Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
A tumultuous pair-bonding
The general public remains baffled about the constant and unremitting castigating of the mainstream media by New Zealand First’s Winston Peters MP.
They assume it is a lovers’ tiff.
In a way it is.
The two parties involved possess the essential characteristics of a tumultuous pair bonding.
They cannot live tranquilly together.
Yet they cannot live apart.
Mr Peters understands also that he is both ward and prey.
He helps out by generating news. From time to time he will be fodder himself.
He understands something else too.
It is this.
Journalists would rather be scolded than ignored.
In the current post electoral outcome fractionalisation standoff this press drama which peaks every three years has assumed a stormier than usual proportion and therefore now deserves to be analysed.
Our starting point is the belief held by Mr Peters to the effect that simply because the mainstream media insists that it is impartial, so must it be impartial in its reporting.
Mr Peters contrasts this proclaimed New Zealand impartiality to that which exists in other parts of the Westminster sphere.
In which for example newspapers such as Britain’s Daily Mail, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mirror display a known diversity of political preferences.
This means that readers price in this bias when they study the respective newspapers.
What are Mr Peters’ specific gripes? Here are some of them:-
*Whenever Mr Peters advances a policy plank, the media simply goes to other and opposing political side to get comments about it.
*Commentators on reviewing any policy from Mr Peters simply conclude that he is a “populist” which is code for grabbing votes wherever you can.
*Any incursion by Mr Peters and/or his party into the issue of ethnicity in Parliamentary representation is greeted with veiled or direct comments centred on the media trigger-word racism.
*That Mr Peters is primarily a circus entertainer who shoots from the hip, and is an ageing one now to boot.
There are though some solid reasons behind Mr Peters’ reluctance to commit himself to background data on his planks.
For example, had he gone into the historic connection between the Maori Seats and the Ratana sect he could well have found himself accused of being anti-religion, among other things.
His sparseness of supporting background data has much to do with side-stepping angle-journalism, the dominant applied news- shaping technique here.
It devolves on a public figure unwittingly having pinned on them something which, taken out of context, makes them look silly or dastardly, or both.
This process can be lethal to the utterer/author if it is run through the politically correct filter.
This screening process does not so much apply to the visible news people, the ones on the pavement, or in the studio.
But it is a factor for those up the line who must consider things such as licence and public advertising allocations.
| From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk || Friday 29 september 2017 |||
A³ by Airbus is serious about getting Transpose in the air. Technical reviews are ongoing with Airbus cabin and structural engineering, and engagement continues with the likes of the FAA and EASA.
The idea of reconfigurable aircraft cabins has been around for a while and although some in the air transport industry still refuse to entertain the notion that they could become reality in the near to medium term, others are making big strides forward.
Jason Chua, Project Executive at A³ by Airbus Group, is among the latter and at FTE Global 2017 in Las Vegas earlier this month he revealed all about the “Transpose” project, which is based around the development of a modular aircraft interior.
Essentially, Transpose allows airlines to offer a broad range of experiences on board a single aircraft – for instance, cafés, spas, gyms and children’s play areas can be included in the in-flight offer. Furthermore, at the end of a flight, each of these “modules” can be easily swapped in and out, offering airlines flexibility like never before.
| A Future Travel Experience release || September 28, 2017 |||
A new national group of New Zealand’s leading tech experts was formed in Auckland today, because the country is facing unprecedented growth and change in tech – which is now the nation’s fastest growing sector.
Tech Leaders has been set up with the support of NZTech and is a group of passionate New Zealand tech, digital and ICT focused-executives from leading organisations that will work together, with the support of NZTech, to use their experience to help address tech related issues of national importance.
NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says New Zealanders are seeing dramatic tech changes the likes of which have never been seen before.
“Electric car charging stations are popping up all over New Zealand and we are seeing the introduction of driverless cars and buses. A string of artificial intelligence and IoT devices are continually being introduced into our daily lives.
“With the ultimate goal of improving the prosperity of New Zealand underpinned by technology Tech Leaders will define, communicate and promote initiatives around the use of technology from their experience and perspective.
“These tech executive, from organisations such as Auckland Transport, Downer, Fonterra, Fletcher Building and Westpac, are at the coalface, driving the tech change in large New Zealand companies and organisations.“What they can see is new tech out there which will make New Zealand more efficient and businesses will benefit,” Muller says.
David Kennedy, Global Chief Information Officer of Transaction Services Group, is the first chair of Tech Leaders and he says it is up to the leaders to create a platform for the success of New Zealand today and for the future.
“To ensure international and domestic success of Kiwi businesses, it is vital we act now to consider what’s being covered in our education system. Learnings should be designed to develop global leading talent who can cope with all the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow’s world.
“Our education system needs to be producing these type of employees today. We do not have a shortage of skilled people – however, we need to be sure the education being provided is equipping people to succeed in today’s business, as well as tomorrow’s world.
“Tech Leaders is committed to delivering change to the very fabric of New Zealand. Never before has a group of the most senior tech executives got together in this way for the sole purpose of ensuring the prosperity of New Zealand.
“Tech Leaders will work together to answer the toughest questions around the impacts and opportunities of new technologies. Large firms are piloting artificial intelligence tools and fleets of vehicles will soon become driverless, potentially costing thousands of jobs.
“This is just one of the questions we should be asking… What should the government and New Zealand’s largest firms be doing to protect the livelihood of Kiwi families that rely on driving jobs for the food on their table when, not if, autonomous vehicles are widespread on New Zealand roads,” Kennedy says.
| A MakeLemonade release || September 28, 2017 |||
Rocket Lab today announced it will fly payloads for Planet and Spire aboard its upcoming second test flight, ‘Still Testing’, from Launch Complex 1 on the Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand. Rocket Lab’s Electron orbital launch vehicle will carry two Earth-imaging Dove satellites for Planet and two Lemur-2 satellites from Spire for weather mapping and ship traffic tracking.
The flight is the second of three in Rocket Lab’s Electron test program and follows the successful inaugural Electron test flight carried out on May 25, 2017.
Peter Beck, Founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, says carrying a test payload marks a significant milestone for the Electron program, enabling Rocket Lab to gather crucial data and test systems for the deployment stage of a mission.
“We’re thrilled with Electron’s performance in the first test flight and now we’re eager to test the next crucial step – payload deployment. No major changes to the launch vehicle hardware have been required, the third-party error that meant we didn’t make orbit has been corrected and we’re focusing on the six Electron vehicles in production right now,” said Beck.
“While we’re still very much operating in a test phase and can likely expect a few scrubs during the second test flight attempt, we’re incredibly excited about carrying Planet and Spire payloads on Electron. The data these companies gather has an increasingly significant role to play in how we understand our planet and better manage it,” said Beck.
Mike Safyan, Senior Director of Launch at Planet, said: “Our companies have long shared an ethos of dreaming big and executing on that vision, so it’s only fitting that Planet is among the first payloads to fly on a Rocket Lab Electron. The Electron will be a game changer in a traditionally difficult launch market. We are excited to quite literally be riding the leading edge with Rocket Lab.”
Planet’s largest-ever network of 190 satellites collects more imagery daily than any other commercial provider, creating a completely new information feed about our world. With this comprehensive and empirical dataset, Planet uses machine learning-driven analytics to create unique insights that deliver crucial market intelligence for businesses, governments, and NGOs.
"The ability to iterate quickly and execute on an incredibly high level is core to the success of both Rocket Lab and Spire. ‘Still Testing’ is a culmination of that work into a single event,” said Peter Platzer, CEO of Spire, “and we're proud to be onboard for this inaugural deployment attempt.”
Spire, the world's first commercial weather satellite constellation, adds two satellites to an existing constellation of Lemur-2 satellites that covers every location on earth over 100 times per day. The multi-sensor satellites gather global atmospheric measurements for advanced weather warnings and predictions and track global ship traffic for multiple commercial and government applications.
The Electron vehicle for the ‘Still Testing’ flight is expected to be trucked to Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 on the Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand, in October 2017, with a launch window to open in the weeks following once vehicle checks are complete.
| A RocketLab release || September 27, 2017 |||
When Autodesk announced that it would be moving some of its major software products to the cloud in 2015, a reactionary backlash began from some of the more vocal content creators who use their software on a regular basis. The transition from perpetual licenses to subscriptions was justified by the company in order to make recurring payments more predictable, to increase the rate of new users signing up and to decrease piracy by using cloud subscription verification processes.
Fastforward to today, and every CAD vendor now has plans for the cloud. We’ve seen the rise of Onshape, a CAD program that runs completely within your browser, making it an extremely powerful mobile CAD platform. Autodesk has consistently developed Fusion 360, though it is only partially cloud based, requiring a relatively sophisticated GPU and part of your workstation’s hard drive.
So, here’s question for CAD companies: Are CAD users warming up to the idea of cloud-based subscription models? After all, the concern is understandable. When your business’ vital software is moved to the cloud, you have less control over it. What can users do about it really? CAD vendors like Autodesk and Dassault Systèmes are taking more aggressive actions to segment and partition more services away from the perpetual license model to the new cloud subscription models.
Continue to read full article on engineering.com || September 27, 2017 |||
Massey University has lodged building consent applications for two major construction projects as part of a $120 million development of its Auckland campus.
The University will construct a 9800 square metre “innovation hub” including research laboratories, clinics, teaching spaces, and staff and postgraduate student workspace on the main part of the campus, the East Precint off the Albany Expressway.
The second consent application is to extend the Sir Neil Waters building, named after the former Vice-Chancellor who established the campus in 1993, to provide additional space.
The sale of the campus’ Ōtehā Rohe site, located on Albany Highway, became final last week and will help fund the planned developments.
University Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas says the development is designed to ensure the campus serves the needs of the predicted growth in student numbers.
“Massey has bold plans for its Auckland campus and sees the campus as the heart of a smart innovation district in Auckland North, which is an extremely fast-growing region with huge potential,” Professor Thomas says.
“Our aim is to create a world-leading hub for 21st century education and, to achieve this, we have a structured development plan, with the construction of the innovation complex and Sir Neil Waters building extension representing the next stage of development.
“These construction projects represent the biggest development since the campus was established.”
Work on the Sir Neil Waters extension is scheduled to begin late next year and be complted at the end of 2019; the innovation hub will commence in 2019 and take about three years.
Professor Thomas says the innovation hub will offer flexible lab space, accommodating the variety of health and sciences disciplines taught on the campus. With around one-third of the campus’ students studying at a postgraduate level, the building also features a space dedicated to their learning needs.
She says the University is working to ensure enviromentally sustainable practices are incorporated into the buildings’ design.
The 175 staff members currently located at Ōtehā Rohe will gradually relocate to the campus’ East Precinct from late 2019.
| A Massey University release || September 19, 2017 |||
Here is the introduction to the TheGuardians summary of the election:
Rudolf Mulderij writes in FRESH PlAZA that demand for Kiwifruit is on the rise worldwide, but the supply has been affected by the weather. "New Zealand harvested less this campaign after a difficult growing season, with a hot winter and a lot of rain," explained a trader. Moreover, the Chilean production is also reported to have dropped, and now Italian kiwis are hitting the market and they also expect a smaller volume due to the impact of frost in certain regions and the dry summer. "As a result, the supply will be much scarcer, while the demand continues to rise," assures a trader.
New Zealand: Zespri is looking for new marketsZespri, the export organization of New Zealand kiwis, is seeing strong growth this season. The SunGold continues to grow in markets like Japan and China. Moreover, their sights are set on other markets in South East Asia, India and North America. The European market is also developing well, with strong demand all year round. Japan is the biggest market this season, accounting for the export of 23 million trays. The second most important market is China, accounting for 22 million trays.
The start of the season in the northern hemisphere is around the corner. The Italian volume is expected to amount to around 5 million trays, which is a notable growth. The company aims for the demand to grow faster than the supply, and that seems to be successful. As a result, priorities have to be set as far as the markets are concerned. For the coming years, significant expansions are expected in the acreage, with another 1,800 hectares in Europe and 400 hectares in New Zealand. The company is working on growth for the SunGold. Eventually, the share of green and yellow kiwis must be split 50/50.
Continue here to read the full article published on FRESHPLAZA Friday 22 September 2017 |||
Regal blended with power
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade stands out as the obvious and logical destination for Winston Peters MP in the country’s pending new Parliament.
It combines for Mr Peters the correct blend of high office and of practical power that he requires in the current Parliamentary re-shuffling.
Under New Zealand’s proportional representation system the mix of seats and percentage vote share that his New Zealand First Party achieved leave him as the make-weight in the practical outcome of the general election..
There are two key factors that make MFAT (pronounced M-Fat) as the ministry is rather clumsily described the obvious choice.
The current minister Gerry Brownlee MP holds is essentially as a caretaker whose trouble shooter role has now been amply discharged.
Mr Brownlee will not complain if he is reassigned.
Then there is there is the sharp end of this ministry – the trade one.
Mr Peters believes that it is over focussed on the East, and notably the Middle East, and to the exclusion of markets in the NATO zone.
It is this trade aspect that dovetails neatly into his recent championing of the New Zealand farmer.
His Farmer First positioning was characteristically aimed at his own base.
New Zealand First votes come from traditional National Party supporters who become exasperated with National’s constant tempering of its policies to accommodate the ideological wing of the Labour Party, and only to a slightly lesser extent, the Greens.
The wisdom of Mr Peter’s pro-farmer stance was based on the confusion National has sown with its stance over water.
The National government allowed the whole vexed picture to become hopelessly muddied between the proven danger of agribusiness effluent intruding into potable water at one end; and on the other the vogueish clamour against the export of water in any form.
Mr Peters will not be an entirely welcome figure at the helm of MFAT.
On its diplomatic side, the department listened to the wrong people in the matter of the outcome of the United States presidential race.
It failed to give guidance correctly over the outcome with some embarrassing results.
Among these in practical terms was the New Zealand temporary contingent on the UN Security Council backing the censuring of Israel, a step that alienated National’s staunch support among urban fundamentalists.
Mr Peters is at home with protocol and is familiar with the Foreign Ministry.
Such a role would allocate him the prestige he seeks along with the exposure to ensure that everyone sees that he has it.
He will not wish to get himself tied down in one of the nuts and bolts ministerial departments of the type that will be required to implement several of his high profile announced policies.
These include the referendum on the existence or otherwise of the Maori seats.
Also the broader-based one on trimming the volume of members of parliament which are often viewed as proliferating.
| From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk || Sunday 24 September 2017 |||
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
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