have a lot to do, a lot of ideas, and a lot to talk about, so the Cabinet has agreed that we should look at the steps that New Zealand would need to follow if it were to formally consider whether to change the flag. However, we will leave the real work until the next term of Parliament.
That also means that it will be under our existing flag that we will commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli landings.
At dawn on April 25, 2015, here, and on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and at New Zealand diplomatic posts around the world, we will lower to half-mast the same flag under which our forefathers fought so valiantly, so far away, a hundred years ago.
It is under the existing flag that we will remember the sacrifices made by New Zealanders in battle, and the sacrifices made by their families.
I do not under-estimate the significance of the flag to New Zealand’s servicemen and women and their families, but being respectful of our history does not lock us permanently in the past.
Organisations like our armed forces have undergone significant change over the generations. What does not change is their willingness to defend on behalf of all New Zealanders the values that define us and which we cherish.
Those values and our commitment to uphold them will not be compromised or eroded in any way by a change of flag. From time to time, countries do change their flags. If we do it, we won’t be the first and we won’t be the last.
If New Zealanders choose a new flag, it will serve us in times of celebration, and in times of mourning.
It will be the flag that is hoisted at a medal ceremony as we celebrate the achievement of an individual or team that has done our country proud.
And it will be the flag that is lowered to half-mast as we mourn together the passing of a New Zealander who has made a significant contribution to the affairs of our nation.
It will be the flag that serves us on every occasion because, in the end, the flag is a symbol of our unity. Our allegiance to it symbolises the bond we share for each other, and for this country that we have the good fortune to call home.
If we choose well, it will become internationally recognisable in a way that our current flag is not, despite more than a hundred years of use.
As I say, change can be difficult but it’s also remarkable how quickly the new becomes familiar.
A flag can never be all things to all people. As we consider alternative designs, there might be some people who want a stronger representation of our Maori heritage, or of our flora and fauna. The colours we might choose to represent us are, right now, far from certain.
Long decades of sweat and effort by our sportsmen and women in many codes over countless competitions give the silver fern on a black background a distinctive and uniquely New Zealand identity, and a head start in our national consciousness.
For example, it’s our silver fern, rather than our flag, that’s etched in the crosses marking the final resting place of all New Zealanders who are interred in Commonwealth War Graves overseas.
Interestingly, it’s the maple leaf that’s etched in the crosses of Canada’s fallen in those same cemeteries.
I admit to liking the silver fern but I’m also open to other ideas and designs.
So I come to this debate advocating change, and with a personal leaning towards the silver fern, but I also want to listen to the debate, and see the possibilities before making up my mind on my preferred design.
I urge others to do the same.
For people who have doubts or concerns, I want to give a clear assurance and commitment that retaining the current flag is a very possible outcome of this process, and there will be no presumption in favour of a change.
I would like us to enter this discussion with open minds and a shared sense of purpose and privilege about our task.
Most important, I think, is that the designs from which we eventually choose are unique, confident and enduring.
We want a design that says “New Zealand” in the same way that the maple leaf says “Canada”, or the Union Jack says “Britain,” without a word being spoken, or a bar of those countries’ anthems being heard.
We want a design that says “New Zealand,” whether it’s stitched on a Kiwi traveller’s backpack outside a bar in Croatia, on a flagpole outside the United Nations, or standing in a Wellington southerly on top of the Beehive every working day.
It’s really important that consideration of a new flag includes genuine input from New Zealanders. All voices need an opportunity to be heard.
It’s also important, in my view, that these discussions and debates happen outside party politics.
So next term, should I have the privilege of remaining as prime minister, soon after Parliament re-commences I will write to the leaders of all political parties represented in Parliament. I will ask them to nominate an MP to join a cross-party group to oversee the flag consideration process.
That cross-party group will have the task of recommending the best referenda process to follow. For example, it would look at the question, or questions, that would need to be asked in a referendum.
The cross-party group of MPs will also be involved in nominating New Zealanders from outside Parliament to form a steering group, which will have primary responsibility for ensuring that the public has the opportunity to engage in the debate.
One of the tasks of that steering group will be to seek submissions from the public on flag designs.
As I said, the role of the MPs’ group will be to make recommendations on the best way to proceed so I can’t give you more details about the process just yet.
But I can make the commitment that there will be genuine public engagement, including the opportunity for people to submit designs and suggestions, and that ultimately the decision on whether or not to change the flag will rest with New Zealanders themselves.
I would like to see the referendum process completed during the next Parliamentary term, so it does not intrude on the 2017 elections.
Cabinet has asked officials to give advice on the best way to set up these various processes.
Finally, I want to say that I am not putting the flag debate on the table today.
It’s already on the table, and it’s been there quite a long time.
But until now the debate’s been mostly conducted via letters to the editor, editorials, opinion polls and by a few passionate adherents of designs that some people happen to champion.
My purpose today is to say that this debate is too important for it to continue rumbling on in such a casual and ad hoc fashion.
The time has come to discuss the flag formally, carefully and respectfully, allowing all New Zealanders to have their say.
Only by doing that will we arrive at a point where we have an answer that we will all then be bound by for a long time.
If together we support a new design, then it will be with the understanding that it will serve and represent us for the rest of our lives.
If, on the other hand, we reject change then my view is that the people will have spoken and the idea should be shelved for a good long time.
I have raised this now because as Anzac Day approaches, and we turn our minds to the countdown to next year’s centenary, we will reflect on our past but also think about our future.
In my view, that’s an appropriate time to write one small but significant new chapter in our national story by re-considering the flag.
It’s my observation that each generation of New Zealanders is becoming more confident about asserting their Kiwi identity. That’s because we’re increasingly comfortable in our Kiwi skin.
When we go out in to the world, we do so with a strong sense of where we come from.
Our flag should reflect that.
I urge you all to think about it, and to have your say when the time comes.
For my part, I will embrace the opportunity for us to come up with a New Zealand flag that reflects and celebrates our New Zealand-ness, and that inspires us to do the same.
Then, I think, the flag will be serving us in the same way that we serve it.
New flag chat!
The Prime Minister of New Zealand has promised a referendum on a flag change.
Good morning.
It’s good to be here in a place where ideas are encouraged and discussed, because that’s what I want to do today.
Anzac Day is approaching and, as you know, next year we will commemorate the centenary of that fateful landing by the Anzacs on the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25, 1915.
In the struggle, the sacrifice, and the wretchedness of Gallipoli, an Anzac reputation for courage, endurance and mateship was forged that has endured long after those who survived that campaign have passed on.
Each year, on Anzac Day in particular, we remember our fallen as we should and as I hope we always will.
But once the centenary has passed, I think it will be time for us to take some decisions about how we present ourselves to the world beyond 2015.
For more than a hundred years the New Zealand flag has served us well, and we in turn have served it well.
It has given us an identity.
We have given it our loyalty.
But the current flag represents the thinking by and about a young country moving from the 1800s to the 1900s. A time before commercial air travel. A time when we had less of a role in the Pacific, and a time before Asia registered in our consciousness. That was a time before the rise of superpowers and before we had forged a formidable reputation on the battlefields of Europe. It was prior to the first tour by the New Zealand Rugby Union to the UK, and when our forebears thought their colonial protector would always be there for their descendants.
When you think about it, those who had a hand in the flag’s design did well to include symbols that have endured for more than a century.
But it’s my belief, and I think one increasingly shared by many New Zealanders, that the design of the New Zealand flag symbolises a colonial and post-colonial era whose time has passed.
The flag remains dominated by the Union Jack in a way that we ourselves are no longer dominated by the United Kingdom.
We retain a strong and important constitutional link to the monarchy and I get no sense of any groundswell of support to let that go. Nor could we or would we dispose of the cultural legacy which gave us a proud democracy, a strong legal system and a rich artistic heritage.
Each of these we have evolved and interpreted in our own way as an independent nation.
I am proposing that we take one more step in the evolution of modern New Zealand by acknowledging our independence through a new flag.
Some people say that we should look at the flag only if we’re also reviewing our wider constitutional arrangements.
I don’t agree.
Our status as a constitutional monarchy continues to serve us well.
It’s an arrangement that provides stability, continuity and keeps our head of State above party politics.
However, this country, the way we see ourselves in the world and the way others see us, has changed dramatically in the past century. Our flag does not reflect those changes.
I acknowledge that New Zealanders have a range of views on the idea of changing the flag. I also acknowledge that significant change can be difficult and unsettling for some people so this is not a debate to undertake lightly, or quickly.
But my personal view is that it’s time our flag reflected that we are a sovereign and successful nation that rightfully takes its place among developed economies in the 21st Century.
We are in a tremendous position to enjoy the benefits and challenges that our inter-connected and globalised world offers.
We are a country of travellers. Overseas experience is a rite of passage for many young Kiwis.
We are an open economy. Initially we were forced into it when Britain joined the Common Market but now we embrace the challenge of selling our goods, our services and our ideas into some of the most competitive markets in the world.
We do business all over the globe and, every year, 100,000 of the world’s young people come here to learn. In doing so they become part of the next generation of connections with the countries to which we are closely linked.
We are fiercely protective of our independent foreign policy, and rightly so. That does not mean we don’t act in concert with other like-minded countries over many things. Of course we do. We are a constructive and engaged nation always willing to work either behind the scenes or at the top table in international negotiations.
We stand ready to respond, when asked, to international emergencies, to contribute to international peace-keeping when appropriate and, from time to time, to serve in a military capacity in potentially hostile situations.
So we are independent, but in no way isolationist.
It’s my contention that when we engage internationally, in forums ranging from secondary school debating to the United Nations, or from age-grade representative sports teams to the Olympics, we should be represented by a flag that is distinctly New Zealand’s.
A flag that is only New Zealand’s.
A flag that is readily identified by New Zealanders, and with New Zealanders.
I believe the current flag is not that flag.
I believe that not only can we do better, but that this is the right time to get on with it.
At the same time, I acknowledge there may be many New Zealanders who want to retain the existing flag, and that will be one option.
I have given careful thought to this.
Back in 1965, Canada changed its flag from one that, like ours, also had the Union Jack in the corner, and replaced it with the striking symbol of modern Canada that all of us recognise and can identify today.
Fifty years on, I can’t imagine many Canadians would, if asked, choose to go back to the old flag.
That old flag represented Canada as it was once, rather than as it is now. Similarly, I think our flag represents us as we were once, rather than as we are now.
By law, the flag can be changed by a simple majority of Parliament but, as I’ve previously said, I do not believe that such a decision is one that MPs should take for themselves.
A flag that unites all New Zealanders should be selected by all New Zealanders.
This decision is bigger than party politics.
I would like us all to talk about it, but I do not think that it should dominate or distract from the other debates that occur in an election year.
The Government certainly has a lot to talk about in 2014. When the country goes to the polls, National will be asking New Zealanders for their continued support for our programme – a programme that has put New Zealand back on the right track.
The progress we have achieved has not come about by accident, and continuing that progress will not be achieved by chance.
We came into office with the country in recession, finance companies toppling and a Global Financial Crisis paralysing financial markets.
But our careful stewardship of the Government’s own finances, our Business Growth Agenda, and the determination of our strong team of ministers to get better value for New Zealanders and their families from public services, have been the right choices at the right time.
As Finance Minister Bill English says, we go into this year’s election focusing on managing growth, rather than on managing recession. Managing growth gives us far more choices about how we support New Zealanders and their families, particularly the most vulnerable.
We have a lot to do, a lot of ideas, and a lot to talk about, so the Cabinet has agreed that we should look at the steps that New Zealand would need to follow if it were to formally consider whether to change the flag. However, we will leave the real work until the next term of Parliament.
That also means that it will be under our existing flag that we will commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli landings.
At dawn on April 25, 2015, here, and on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and at New Zealand diplomatic posts around the world, we will lower to half-mast the same flag under which our forefathers fought so valiantly, so far away, a hundred years ago.
It is under the existing flag that we will remember the sacrifices made by New Zealanders in battle, and the sacrifices made by their families.
I do not under-estimate the significance of the flag to New Zealand’s servicemen and women and their families, but being respectful of our history does not lock us permanently in the past.
Organisations like our armed forces have undergone significant change over the generations. What does not change is their willingness to defend on behalf of all New Zealanders the values that define us and which we cherish.
Those values and our commitment to uphold them will not be compromised or eroded in any way by a change of flag. From time to time, countries do change their flags. If we do it, we won’t be the first and we won’t be the last.
If New Zealanders choose a new flag, it will serve us in times of celebration, and in times of mourning.
It will be the flag that is hoisted at a medal ceremony as we celebrate the achievement of an individual or team that has done our country proud.
And it will be the flag that is lowered to half-mast as we mourn together the passing of a New Zealander who has made a significant contribution to the affairs of our nation.
It will be the flag that serves us on every occasion because, in the end, the flag is a symbol of our unity. Our allegiance to it symbolises the bond we share for each other, and for this country that we have the good fortune to call home.
If we choose well, it will become internationally recognisable in a way that our current flag is not, despite more than a hundred years of use.
As I say, change can be difficult but it’s also remarkable how quickly the new becomes familiar.
A flag can never be all things to all people. As we consider alternative designs, there might be some people who want a stronger representation of our Maori heritage, or of our flora and fauna. The colours we might choose to represent us are, right now, far from certain.
Long decades of sweat and effort by our sportsmen and women in many codes over countless competitions give the silver fern on a black background a distinctive and uniquely New Zealand identity, and a head start in our national consciousness.
For example, it’s our silver fern, rather than our flag, that’s etched in the crosses marking the final resting place of all New Zealanders who are interred in Commonwealth War Graves overseas.
Interestingly, it’s the maple leaf that’s etched in the crosses of Canada’s fallen in those same cemeteries.
I admit to liking the silver fern but I’m also open to other ideas and designs.
So I come to this debate advocating change, and with a personal leaning towards the silver fern, but I also want to listen to the debate, and see the possibilities before making up my mind on my preferred design.
I urge others to do the same.
For people who have doubts or concerns, I want to give a clear assurance and commitment that retaining the current flag is a very possible outcome of this process, and there will be no presumption in favour of a change.
I would like us to enter this discussion with open minds and a shared sense of purpose and privilege about our task.
Most important, I think, is that the designs from which we eventually choose are unique, confident and enduring.
We want a design that says “New Zealand” in the same way that the maple leaf says “Canada”, or the Union Jack says “Britain,” without a word being spoken, or a bar of those countries’ anthems being heard.
We want a design that says “New Zealand,” whether it’s stitched on a Kiwi traveller’s backpack outside a bar in Croatia, on a flagpole outside the United Nations, or standing in a Wellington southerly on top of the Beehive every working day.
It’s really important that consideration of a new flag includes genuine input from New Zealanders. All voices need an opportunity to be heard.
It’s also important, in my view, that these discussions and debates happen outside party politics.
So next term, should I have the privilege of remaining as prime minister, soon after Parliament re-commences I will write to the leaders of all political parties represented in Parliament. I will ask them to nominate an MP to join a cross-party group to oversee the flag consideration process.
That cross-party group will have the task of recommending the best referenda process to follow. For example, it would look at the question, or questions, that would need to be asked in a referendum.
The cross-party group of MPs will also be involved in nominating New Zealanders from outside Parliament to form a steering group, which will have primary responsibility for ensuring that the public has the opportunity to engage in the debate.
One of the tasks of that steering group will be to seek submissions from the public on flag designs.
As I said, the role of the MPs’ group will be to make recommendations on the best way to proceed so I can’t give you more details about the process just yet.
But I can make the commitment that there will be genuine public engagement, including the opportunity for people to submit designs and suggestions, and that ultimately the decision on whether or not to change the flag will rest with New Zealanders themselves.
I would like to see the referendum process completed during the next Parliamentary term, so it does not intrude on the 2017 elections.
Cabinet has asked officials to give advice on the best way to set up these various processes.
Finally, I want to say that I am not putting the flag debate on the table today.
It’s already on the table, and it’s been there quite a long time.
But until now the debate’s been mostly conducted via letters to the editor, editorials, opinion polls and by a few passionate adherents of designs that some people happen to champion.
My purpose today is to say that this debate is too important for it to continue rumbling on in such a casual and ad hoc fashion.
The time has come to discuss the flag formally, carefully and respectfully, allowing all New Zealanders to have their say.
Only by doing that will we arrive at a point where we have an answer that we will all then be bound by for a long time.
If together we support a new design, then it will be with the understanding that it will serve and represent us for the rest of our lives.
If, on the other hand, we reject change then my view is that the people will have spoken and the idea should be shelved for a good long time.
I have raised this now because as Anzac Day approaches, and we turn our minds to the countdown to next year’s centenary, we will reflect on our past but also think about our future.
In my view, that’s an appropriate time to write one small but significant new chapter in our national story by re-considering the flag.
It’s my observation that each generation of New Zealanders is becoming more confident about asserting their Kiwi identity. That’s because we’re increasingly comfortable in our Kiwi skin.
When we go out in to the world, we do so with a strong sense of where we come from.
Our flag should reflect that.
I urge you all to think about it, and to have your say when the time comes.
For my part, I will embrace the opportunity for us to come up with a New Zealand flag that reflects and celebrates our New Zealand-ness, and that inspires us to do the same.
Then, I think, the flag will be serving us in the same way that we serve it.
Thank you.
How about the flag of Zeeland with sparkles on it?
+2
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Mojo_JojoWe are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourseRegistered Userregular
Four union jacks and a volcano.
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
I am bemused by the political myopia of self-appointed spokesmen for the ultra-orthodox community; they seem bad at gauging political optics. Also, on how to write a persuasive statement to outsiders.
the appropriate way would, I think, be to emphasize that the haredi community predates the Israeli state, and that the bargain was made in return for the community's support for Israel way back in the 1940s. i.e., emphasize a sovereignty of the community and the fairness of the bargain back then, rather than accept the framing of arguing from fairness today
instead you get this frothing handwringing about the alleged genocidal intentions of secular Israelis
Not that you're saying otherwise, but it's not hugely surprising that the mouthpieces for a fundamentalist religious group are bad at framing their viewpoints in reasonable mainstream terms.
kedinik on
I made a game! Hotline Maui. Requires mouse and keyboard.
Everyone in the world infected. 2.9 billion dead. 95 million more dying every day. There is literally no hope a cure will save the day. I've ensured that. Humanity is doomed and yet still? They try.
This game give me odd feels. It's weird to actively be rooting that hope dies.
Everyone in the world infected. 2.9 billion dead. 95 million more dying every day. There is literally no hope a cure will save the day. I've ensured that. Humanity is doomed and yet still? They try.
This game give me odd feels. It's weird to actively be rooting that hope dies.
I can't play those games.
Global annihilation scenarios make me feel really really sad. And it's still odd, because it seemed to happen so suddenly to me as well - all of a sudden stuff like that just started hitting me way too hard.
Everyone in the world infected. 2.9 billion dead. 95 million more dying every day. There is literally no hope a cure will save the day. I've ensured that. Humanity is doomed and yet still? They try.
This game give me odd feels. It's weird to actively be rooting that hope dies.
I can't play those games.
Global annihilation scenarios make me feel really really sad. And it's still odd, because it seemed to happen so suddenly to me as well - all of a sudden stuff like that just started hitting me way too hard.
That's the weirdest part for me.
I can spend hours, literally, waiting on my perfect pathogen to ensure the destruction of humanity.
But when it becomes an absolutely certainty? Everything changes. Instead of being happy I accomplished my goal I sit here thinking "Ok I know I basically cheated via patience and I (might have) actively killing your research whenever possible but..... don't everyone die!"
Going through Dark Souls 2 withdrawals, but thankfully I don't mind watching streams I don't really care about spoilers because I will remember fuck all anyways.
simonwolfi can feel a differencetoday, a differenceRegistered Userregular
edited March 2014
I think flag change is unfortunately connected to the idea of republicanism in Australia
and the botched job of that referendum has kind of led to the establishment of a "no more talk about republicanism until Queen Lizzie is dead" policy in the grand halls of Canberra
simonwolf on
+2
Options
TavIrish Minister for DefenceRegistered Userregular
I think flag change is unfortunately connected to the idea of republicanism in Australia
and the botched job of that referendum has kind of led to the establishment of a "no more talk about republicanism until Queen Lizzie is dead" policy in the grand halls of Canberra
it's true, no one seems to like Charles very much, i think the popularity of the monarchy will fall quite a bit even in the UK when the Queen dies
on the flip side of the coin though both his sons are very popular, so perhaps the monarchy can survive long enough for one of them to take the throne
0
Options
BeNarwhalThe Work Left UnfinishedRegistered Userregular
I think flag change is unfortunately connected to the idea of republicanism in Australia
and the botched job of that referendum has kind of led to the establishment of a "no more talk about republicanism until Queen Lizzie is dead" policy in the grand halls of Canberra
it's true, no one seems to like Charles very much, i think the popularity of the monarchy will fall quite a bit even in the UK when the Queen dies
on the flip side of the coin though both his sons are very popular, so perhaps the monarchy can survive long enough for one of them to take the throne
I would just prefer not to have Charles on my coins
it seems like the death of the ol' Q-Unit would be the best time to switch over to coins with some Australian icons on the back instead
I think flag change is unfortunately connected to the idea of republicanism in Australia
and the botched job of that referendum has kind of led to the establishment of a "no more talk about republicanism until Queen Lizzie is dead" policy in the grand halls of Canberra
it's true, no one seems to like Charles very much, i think the popularity of the monarchy will fall quite a bit even in the UK when the Queen dies
on the flip side of the coin though both his sons are very popular, so perhaps the monarchy can survive long enough for one of them to take the throne
I would just prefer not to have Charles on my coins
it seems like the death of the ol' Q-Unit would be the best time to switch over to coins with some Australian icons on the back instead
like our first prime minister, Paul Hogan
or our second prime minister, Steve Irwin
i won't lie
it'd be sad to see Australia and New Zealand sever historic ties with the UK like that
there's something nice about a shared cultural heritage among Canadians, Australians and Kiwis
but at the same time it's not like we really have a say in the matter, the connection these days is symbolic for the most part and if Oz and NZ feel the time to cut that cord is now, it's their choice to make
I think flag change is unfortunately connected to the idea of republicanism in Australia
and the botched job of that referendum has kind of led to the establishment of a "no more talk about republicanism until Queen Lizzie is dead" policy in the grand halls of Canberra
it's true, no one seems to like Charles very much, i think the popularity of the monarchy will fall quite a bit even in the UK when the Queen dies
on the flip side of the coin though both his sons are very popular, so perhaps the monarchy can survive long enough for one of them to take the throne
I don't dislike Charles at all and think he will make as good a monarch as his mother. Which is to say I don't think he will have much influence and certainly not outside the UK.
On the flag, well I'm anti change but pro republic
i'm pro monarchy because as i said i feel like they have a positive unifying cultural influence
that said im not a fan of Charles, Elizabeth is a monarch we've taken for granted slightly because it's easy to forget how good she is at her job since when she's doing it right you tend not to notice
she's an excellent cultural ambassador for the UK, she's never personally dragged the monarchy into a scandal (which is no small feat, no doubt every tabloid in the country has her under a microscope), and she's been very good at (publicly at least) remaining politically neutral
Charles not so much
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I want to add a JSON API to this project as a learning exercise. I might hook it up to something like charts.js or Google Charts later, to add fancy graphs and stuff.
I had my basic FooController that spits out the web view. I renamed that to FooHtmlController, and then made a FooBaseController that the HTML controller extends. All business logic gets moved to the base controller, so the HTML controller gets the results from the base controller and deals exclusively with spitting out the HTML views.
So far, so fine. Now I'll add a FooApiController that does the same, but spits out JSON.
Posts
so this seems like news
The Prime Minister of New Zealand has promised a referendum on a flag change.
It’s good to be here in a place where ideas are encouraged and discussed, because that’s what I want to do today.
Anzac Day is approaching and, as you know, next year we will commemorate the centenary of that fateful landing by the Anzacs on the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25, 1915.
In the struggle, the sacrifice, and the wretchedness of Gallipoli, an Anzac reputation for courage, endurance and mateship was forged that has endured long after those who survived that campaign have passed on.
Each year, on Anzac Day in particular, we remember our fallen as we should and as I hope we always will.
But once the centenary has passed, I think it will be time for us to take some decisions about how we present ourselves to the world beyond 2015.
For more than a hundred years the New Zealand flag has served us well, and we in turn have served it well.
It has given us an identity.
We have given it our loyalty.
But the current flag represents the thinking by and about a young country moving from the 1800s to the 1900s. A time before commercial air travel. A time when we had less of a role in the Pacific, and a time before Asia registered in our consciousness. That was a time before the rise of superpowers and before we had forged a formidable reputation on the battlefields of Europe. It was prior to the first tour by the New Zealand Rugby Union to the UK, and when our forebears thought their colonial protector would always be there for their descendants.
When you think about it, those who had a hand in the flag’s design did well to include symbols that have endured for more than a century.
But it’s my belief, and I think one increasingly shared by many New Zealanders, that the design of the New Zealand flag symbolises a colonial and post-colonial era whose time has passed.
The flag remains dominated by the Union Jack in a way that we ourselves are no longer dominated by the United Kingdom.
We retain a strong and important constitutional link to the monarchy and I get no sense of any groundswell of support to let that go. Nor could we or would we dispose of the cultural legacy which gave us a proud democracy, a strong legal system and a rich artistic heritage.
Each of these we have evolved and interpreted in our own way as an independent nation.
I am proposing that we take one more step in the evolution of modern New Zealand by acknowledging our independence through a new flag.
Some people say that we should look at the flag only if we’re also reviewing our wider constitutional arrangements.
I don’t agree.
Our status as a constitutional monarchy continues to serve us well.
It’s an arrangement that provides stability, continuity and keeps our head of State above party politics.
However, this country, the way we see ourselves in the world and the way others see us, has changed dramatically in the past century. Our flag does not reflect those changes.
I acknowledge that New Zealanders have a range of views on the idea of changing the flag. I also acknowledge that significant change can be difficult and unsettling for some people so this is not a debate to undertake lightly, or quickly.
But my personal view is that it’s time our flag reflected that we are a sovereign and successful nation that rightfully takes its place among developed economies in the 21st Century.
We are in a tremendous position to enjoy the benefits and challenges that our inter-connected and globalised world offers.
We are a country of travellers. Overseas experience is a rite of passage for many young Kiwis.
We are an open economy. Initially we were forced into it when Britain joined the Common Market but now we embrace the challenge of selling our goods, our services and our ideas into some of the most competitive markets in the world.
We do business all over the globe and, every year, 100,000 of the world’s young people come here to learn. In doing so they become part of the next generation of connections with the countries to which we are closely linked.
We are fiercely protective of our independent foreign policy, and rightly so. That does not mean we don’t act in concert with other like-minded countries over many things. Of course we do. We are a constructive and engaged nation always willing to work either behind the scenes or at the top table in international negotiations.
We stand ready to respond, when asked, to international emergencies, to contribute to international peace-keeping when appropriate and, from time to time, to serve in a military capacity in potentially hostile situations.
So we are independent, but in no way isolationist.
It’s my contention that when we engage internationally, in forums ranging from secondary school debating to the United Nations, or from age-grade representative sports teams to the Olympics, we should be represented by a flag that is distinctly New Zealand’s.
A flag that is only New Zealand’s.
A flag that is readily identified by New Zealanders, and with New Zealanders.
I believe the current flag is not that flag.
I believe that not only can we do better, but that this is the right time to get on with it.
At the same time, I acknowledge there may be many New Zealanders who want to retain the existing flag, and that will be one option.
I have given careful thought to this.
Back in 1965, Canada changed its flag from one that, like ours, also had the Union Jack in the corner, and replaced it with the striking symbol of modern Canada that all of us recognise and can identify today.
Fifty years on, I can’t imagine many Canadians would, if asked, choose to go back to the old flag.
That old flag represented Canada as it was once, rather than as it is now. Similarly, I think our flag represents us as we were once, rather than as we are now.
By law, the flag can be changed by a simple majority of Parliament but, as I’ve previously said, I do not believe that such a decision is one that MPs should take for themselves.
A flag that unites all New Zealanders should be selected by all New Zealanders.
This decision is bigger than party politics.
I would like us all to talk about it, but I do not think that it should dominate or distract from the other debates that occur in an election year.
The Government certainly has a lot to talk about in 2014. When the country goes to the polls, National will be asking New Zealanders for their continued support for our programme – a programme that has put New Zealand back on the right track.
The progress we have achieved has not come about by accident, and continuing that progress will not be achieved by chance.
We came into office with the country in recession, finance companies toppling and a Global Financial Crisis paralysing financial markets.
But our careful stewardship of the Government’s own finances, our Business Growth Agenda, and the determination of our strong team of ministers to get better value for New Zealanders and their families from public services, have been the right choices at the right time.
As Finance Minister Bill English says, we go into this year’s election focusing on managing growth, rather than on managing recession. Managing growth gives us far more choices about how we support New Zealanders and their families, particularly the most vulnerable.
We have a lot to do, a lot of ideas, and a lot to talk about, so the Cabinet has agreed that we should look at the steps that New Zealand would need to follow if it were to formally consider whether to change the flag. However, we will leave the real work until the next term of Parliament.
That also means that it will be under our existing flag that we will commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli landings.
At dawn on April 25, 2015, here, and on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and at New Zealand diplomatic posts around the world, we will lower to half-mast the same flag under which our forefathers fought so valiantly, so far away, a hundred years ago.
It is under the existing flag that we will remember the sacrifices made by New Zealanders in battle, and the sacrifices made by their families.
I do not under-estimate the significance of the flag to New Zealand’s servicemen and women and their families, but being respectful of our history does not lock us permanently in the past.
Organisations like our armed forces have undergone significant change over the generations. What does not change is their willingness to defend on behalf of all New Zealanders the values that define us and which we cherish.
Those values and our commitment to uphold them will not be compromised or eroded in any way by a change of flag. From time to time, countries do change their flags. If we do it, we won’t be the first and we won’t be the last.
If New Zealanders choose a new flag, it will serve us in times of celebration, and in times of mourning.
It will be the flag that is hoisted at a medal ceremony as we celebrate the achievement of an individual or team that has done our country proud.
And it will be the flag that is lowered to half-mast as we mourn together the passing of a New Zealander who has made a significant contribution to the affairs of our nation.
It will be the flag that serves us on every occasion because, in the end, the flag is a symbol of our unity. Our allegiance to it symbolises the bond we share for each other, and for this country that we have the good fortune to call home.
If we choose well, it will become internationally recognisable in a way that our current flag is not, despite more than a hundred years of use.
As I say, change can be difficult but it’s also remarkable how quickly the new becomes familiar.
A flag can never be all things to all people. As we consider alternative designs, there might be some people who want a stronger representation of our Maori heritage, or of our flora and fauna. The colours we might choose to represent us are, right now, far from certain.
Long decades of sweat and effort by our sportsmen and women in many codes over countless competitions give the silver fern on a black background a distinctive and uniquely New Zealand identity, and a head start in our national consciousness.
For example, it’s our silver fern, rather than our flag, that’s etched in the crosses marking the final resting place of all New Zealanders who are interred in Commonwealth War Graves overseas.
Interestingly, it’s the maple leaf that’s etched in the crosses of Canada’s fallen in those same cemeteries.
I admit to liking the silver fern but I’m also open to other ideas and designs.
So I come to this debate advocating change, and with a personal leaning towards the silver fern, but I also want to listen to the debate, and see the possibilities before making up my mind on my preferred design.
I urge others to do the same.
For people who have doubts or concerns, I want to give a clear assurance and commitment that retaining the current flag is a very possible outcome of this process, and there will be no presumption in favour of a change.
I would like us to enter this discussion with open minds and a shared sense of purpose and privilege about our task.
Most important, I think, is that the designs from which we eventually choose are unique, confident and enduring.
We want a design that says “New Zealand” in the same way that the maple leaf says “Canada”, or the Union Jack says “Britain,” without a word being spoken, or a bar of those countries’ anthems being heard.
We want a design that says “New Zealand,” whether it’s stitched on a Kiwi traveller’s backpack outside a bar in Croatia, on a flagpole outside the United Nations, or standing in a Wellington southerly on top of the Beehive every working day.
It’s really important that consideration of a new flag includes genuine input from New Zealanders. All voices need an opportunity to be heard.
It’s also important, in my view, that these discussions and debates happen outside party politics.
So next term, should I have the privilege of remaining as prime minister, soon after Parliament re-commences I will write to the leaders of all political parties represented in Parliament. I will ask them to nominate an MP to join a cross-party group to oversee the flag consideration process.
That cross-party group will have the task of recommending the best referenda process to follow. For example, it would look at the question, or questions, that would need to be asked in a referendum.
The cross-party group of MPs will also be involved in nominating New Zealanders from outside Parliament to form a steering group, which will have primary responsibility for ensuring that the public has the opportunity to engage in the debate.
One of the tasks of that steering group will be to seek submissions from the public on flag designs.
As I said, the role of the MPs’ group will be to make recommendations on the best way to proceed so I can’t give you more details about the process just yet.
But I can make the commitment that there will be genuine public engagement, including the opportunity for people to submit designs and suggestions, and that ultimately the decision on whether or not to change the flag will rest with New Zealanders themselves.
I would like to see the referendum process completed during the next Parliamentary term, so it does not intrude on the 2017 elections.
Cabinet has asked officials to give advice on the best way to set up these various processes.
Finally, I want to say that I am not putting the flag debate on the table today.
It’s already on the table, and it’s been there quite a long time.
But until now the debate’s been mostly conducted via letters to the editor, editorials, opinion polls and by a few passionate adherents of designs that some people happen to champion.
My purpose today is to say that this debate is too important for it to continue rumbling on in such a casual and ad hoc fashion.
The time has come to discuss the flag formally, carefully and respectfully, allowing all New Zealanders to have their say.
Only by doing that will we arrive at a point where we have an answer that we will all then be bound by for a long time.
If together we support a new design, then it will be with the understanding that it will serve and represent us for the rest of our lives.
If, on the other hand, we reject change then my view is that the people will have spoken and the idea should be shelved for a good long time.
I have raised this now because as Anzac Day approaches, and we turn our minds to the countdown to next year’s centenary, we will reflect on our past but also think about our future.
In my view, that’s an appropriate time to write one small but significant new chapter in our national story by re-considering the flag.
It’s my observation that each generation of New Zealanders is becoming more confident about asserting their Kiwi identity. That’s because we’re increasingly comfortable in our Kiwi skin.
When we go out in to the world, we do so with a strong sense of where we come from.
Our flag should reflect that.
I urge you all to think about it, and to have your say when the time comes.
For my part, I will embrace the opportunity for us to come up with a New Zealand flag that reflects and celebrates our New Zealand-ness, and that inspires us to do the same.
Then, I think, the flag will be serving us in the same way that we serve it.
Thank you.
How about the flag of Zeeland with sparkles on it?
It's about time they had their skin in the game and their kids got to see the consequences of their foolishness up close.
the appropriate way would, I think, be to emphasize that the haredi community predates the Israeli state, and that the bargain was made in return for the community's support for Israel way back in the 1940s. i.e., emphasize a sovereignty of the community and the fairness of the bargain back then, rather than accept the framing of arguing from fairness today
instead you get this frothing handwringing about the alleged genocidal intentions of secular Israelis
Your attempt at calling them out is a violation of States Rights! Or something...
Everyone in the world infected. 2.9 billion dead. 95 million more dying every day. There is literally no hope a cure will save the day. I've ensured that. Humanity is doomed and yet still? They try.
This game give me odd feels. It's weird to actively be rooting that hope dies.
I can't play those games.
Global annihilation scenarios make me feel really really sad. And it's still odd, because it seemed to happen so suddenly to me as well - all of a sudden stuff like that just started hitting me way too hard.
*tightly clamps hand on your groin*
this is mine
this is where my babies come from
well
this is an interesting start to my day
That's the weirdest part for me.
I can spend hours, literally, waiting on my perfect pathogen to ensure the destruction of humanity.
But when it becomes an absolutely certainty? Everything changes. Instead of being happy I accomplished my goal I sit here thinking "Ok I know I basically cheated via patience and I (might have) actively killing your research whenever possible but..... don't everyone die!"
Also no one I see is playing a mage like myself.
and the botched job of that referendum has kind of led to the establishment of a "no more talk about republicanism until Queen Lizzie is dead" policy in the grand halls of Canberra
Isn't it a glorious morning?
I think I'll bake some bread this morning, after I go for my walk and take care of a few chores.
Canada survived an outbreak of one of my plagues
We are sworn enemies
And I don't wanna hear about the glories of your socialist commie medicine or how the RNG just sometimes fucks you and there's nothing you can do
Game cheated and you are clearly to blame, canadian
it's true, no one seems to like Charles very much, i think the popularity of the monarchy will fall quite a bit even in the UK when the Queen dies
on the flip side of the coin though both his sons are very popular, so perhaps the monarchy can survive long enough for one of them to take the throne
The lesson here is
Do not make attempts to bring trouble to the things I care about
Not on this day, especially
I would just prefer not to have Charles on my coins
it seems like the death of the ol' Q-Unit would be the best time to switch over to coins with some Australian icons on the back instead
like our first prime minister, Paul Hogan
or our second prime minister, Steve Irwin
i won't lie
it'd be sad to see Australia and New Zealand sever historic ties with the UK like that
there's something nice about a shared cultural heritage among Canadians, Australians and Kiwis
but at the same time it's not like we really have a say in the matter, the connection these days is symbolic for the most part and if Oz and NZ feel the time to cut that cord is now, it's their choice to make
there's a non zero chance of Charles being the UK's last king
I don't dislike Charles at all and think he will make as good a monarch as his mother. Which is to say I don't think he will have much influence and certainly not outside the UK.
On the flag, well I'm anti change but pro republic
that said im not a fan of Charles, Elizabeth is a monarch we've taken for granted slightly because it's easy to forget how good she is at her job since when she's doing it right you tend not to notice
she's an excellent cultural ambassador for the UK, she's never personally dragged the monarchy into a scandal (which is no small feat, no doubt every tabloid in the country has her under a microscope), and she's been very good at (publicly at least) remaining politically neutral
Charles not so much
Wonder how many of those are legit.
...though that means I just jinxed it.
I had my basic FooController that spits out the web view. I renamed that to FooHtmlController, and then made a FooBaseController that the HTML controller extends. All business logic gets moved to the base controller, so the HTML controller gets the results from the base controller and deals exclusively with spitting out the HTML views.
So far, so fine. Now I'll add a FooApiController that does the same, but spits out JSON.