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Indonesian election: The grass-roots campaign
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The Interpreter has been flooded with traffic since we published Aaron Connelly's analysis of the Indonesian presidential race on Tuesday afternoon. Aaron said Prabowo Subianto was now favourite to win the Indonesian presidential election, an unthinkable prospect just a month ago in the race
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The Korea-Japan dispute over history is back yet again, with the Japanese Government this week releasing a 'review' of the drafting of the 'Kono Statement.' That statement is the 1993 Japanese admission, by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono, that the Imperial military during the Pacific War
Asia's coal demand: You ain't seen nothing yet
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Beijing targets Chinese-language media and diaspora in Australia
John Fitzgerald's article on Chinese and Australian values is fascinating throughout, but I wanted to highlight a few passages. This I didn't know: Beijing has gained overwhelming dominance of Chinese language media in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands following a concerted effort at
Human rights in North Korea: Ten lessons from my UN inquiry
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The US and the international power structure: Reviewing 'Still Ours to Lead'
The rapidly escalating situation in Iraq is a major test for US foreign policy. President Obama, who outlined in his West Point address a policy of selective US engagement and sharply circumscribed US military power, now faces unpalatable decisions about reengaging in Iraq. But there is a
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Australia in Asia: Who is our best friend?
When Australians were asked to nominate 'Australia's best friend in Asia' in the 2014 Lowy Institute Poll, 31% placed China and 28% placed Japan in a statistical dead heat, far ahead of Singapore, Indonesia, India and South Korea. The response 'don't know' made sense to 11% of those asked.
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Chinese Assistance in the Pacific: Agency, Effectiveness and the Role of Pacific Island Governments
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Mapping the world's EEZs
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In defence of the Indo-Pacific: Australia's new strategic map
In this article for the Australian Journal of International Affairs, the Lowy Institutes International Security program director Rory Medcalf argues that Indo-Pacific Asia is a suitable regional concept for Australia's strategic needs. Indo-Pacific Asia can best be understood as an expansive
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SBY: Abbott says farewell to a friend of Australia
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By Peter Leahy
Would Americans give their lives for Asia? No
Picture it: it's 1 March 2015. Tokyo and Beijing are headed towards what was once the unthinkable. Over the last several months China has instituted daily non-naval maritime patrols around the hotly disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands. Beijing is even sending fully-fledged naval assets within the
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As a parent, sibling, or grandparent of a Worcester State University student, Family Day is a great opportunity to discover or enjoy your students' home away from home. Spend time with your student while eating brunch in the Sheehan Hall dining hall, watching a football game, or having your caricature drawn at the Family Fair. The Student Affairs Division invites you to join us on campus for this wonderful autumn tradition.
Online registration is now closed. You can still register at the Family Day Check-In Table on Saturday, September 22.
Challenge your family members to a game of golf outside on the patio.
See the City of Worcester and all it has to offer on a Worcester City Bus Tour.
Three 75 minute tours will be conducted. Please meet in front of the Student Center for the tour (Rain Location: Inside the Student Center).
Please sign up at the Check In Table.
Stop by the farm to see a variety of baby farm animals.
Have some fall fun at our fair including vendors, giveaways, food and many more activities.
The Worcester State University Bookstore will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for families and is located on the first floor of the Student Center.
*The Family Weekend Check In will relocate to the front of the Student Center at 11 a.m.


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Over the past few years, AgencySparks has collected and reviewed marketing tools in a number of categories. From tools that help benefit social media efforts to tools that increase productivity, AgencySparks is on the case to help improve your life as a marketer!
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Home"I'm always very careful what I say to either man"
"I'm always very careful what I say to either man"
November 13, 2017 November 15, 2017 Michael Reddell China, NZ politics, Uncategorized
It was to the credit of TVNZ's Q&A show – probably our leading current affairs television programme – that yesterday they gave some time to the question of the Chinese Communist Party (and state) activities in New Zealand.
The centrepiece was an interview with Canterbury University politics professor Anne-Marie Brady, about her recent substantial paper Magic Weapons: China's political influence activities under Xi Jinping, which had a particular (and mostly well-documented) focus on New Zealand, and the great deference shown by much of the New Zealand establishment towards a brutal and expansionist regime. And it was preceded by an interview with Beijing-based New Zealand economist Rodney Jones on various topics including (CP)TPP, China's own political and economic direction (including the increasingly visible and dominant role of the Communist Party), and some of the concerns raised in Brady's paper and in the Financial Times/Newsroom disclosures about the background of National MP – and Chinese Communist Party member – Jian Yang.
Jones noted – and of course I largely agree with him – that we should consider it simply unacceptable to have a member of the Chinese Communist Party as a member of our Parliament (noting the point various other commentators have made – you only get to leave the Party by death or expulsion). Same goes for former serving members of the military intelligence establishment of a regime such as that of China. Jones called for bi-partisan agreement on these points between the National and Labour parties. Formal accords don't have a great track record, but frankly any political party that took serious our heritage as a longstanding open and free democratic society would not even consider having such a person in their ranks. As I've noted previously, I'd make an exception for someone with Jian Yang's background who has now genuinely "seen the light", is willing to openly disown and criticise the regime he was once part of, wanting nothing now to do with the representatives in New Zealand of such an evil regime. Oleg Gordievsky was a hero, and rightly honoured as such.
Professor Brady noted that China's influence-seeking activities in countries such as ours operate on multiple levels (all documented more extensively in her paper). She noted the way in which almost all the Chinese-language media in New Zealand is now under the thumb of the Chinese Communist Party. She highlighted the issue of political donations, and the way in which our electoral finance laws allow large donations, including from foreign individuals and foreign-controlled entities, to find their way – often anonymously – to political parties. She has previously noted the way that many former senior politicians now hold directorships and other positions in ways that either directly serve the interests of China, or (at least) provide a severe economic disincentive to ever saying anything that might displease China – noting yesterday that in at least some cases these people will have got into these roles barely aware of the wider context. And she drew attention to the extraordinary way in which our business and political elites go out of their way to pander to such a dreadful regime. She noted that the presidents of both the National and Labour parties, and various heads of universities, had been issuing positive statements around the recent 19th (Communist) Party Congress – in a way which, as she noted, one could never imagine happening for a US political party convention. I couldn't find a record of vice-chancellors' statements – although given the amount of fee income they derive from Chinese students, and the (Chinese-controlled) Confucius Institutes several allow as part of their universities, what she says wasn't a great surprise. As for Peter Goodfellow and Nigel Haworth, that did surprise me a bit, but sure enough a quick search took me to Xinhua/China Daily stories under the heading "Global chorus of praise for party leadership", with quotes from these heads of our two largest political parties (along with those from various parties in other countries), prefaced this way
The ongoing 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has received messages of greeting from foreign leaders, political parties and organizations around the world. They speak highly of the Party's leadership as well as China's socioeconomic development and global contributions, and express full confidence that the CPC will lead China to even greater success. The following is an edited summary of these messages.
These people – these parties – are a disgrace, selling out their (our) birthright for a mess of potage. All the more so at a conference which set the public seal on the ascendancy of Xi Jinping, whose term in office has been marked by ever-less freedom, an ever-more instrusive state, a much more internationally aggressive foreign policy……as we see the stepped up United Front Work programme of influence-seeking in other countries. It is as if our political parties had lost any sense of self-respect.
Brady urged New Zealand to take the issues more seriously, and to look to work closely with Australia and Canada, countries which face similar issues to those in New Zealand – and where the governments have been more willing to confront the problems. She highlighted the quote from a Chinese diplomat that appears in her paper
after Premier Li Keqiang visited New Zealand in 2017, a Chinese diplomat favourably compared New Zealand-China relations to the level of closeness China had with Albania in the early 1960s.
As she noted, we should hope that this was very far from true. Albania had been the most isolated member of the eastern-bloc then, and we should not be comfortable as the most isolated member of the western-bloc now. In making that comment she was probably alluding to the reports of growing unease among our traditional partners about the closeness of New Zealand governments (and our political/business establishment) to China.
But in many respect Brady was mostly traversing – although presenting it to a wider audience – ground that her fascinating paper has already made familiar. My main reason for writing this post was some mix of astonishment and further dismay at the panel discussion that followed the Brady interview. There were three panellists: Josie Pagani (who has Labour affiliations), Laila Harre (former Alliance Cabinet minister), and former diplomat and now lobbyist Charles Finny. Add in the presenter, and they were all falling over themselves to play down any sort of issue – with the possible exception of something around political donations, with Laila Harre using the opportunity to make the case for state-funding of political parties.
The word "racist" was never explicitly mentioned, but the panellists and presenters seemed to live in terror of being denounced as "racist" if they raised any concerns about a foreign government's activities in New Zealand. It was, after all, exactly the approach taken by (now) senior Opposition MP (and former Attorney-General) Chris Finlayson, who then added in a touch of personal abuse of Professor Brady for "good" measure. Pagani expressed concern that there was "an element of singling out individuals" (MPs Jian Yang and Raymond Huo) about the paper, and the presenter chimed in with the suggestion that no one raises concerns about (American-born and raised) Greens minister, Julie-Anne Genter.
I'm not sure about anyone else, but I've explicitly addressed the Genter situation here previously. Had Genter worked for the American military intelligence system, and spent her time hob-nobbing with the American Embassy, articulating American positions on issues, I'd have many of the same concerns as I have about Jian Yang (with the – not trivial – difference that the United States is a historic friend and ally). It probably wouldn't be appropriate for such a person to be in our Parliament, as we could not be confident that their national loyalties lay exclusively with New Zealand. But here's the thing: no one has ever raised a shred of evidence to suggest that Genter's past or present includes anything of that sort. (Personally, I'd be reluctant to vote for someone for Parliament who had immigrated from anywhere as an adult, but there is still a material difference between Jian Yang – and Raymond Huo – and Julie-Anne Genter. And the important differences aren't about skin colour or sex, but about demonstrable patterns of conduct.)
But the most vocal, and egregious, of the panellists was the lobbyist Charles Finny. He has sallied forth in defence of Jian Yang previously, and I wrote about his comments here. He's a lobbyist, whose livelihood, depends on "getting on" with the main political parties – which does make one wonder about TVNZ's judgement about having as a panellist someone who will be ever-emollient at best. He knows a great deal about China, but can't afford to say what he knows openly.
Here is some of what I wrote about Finny's previous effort in defence of Jian Yang.
Finny's article is headed "Time for NZ political parties to take the migrant vote seriously" (actually I was pretty sure Labour had been doing just that in South Auckland for decades), but his focus is on the ethnic Chinese vote, and Jian Yang.
On the last day of the Westie experience [some years ago] I was introduced to a National Party candidate, Dr Jian Yang. He was teaching in the political science department at the University of Auckland. We talked about his academic background, about what he had done in China before leaving for Australia (where he completed his PhD at ANU), about the China-New Zealand relationship and about the Chinese Embassy and Consulate network in New Zealand.
It was clear Dr Yang was very well-connected to the leadership of the Chinese communities in New Zealand, as well as to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China and its Auckland Consulate. He also had significant connections in China, both to government figures, and to the business community. This was the first of many meetings I have had with Dr Yang. We have met in his context as a MP, as a member of select committees and at social functions. We have travelled together to China and elsewhere as part of official delegations. It is my understanding that Dr Yang has become one of National's most successful fundraisers, in much the same way Raymond Huo is important for the Labour Party's fundraising efforts.
Did they, one wonders, back in 2010/11 discuss Yang's background in the Communist Party and his teaching role in the Chinese foreign intelligence services?
What is astonishing is that one of New Zealand's most-experienced China experts is, at least in public, untroubled by any of this: the close connections to a foreign government's embassy, even as he serves as a member of the New Zealand Parliament, or the key role he describes both Yang, and Labour's Raymond Huo playing in party fundraising? Not that many decades ago, the convention – perhaps not always rigorously observed – was that elected politicians stayed well clear of party fundraising efforts, for good reasons to help maintain the integrity of the parliamentary system.
Finny is in full defence mode for Yang (and presumably Huo).
But it was a strange campaign period, with political players employing various strategies. Among the twists and turns, a rather strange and well-coordinated analysis/investigation was undertaken and then reported by Newsroom and the Financial Times about the past of Dr Yang. Subsequent coverage has led to calls for Dr Yang's resignation.
Now, I have been involved in politics long enough to know that there are few stories of substance to emerge in the middle of an election campaign by coincidence (particularly ones that are so thoroughly researched). This was a story suggested by someone who had an agenda of some sort – and the timing was intentional.
If 10 days before an election isn't a reasonable time to ask questions about a candidate's background. I'm not sure when is? And it isn't as if, to date, anything those media outlets reported has been disproved or refuted?
And Finny has nothing at all to say about Professor Brady's paper, the timing of which was determined by the dates of an international conference she was presenting at. As he talks up – no doubt correctly – the importance of the migrant vote, surely suggestions that a major foreign power might be actively engaged in attempting to control most of the local Chinese-language media, and Chinese cultural associations, might have been worthy of some mention?
In his comments yesterday, Finny went further. He confirmed that he had known right back in 2010/11 that Jian Yang had served in the Chinese military intelligence system. The voters, of course, were not so fortunate, until Newsroom and the Financial Times finally revealed that background a couple of months ago.
Finny confirmed that he knew both Jian Yang and Raymond Huo, the latter less well. He observed that he thought it was great that we had Chinese MPs, and had no problem with them being in our Parliament. But then he went on to note that he was always very careful what he said to either man, because he knew that both of them were very close to the Chinese Embassy. One could only shake one's head in some mix of astonishment and despair that a leading former diplomat is just fine with having two people in our Parliament whom he doesn't feel confident about talking openly to, apparently because he thinks that anything he says could end up back at the Chinese Embassy. Out of his own mouth…….
There was a belated (and lame) attempt to cover himself, as Finny observed that "many of us are close to other countries' embassies. I don't suppose that anyone has concerns that if someone in public life in New Zealand talks to Charles Finny that whatever they say might end up with the American, Australia, or whatever embassy he had in mind. There is quite a difference between having a good working relationship with the embassy of another country – probably quite important if you are involved in trade lobbying etc – and having divided loyalties. Charles Finny served New Zealand for decades as a diplomat, and I'm sure no one has reason to doubt his national loyalties. Were he to move to the United States, get elected to Congress, and maintain very close ties to the New Zealand Embassy, Americans might reasonably have doubts (in that hypothetical).
Finny also attempted to defend Jian Yang and Raymond Huo by suggesting that their first loyalties might well be to New Zealand, but that they would have views about how New Zealand's interests might be best served. I suspect Arthur Seyss-Inquart had views about how Austria's best interests in the 1930s were served too, or Jozef Tiso in Slovakia. It is a defence almost impossible to take seriously. We need to know that our MPs have a national loyalty only to New Zealand, and the best interests of New Zealanders, and not to an advancement of a foreign power's view of those interests.
After all, if (private citizen and lobbyist) Charles Finny is always "very careful" about what he says in the presence of Jian Yang or Raymond Huo, how much more uneasy should we be our the presence of these MPs in the caucuses of our two main political parties (one previously in the government caucus, the other now)? Should those MPs' peers always be "very careful" what they say in the presence of Yang and Huo? Finny's advice would appear to be so. Both serve on select committees, which benefit from departmental briefings – indeed, given the shortage of experienced Labour MPs, Huo will almost certainly be chairing a select committee this term. Would Finny regard it as acceptable for these men – who he is "always careful" with – to serve as ministers in our government? In any of these fora – caucuses, select committees, Cabinet (or travel with senior ministers) – there is likely to be information or angles that the Chinese Embassy would regard as valuable. I'm not suggesting either man passes on such information: it was Finny who appeared to make that claim. It was an extraordinary concession.
As for Josie Pagani claiming that there was "an element of singling out individuals", well in a way she is correct. Brady's paper singles out specific individuals about whom there are specific reasons for concern – the exact opposite, for example, of tarring an entire community. Here are the some of specific paragraphs from Brady's paper.
On Jian Yang she has several pages of material, including
As widely reported in the New Zealand and international media in 2017, Yang Jian worked for fifteen years in China's military intelligence sector. It was a history which he has admitted he concealed on his New Zealand permanent residency application and job applications in New Zealand,104 as well as his public profile in New Zealand—at least in English sources.
However in an article in the People's Daily (Renmin ribao) magazine, Huanqiu renwu (Global People) in 2013, which was republished in a number of websites, Yang Jian gave an extensive interview detailing aspects of his earliest years, his career in China, and subsequent activities in Australia and New Zealand. Yang Jian entered the PLA-Air Force Engineering College to study English in 1978; he taught at the same college for five years after graduation, trained at the People's Liberation Army Luoyang Foreign Languages Institute for his first Masters degree, studied for a year at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center for US-China Studies at Nanjing University, and after that, from 1990 to 1993 taught English to students at the Luoyang Foreign Languages Institute who were studying to intercept and decipher English language communications.
Yang Jian does not mention his 15 year career and studies with the PLA on his National Party online cv, and it also does not appear on the online cv provided for his profile when he was a lecturer at the University of Auckland. But he did provide this information in a cv in English to be circulated to Chinese officials which he gave to the New Zealand Embassy in China, preparatory to a visit to China in 2012, the year after he entered parliament. And a Chinese language report promoting the setting up of the National Party's Blue Dragons organization (an ethnic Chinese youth group within that party), highlights his studies at the Luoyang Foreign Languages Institute, while not mentioning any other details about his working life or other tertiary studies when he was living in China. The Financial Times speculated that these selective mentions of his past links with the Luoyang Foreign Languages Institute were meant as a "dog whistle" to the Chinese community in New Zealand.
She goes on to note to his role as key fundraiser, access to material that someone with his background would never get as an official, and noting that "Yang is seen at most official events involving the PRC embassy and the ethnic Chinese community in New Zealand."
And of Huo she writes
Even more so than Yang Jian, who until the recent controversy, was not often quoted in the New Zealand non-Chinese language media, the Labour Party's ethnic Chinese MP, Raymond Huo霍建强 works very publicly with China's united front organizations in New Zealand and promotes their policies in English and Chinese. Huo was a Member of Parliament from 2008 to 2014, then returned to Parliament again in 2017 when a list position became vacant. In 2009, at a meeting organized by the Peaceful Reunification of China Association of New Zealand to celebrate Tibetan Serf Liberation Day, Huo said that as a "person from China" (中国人) he would promote China's Tibet policies to the New Zealand Parliament.
Huo works very closely with the PRC representatives in New Zealand. In 2014, at a meeting to discuss promotion of New Zealand's Chinese Language Week (led by Huo and Johanna Coughlan) Huo said that "Advisors from Chinese communities will be duly appointed with close consultation with the Chinese diplomats and community leaders." Huo also has close contacts with the Zhi Gong Party 致公党 (one of the eight minor parties under the control of the United Front Work Department). The Zhi Gong Party is a united front link to liaise with overseas Chinese communities, as demonstrated in a meeting between Zhi Gong Party leaders and Huo to promote the New Zealand OBOR Foundation and Think Tank.
It was Huo who made the decision to translate Labour's 2017 election campaign slogan "Let's do it" into a quote from Xi Jinping (撸起袖子加油干, which literally means "roll up your sleeves and work hard"). Huo told journalists at the Labour campaign launch that the Chinese translation "auspiciously equates to a New Year's message from President Xi Jinping encouraging China to 'roll its sleeves up'." However, inauspiciously, in colloquial Chinese, Xi's phrase can also be read as "roll up your sleeves and …..[expletive deleted] hard" and the verb (撸) has connotations of masturbation. Xi's catchphrase has been widely satirized in Chinese social media. Nonetheless, the phrase is now the politically correct slogan for promoting OBOR, both in China and abroad. The use of Xi's political catchphrase in the Labour campaign, indicates how tone deaf Huo and those in the Chinese community he works with are to how the phrase would be received in the New Zealand political environment. In 2014, when asked about the issue of Chinese political influence in New Zealand, Huo told RNZ National, "Generally the Chinese community is excited about the prospect of China having more influence in New Zealand" and added, "many Chinese community members told him a powerful China meant a backer, either psychologically or in the real sense."
And these are people establishment figures like Charles Finny think are just fine to serve in our Parliament? Even if they do choose to be "very careful" about what they say in these presence of these MPs? Extraordinary.
Of course, both Jian Yang and Raymond Huo continue to lie low. TVNZ approached them for comment – and I suspect would have been only to happy to have broadcast an interview with either. Jian Yang apparently had nothing to add to what he has already said – including that he had falsely represented his past on immigration or citizenship papers because the Chinese authorities told him to – and Raymond Huo was quoted as rejecting "any insinuations against his character". Perhaps he should take that up with Charles Finny.
It was pretty extraordinary when, in the previous Parliament, Todd Barclay refused to front the press, or be interviewed by Police. But at least there was his right to avoid self-incrimination in a potential criminal context to consider. For two newly-re-elected MPs to simply refuse to front serious questions about their past and present activities, raised by major media outlets, serious academics, and (now) a leading lobbyist and former senior diplomat is just extraordinary.
What is perhaps more extraordinary is that they are presumably doing this on advice. No one doubts that if the whips and party leaders told them to front up (or else), they would do so. So we can only assume that the party leaders are complicit in their refusal to front up to the voters.
Sadly, that wouldn't be very surprising. Bill English tells the media they will simply have to talk to Jian Yang, while knowing that Jian Yang is refusing to front up to any English-language media. And questions as to whether is appropriate to have a Communist Party member and former Chinese intelligence officer in his caucus, and as a key fundraiser, are really matters for the leader. In fact, in the post-election reshuffle, Jian Yang actually won a small promotion – now National Party spokesman on statistics.
The current Prime Minister and the leader of the Green Party are totally silent on the matter. And although our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs did utter the odd concerned noise before he took office, there has been nothing since. The latest line – reported by Newsroom – now that he has rejoined the establishment is that
However, Peters said he did not raise the issue with [Chinese foreign minister] Wang, blaming previous governments for not taking action.
Perhaps, but you are the government now, and the issues haven't gone away. Perhaps even more incredible – or par for the course – was this
Peters said he had never wanted an inquiry into China's influence in New Zealand.
"I raised two things, I said the fact the Australians had expressed serious concern and that this was, in terms of the Brady report, a highly internationally recognised thesis and finding – I didn't ask for a full-scale public inquiry and I'm not asking for one now."
However, a press release issued by Peters on September 19, titled "China's Growing Control in New Zealand Must Be Investigated", quoted Brady as saying "a special commission was needed to investigate China's impact on our democracy".
Which might be slightly less concerning if there was any sign, even a shred, that the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Prime Minister were taking the issue seriously in private, and were willing to do anything about it.
Is there really no political figure, in our entire political system, willing to stand up for the interests and values of New Zealanders, for our heritage as one of the longest-established democracies in the world? Or to recognise, and openly call out, the nature of the Chinese regime? Hard to believe really – decades ago our then Labour government was at the forefront of resisting the appeasement of Germany – but for now the evidence seems to point in one direction, and it isn't encouraging,
← Competitiveness indicators well out of line
An open central bank is the way to go →
30 thoughts on ""I'm always very careful what I say to either man""
oldlaker says:
And this from Australia… a major publisher pulls a book on China's influence under threat of defamation…
http://www.smh.com.au/national/free-speech-fears-after-book-critical-of-china-is-pulled-from-publication-20171112-gzjiyr.html
Daisy Lee says:
Within 10 years of establishing its power in China, the Communist Party successfully converted China intellectuals and the mainstream into "court-appointed intellectuals" through a number of movements, Land reform, Anti-rightists, Three Anti movements.
They became either following to do and say what CCP asked or silenced ever since and the whole China became afraid of truth.
CCP is targeting the same people in Western countries but through business.
It is certainly a lot better now than when China intellectuals were forced onto the rice fields as hard labour. I believe President Xi's father and family suffered severely under the Mao's gang of 4 era and the cultural revolution but yet Xi continue to support Mao's true ideals to the betterment of China's people. Xi himself lived in a cold dark cave, tended to crops with his bare hands and animal manure, build dams with the village folk. He had to apply 10 times to the CCP before being finally accepted as his fathers name was blackened and his by association.
http://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/xi-jinping-cave/index.html
allan baldock says:
The author interviewed by Andrew Bolt tonight.
Trevor Hughes says:
Deeply depressing.
It is more depressing that the Speaker of our parliament Trevor Mallard pave the way for Muslims like Green MP, Golriz Ghahraman by dropping the use of Jesus and the Queen from his official dictum. CCP influences are more imagined than real. We want access to their markets. Of course we will have to have individuals friendly to the CCP regime. But there is no likelihood any of us are going to become communist or drop the use of Jesus or the Queen because of any CCP influences. That Muslim threat by Green MP is immediate and is happening right now and we are too busy worrying of a non existent CCP influence. If war breaks out we will be rounding up all Chinese and putting them in camps and joining Australia and the US anyway. Or we will just behave like Switzerland and stay out of the war. It is most unlikely we would take the side of the Chinese in a war.
We live in amazing times.
Jacinda Ardern with the return of Helen Clarke behind the scenes and the appointment of Helen's top aide for more than 30 years would be the return of the old Labour party in full control. This version of the Labour party has always been China friendly, immigrant friendly and wants to play a global role in trade and in security matters.
Jh says:
Pagani is an open border advocate therefore you don't other the other.
"But I also believe that the free movement of working people across borders is a progressive principle. Closing borders and making lists of people of certain ethnicity to blame them for society's ills has never come to any good – ever."
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/shamubeel-is-right-get-x-real-about-immigration
The producer of The Nation says:
And Katharine, I take from your comments you disagreed with the panellists and side more with the blogger. All good. But I can tell you without a doubt that you'd struggle to find an expert with a deeper understanding of immigration than Paul Spoonley. And while I don't entirely agree with Shamubeel on this, if you know anything about him you'll know it's preposterous to suggest he's not on top of the data and analysis on this. He eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Disagree all you like, but don't be under any illusion that those men aren't amongst the best read in the country on this matter (and have given it the most thought).
39lumenz says:
While I do not often agree that Australia's policies are better than our own, I now believe we should follow them by not allowing non-citizens to vote (that includes permanent residents too) and also compulsory voting.
That action alone would cut off the incentives to obtain money from dubious sources for the political parties.
The added benefit would induce those permanent residents to qualify and obtain NZ citizenship if nothing else. At the same time we should change permanent resident status to a "provisional' form with a time limit to true citizenship and the ability to remove citizenship for criminal actions at some defined level.
iconoclast says:
"Is there really no political figure, in our entire political system, willing to stand up for the interests and values of New Zealanders, for our heritage as one of the longest-established democracies in the world"
Yes, our prime minister is right now waving her finger at and lecturing Malcolm Turnbull over Manus Island destination shopping asylum seekers. They have travelled through many countries to get to Christmas Island then detained in PNG. Some have been offered settlement in America. Most have declined. They want the welfare ride in AU.
Malcolm Turnbull is fully aware that as soon as NZ accepts these Manus Island refugees and issue them with NZ passports, they will be back into Australia via the NZ Special Visa into Australia on the earliest plane out to Australia. They will not stay in NZ. Most of their friends, relations and community are already in Australia. All Jacinda will achieve out of this will be a further toughening of the NZ Special Visa Category.
The final load of irregular boat-people commenced their journey after AU drew the line in the sand. They would never set foot in AU. Turnbull negotiated with Obama to exchange these irregulars for central-american refugees held by USA. The Manus Island detainees who accepted the exchange would receive 20 year temporary visas to the US. A scheme that would block them from ever back-dooring back into Australia. It appears many of them do not want to go to USA where the gravy-train is non-existent
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/nov/13/australia-nauru-manus-island-refugee-detainee-announcement-live
Ardern is walking front on into a no-win fiasco
Of course they can set foot back in Australia once they receive their NZ passports via Jacinda Ardern. Its called the NZ Special Visa Category.
A reliable source who has been living in Lorengau as a subsistence villager this year has a very different perspective on the privileges and benefits these Asylum seekers have been receiving compared to local Manus Islanders. Surely a journalist should go and talk to locals (knowledge on Tok Pisin required) and get the facts.
It is hard to defend Australia's boat-people policy especially its secretiveness but as a proud Kiwi with a rather anti-Australian bias can we publish the simple fact that the figures show Australia taking 1.51 refugees per 1000 inhabitants compared to New Zealand's 0.30. [UNHCR registered refugees by country/territory of asylum between mid-2015 and 2007].
So if our government attempts to take the moral high ground over 150 Manus asylum seekers it will be embarrassing. If Jacinda wags her finger at Turnbull he should bite it off.
While on the subject lets shoot down the common accusation that Muslim countries don't accept refugees – the top recipients of refugees (mid-2015) were Lebanon 208.91 and Jordan 89.55. Admittedly border crossers not selected UNHCR refugees as per NZ but still remarkable generosity that deserves more applause and international support.
Winston Peters is chasing after a Russian Free Trade Agreement. Both Russia and China are buddies joined at the hip. You can't take the piss out of one without offending the other.
It has been interesting following the debacle in Australia on Skynews.
The debate over dual citizenship may seem trivial but I am getting to like the idea of a commitment to ones country by renouncing citizenship in many cases.
Maybe we should review the situation in New Zealand so that we can be sure representatives are acting in the best interests of New Zealand and do not have some latent connection to another country.
""Personally, I'd be reluctant to vote for someone for Parliament who had immigrated from anywhere as an adult"".
Seemed reasonable until I considered James R Flynn. Having recently read his recent book on climate change 'No Place to Hide' and before that his 'The Torchlight List' I stand in awe of his brilliance. If he ever stands as a MP he gets my vote despite an impression he is way left of my own views. His 44 years in NZ compare quite favourably to some of our young MPs.
Can't really deny climate change. My 10 days in the Japan's autumn was warmer than the Auckland recent spring weather which has been rather freezing. Now I am banking on the reliability of climate change of Rome being warmer this December winter when I visit the Vatican for Xmas.
Tom Hunter says:
Is there really no political figure, in our entire political system, willing to stand up for the interests and values of New Zealanders, for our heritage as one of the longest-established democracies in the world?
/shrugs shoulders/
It's been a long-time coming. From a Left perspective you can probably blame three decades of endless Right-wing bashing of the old concepts around how NZ dealt with government, welfare, and business, combined with a "neo-liberal" economic emphasis that has weakened traditional ties and pride in "Kiwi" things. You can look at the end of protected industries and huge government employers like MoW and Forestry that held up countless small provincial towns: It's In The Bag brought such places and their peoples into the living rooms of the whole nation, I suspect that such would draw only snide laughter from the sophisticates now. Also, the changed attitudes towards making money vs social welfare and community (however defined), or even the All Blacks and other sports teams departing free-to-air broadcasting for SKY.
From a RIght perspective, you could blame three decades of endless Left-wing bashing of other old concepts of "New Zild": race relations, warfare, allying with Britain and the USA and so forth. Perhaps they were over-egged myths, but despite best intentions and efforts, nothing new has organically risen up to replace them (Matariki is grass-roots?). It has left only a feeling that the (still majority) European part of the population cannot look back at their ancestors without always acknowledging racism, theft, rape and war mongering. When this started in the 60's many people reacted angrily – now they just ignore it and move on – but they don't seem particularly keen to jump into supporting new myths about ourselves. For all the increased numbers at ANZAC day ceremonies in recent years, the atmosphere is not one of pride in warriors but pathos about their victimhood and drawing the "right" lessons from that bloody past (never again, under any circumstances). Is it any wonder that the military constantly struggles to fill the ranks with young people.
Lay down one's life to defend New Zealand?
Underpinning all this is the classic NZ trait of not wanting to seem overly passionate about anything, especially patriotism. Almost wihtout exception, Kiwi's singger and roll their eyes at Americans outlandish displays of such. And perhaps it is overdone: but it leads to people being willing to stand up for their country.
While layered over all of this is globalisation, especially in terms of the instant-access of the Internet across media and news, atomising us and absorbing us into a global culture that is still overwhelmingly US-dominated. Whether in terms of music or language this is much more an American country than a British one now (have a listen to teenager's use of "pissed": pure American as opposed to what it used to mean in NZ). In some parts of the world, nationality appears to be raising it's head again in reaction, even in Europe where great effort has been made to break it down. So perhaps it will happen here too, but I wonder if our small size will count against us in this, as it has in other things?
The real question is why any political leader would do this? We've always been a people that moved (500,000 around the world now) – escaped – and that includes the Maori who supposedly had the deepest roots. We'll just escape again if the Chinese prove too pushy. Increasingly we will see ourselves as a nice, little piece of land: suitable for young kids and old people and supported as far as that goes, with richer foreign shores to lure – more than ever before – those in between, who will return only to raise kids and semi-retire. What issue would they have with Chinese influence in NZ?
But the sort of unified national pride and culture that might lead to pushing from politics the likes of Jian Yang and Raymond Huo? No. That belongs to another country, in the past.
You have to start with sacking our Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard. Newly appointed and he has already dropped references to Jesus and the Queen from his official dictum. All this pandering to the only muslim MP in the house, Green MP, Golriz Ghahraman
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98742522/parliament-prayer-changes–no-more-queen-or-jesus
williamthorpe says:
Golriz Ghahraman is not a muslim. That is precisely why her family had to flee Iran as refugees
Definitely a Muslim. The conflict probably is to do with either being Sunni Muslims and Shite Muslims is the reason they left seeking political asylum.
An Iranian refugee who has been in New Zealand for 26 years says she would not travel to the United States because of Donald Trump's "Muslim ban".Ms Ghahraman came to New Zealand as a child after her Muslim parents escaped Iran's oppressive Islamic regime.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/01/iranian-who-wants-to-be-nz-s-first-refugee-mp-too-scared-to-go-to-the-us.html
Yes, she has made her own admission that her parents were Muslims. A child of Muslim parents is a Muslim. So definitely a Muslim. Muslims in Iran and Iraq have this problem with either being Shite Muslims or Sunni Muslim. They fight each other all the time.
Some of the tactics of the CCP and Islamic activists seem quite similar. Intimidation, coercion of self-censorship, then when the time is right, attempt to enforce actual censorship and suppression of dissent. Not too surprising I guess since both are inherently authoritarian and ruthless in their approach to the acquisition and exercise of political power.
Our lack of political will to even face such well-documented threats to our freedoms in the form of CCP "soft-power" as expressed in the report is deeply worrying. That Finney has to be "very careful" shows he is already intimidated. If our media and elites are already tending to self-censorship or staying silent when we should be speaking out what happens when China turns up the heat to get its way? The merest hint of a threat to our trade seemed to be enough to derail a serious investigation of the damage to local industry being caused by heavily state subsidised Chinese steel imports. Peters has already crumpled. It doesn't bode well.
I'm reminded of a quote by Winston Churchill that seems appropriate:
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."
And the CCP looks to be increasingly a crocodile, not a panda.
What I am concerned with this report is there is no mention of the threat of Muslims like Green MP, Golriz Ghahraman entering our parliament to the extent of influencing our Speaker of the house, Trevor Mallard to drop the use of Jesus and Queen from his official dictum. This is an age old tradition and is part of the NZ culture and the Queen is still our nations leader. It is sickening to see this change forced onto us by the Speaker of our parliament due to such soft power influences.
Note that I am not a Christian but I do enjoy the traditional Christmas dinner at my sisters house and all that Xmas decorations and present giving, the church bells toll and the prayers. I do like the Easter celebrations and the NZ Christian traditions. That's all part of the NZ culture. I would expect all migrants to accept that this is NZ culture and should seek to join in the merriment irrespective of race or religion.
GCSB, China, and a craven government | croaking cassandra says:
[…] and pay deference to Beijing – Charles Finny went on TVNZ's Q&A programme, and noted that while he both knew and liked Jian Yang, had no problem with him being in Parliament but that […]
The PRC, trade, foreign investment etc | croaking cassandra says:
[…] good day, Finny appears to be alive to some of the risks around the PRC – he did after all go on national TV and suggest that he was always careful what he said around Jian Yang and Raymond Huo given their […]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I had no idea how expensive frozen yogurt could be until recently. We received a buy one, get one free coupon in the mail, so we took the kids on what we thought would be a low-cost excursion. "Fill your cups with whatever flavors and toppings your little hearts desire," I told them. The sign above the register said it was only $5 per cup, and with the coupon it seemed a reasonable deal for all you can eat froyo.
The kids had no trouble obliging, filling their cups to overflowing with an interesting mix of ingredients. It was all good and fun until we got to the cash register. "Place the cups on the scale, ma'am," the cashier ordered. When she read the final cost, I couldn't help but ask if she was joking. It turns out they charged per ounce. That $5 per cup sign? It was for an empty, take-home souvenir cup. The final cost for our order, including the coupon, could have bought us a few gallons from the grocery store.
While I recovered from sticker-shock, the kids enjoyed their small taste of heaven. A few bites in they were complaining of tummy-aches. A few minutes, later, we were heading home.
Our experience got me thinking of how temporary everything is on this earth. The good and the bad. The painful and the enjoyable. Everything is fleeting. Even the best of life fails to merit our investment.
The temporal nature of things can be a little depressing. Why can't what's good last a little longer? Why can't it equal the price we pay for the enjoyment?
It helps to remember that this is not our ultimate home. All the good we encounter here is but a taste of greater things to come. And the pain? It's but a passing reminder that our heavenly treasure is held in jars of clay.
If it seems life's not worth living due to the fleeting nature of good, take heart. If it seems not worth the effort to live another day because all your investment yields little return, keep in mind. We're not home yet.
When we follow Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life, we have hope of eternal life in heaven, where there's "no more death, mourning, crying, or pain." The best things on earth are mere shadows of the best things of heaven. From a spoonful of your favorite frozen yogurt to a vacation at the most beautiful destination you can imagine, nothing can compare to the everlasting perfection of heaven. Nothing here will last, but all points us toward the things that do.
Posted in Faith, Life and tagged 13 Reasons Why, Christianity, Death, Depression, Heaven, Hope, Inspiration, Jesus, Life, Suicide on August 1, 2017 by jenna fernandez.


Is it really just a twin of the Chevy Silverado? That is a question many consumers have wondered about the GMC Sierra for years. The 2019 model year will put that question to rest as the 2019 GMC Sierra pickup truck is all new and redesigned, carrying with it a load of options and features that make it a stand-out in its class.
The GMC MultiPro™ Tailgate is an exciting new feature on the 2019 Sierra's exterior. The tailgate folds six different ways, allowing you the ability to secure cargo in the back of the truck, step up into the bed and even have a convenient in-cabin workspace. The truck's signature LED taillamps and LED headlamps reinforce its first-class look with C-shape lighting and light blade technology. LED fog lamps are also available on the Elevation and SLT trims. The SLE comes with standard six-spoke Bright Silver painted 17-inch aluminum wheels, while the Elevation has larger 20-inch wheels. If you want the ability to customize your truck, the SLT trim lets you choose between 18-inch aluminum wheels with Dark Gray Metallic accents or the available 20-inch polished aluminum wheels.
If you can't fit everything in the bed of the truck, you'll find plenty of room inside the Sierra's cabin. This half-ton pickup features class-leading max front head room (43.04 inches) and leg room (44.53 inches). A leather-wrapped steering wheel and chrome trim accents also add to the driver-focused details of the truck while both drivers and passengers in the SLT can enjoy heated front seats.
Both the SLE and Elevation trims are equipped with a 2.7-liter turbo engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission, churning out 310 horsepower and 348 lb-ft of torque. Now standard on the SLT, a new 5.3-liter V8 comes with a Dynamic Fuel Management system, which allows the engine to function in 17 unique patters while running on two to eight cylinders. A 6.2-liter V8 with an all-new 10-speed automatic transmission, paired with Dynamic Fuel management, is also available for the SLT. This powertrain generates an impressive 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. There is also a 3.0-liter Duramax turbo diesel inline six-cylinder available on the SLT that is paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission.
GMC has beefed up its head-up display; it's not only large and vivid, but it also has its own set of instincts. While it showcases what most other vehicles show — speed, navigation and phone info — the 2019 Sierra's head-up display goes the extra mile. It also notifies you via Lane Departure Warning when you are drifting out of your lane. Rounding out the tech features are Apply CarPlay™, Android Auto™ and a premium infotainment system.
With the new GMC Sierra, you get versatile engine options, a handy head-up display and a tailgate that serves many purposes. Test drive the capable 2019 Sierra to experience all that it can do.


Hey everyone! It's Friday, and a good friend of mine (@DeMarko) just tipped me off to a really interesting repository.
If you're not aware of the Demoscene, you should be. Basically, they make awesome crazy videos with computer graphics. That sounds boring, until you realize that they work within crazy constraints.
Make sure to tell YouTube you want the 1080p (!) version.
Anyway, I'll stop with the history. Here's the point: There's a repository that's basically just a raw dump of the code people have written to make these kinds of demos. An archive of the last ten years of a bunch of people making awesome things.
The README warns that much of the code is hard to compile, and if you don't know C or C++, you probably won't be able to make heads or tails of it. Note also that these are tools used to make demos, not necessarily the code of the demo itself. Point is, there be dragons in this repo. Lots of dragons.
You can check out the Farbrausch tools repo here.


Discussion in 'Trip Planning' started by Stroked 550, Jan 31, 2019.
Can i put the food in a couple zip lock bags so i can portion out servings accordingly ?
Yes, I've done that with Mountain House products. I put half in a ziploc at home, and put it back in the original cooking bag. Temporarily removed it while cooking the other half, rinsed out the cooking bag, and repacked the ziploc for another day. All the repackaged meals were used on one trip, so I'm not sure how well long-term storage would have worked. Sometimes it's a challenge to maintain equal proportions of all the dry ingredients, as some items separate by weight and size.
Fast1 and Stroked 550 like this.
thanks for the info thats good to hear, have you ever tried cooking them in the ziplock bag?
2 serving size is just right for my meal.
tjzondrz, eddie bolted and Stroked 550 like this.
I do get hungry at the end of the day. My routine is a snack first thing packing up, burn a tank off, then stop for a meal. Then one last meal for dinner.
That's probably why I'm hungry, eating only 2 1/2 meals a day.
Ziplock bags are not meant for cooking in.
Rehydrate with cold water is fine, they are not meant for hot food or water. Don't really want to be eating that plastic.
Bigger Al and Stroked 550 like this.
Your are right. But I remember about 10-15 years ago, when everyone should have known better, that the Boy Scouts were teaching 'ziploc' scrambled eggs' as a quick camp meal. A few of us adult leaders questioned that, but we were dismissed.
Boiling that kind of plastic, and eating the food in it, is not really a good idea. Better than starving, but still not a good idea.
Anyone know if there are food-safe bags that can take that kind of heating?
Can you reheat in the seal a meal bags?
Look for Sous Vide bags.
The freeze dried backpack meals are packed in Nitrogen just like potato chips or other food products. You open them up to split them and start the clock on them going south.
No, but the Zip Lock FREEZER bags handle rehydration with boiling water ... just don't boil in the bag. I don't recall exactly where I read that, but it was an answer from them or a competitor. My experience has been good.
My purpose is to make the backpacker meals more compact. I also do it right before a trip because I understand that the expiration clock starts as soon as I do it.
Zip-n-Steam bags work at higher temps and are designed to handle the heat. Walmart has them.
The " Outdoor Herbivore " sells reusable, sealable cooking bags for seventy cents a piece.
Strong Bad and AntiSuperEgo like this.
These look like good options.
Zip lock freezer bags can be used to reheat, they are used a lot in Sous Vide (a lot cheaper then dedicated Sous Vide bags.) used at around 120f- 140f that is all you need to reheat, you do not need to boil.
Nice, but if you read all the info the bag slider will warp If heated. No better then the much cheaper Zip lock freezer bag.


The next best thing to having a doctor in the family is having hundreds of them right across the street. Kimpton Aertson Hotel is lucky to have Vanderbilt University as a neighbor, with all its excellent hospitals and clinics. We're also close to St. Thomas Hospital and TriStar Centennial. Visiting and consulting physicians and pharmaceutical reps will find our hotel an ideal mix of convenience and comfort. Or if you have scheduled an elective procedure, or are visiting a loved one in the hospital, we would be happy to be an uplifting haven.
Please don't hesitate to let us know how we can be helpful while you're here.


Who says you can't combine a theme park day with a unique adventure in Mother Nature? The Gilroy Gardens theme park, in the Central Coast region, features more than 40 rides, many with produce-inspired themes such as the Mushroom Swing, the Artichoke Dip, and (a no-brainer in the Garlic Capital of the World) the Garlic Twirl. But don't miss the Circus Trees, the elaborately grafted trees that twist and contort in fanciful ways. Challenge your kids to the scavenger hunt to see them all.


Did you know that whenever you buy anything online – from your weekly shop to your annual holiday – you could be collecting free donations for The Playhouse Foundation?
Head to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/theplayhousefoundation/ and join for free.
There are no catches or hidden charges and The Playhouse Foundation will be really grateful for your donations.
Raise more money, change more lives with our Virgin Money Giving page!
Use our Fundraising Page to set up your own project or event and help raise funds to support our families. By clicking on the link, you can view all the different ways in which others have helped us!
Target: show how much to aim to raise with a target.
Your URL: choose a custom URL for your Campaign Page. Please note this can't be edited once the page has been activated, so choose wisely!


Printed poster and supporting social media graphics to promote the launch of a new product range for Vaporized.
Graphic & Digital Designer specialising in design for print, web and all things digital. My areas of expertise include print design, web design, social media, HTML email design, eLearning, typography and layout design.


Are you an experience driver tired of waiting for annual increases?
You can achieve higher levels of pay through higher levels of performance on our unique performance based Your Choice Pay Plan. You can get an increase each quarter up to our top mileage rate (and we pay practical route miles - you earn 5-8% more!).
Are you looking to become a CDL driver and want to know what income to expect?
When people search for information about a truck driver salary, most of the time what they are seeking is how much will I get paid driving a truck?
This is a complex question because of how the transportation industry pays drivers. First and foremost, most companies do not actually pay a truck driving salary. Instead, almost all trucking companies pay drivers based on the number of miles they've driven using a cents per mile (CPM) formula. That's why many experienced drivers typically want to know how many miles they'll drive and what the CPM is because they already know that getting a truck driver's salary is not likely. Unfortately, only considering miles and CPM overlooks a lot of other important components. No matter what you call it, Roehl's truck driver pay is among the best. Here's why.
Cents Per Mile Pay - not all high-paying trucking jobs are the same.
For most companies, a driver's cents per mile is contingent on their experience level and time at the company. A truck driving salary model that rewards people for longevity and experience is one way to compensate truck drivers, and historically, it is how the industry has done it.
Roehl fits into that model (and we were traditionally considered by industry groups as having some of the highest paying trucking jobs - that's was our reputation and how we became known as the "Take Home More, Be Home More" carrier). However, what sets us apart when it comes to pay is how we began to pay drivers for things that lots of other companies did not (see the list below).
Around 2004, as part of our desire to advance truck driving pay (and pay drivers for more of the miles they actually drove), we were one of the first major carriers to pay practical route miles. Basically, this style of pay adds up to around 5% more per year than companies that pay HHG (household good / short route) miles. We continue to compensate our drivers using practical route mileage.
In 2012, we unveiled a new compensation model, one that's based on performance, not on longevity. This model, while a bit more complex than the industry standard, has been extermely popular with professional drivers across experience levels.
"Innovative" and "A Better Way to Pay"
Those are the terms that CCJ magazine used to describe the Your Choice Pay Plan in 2014. With a little over a year of results, it was clear that the new model changed the focus on a simple calculation and empowered drivers to control their W-2s. One of the more unique aspects of this new truck driver pay plan is the ability to get a pay increase each quarter, instead of being restricted to an annual raise at most carriers. The impact on a driver is that you can "choose" the next higher pay level by being a high performer. Why wait five or ten years to max out with a company - Roehl drivers can have high paying trucking jobs much faster. And, we removed much of the bonus structure at our company. Many, many companies promise bonuses to their drivers, but usually the driver has to wait a full year to get them (or in some cases, quarterly). At Roehl, we offer accident-free pay "as you go" meaning you get it as you actually drive, rather than waiting.
We also reward drivers for safe driving, and for referring other drivers to Roehl as well as offer profit sharing so you can retire in style - these are the extras that go over and above truck driver pay.
We're proud to be certified as a "Top Pay Carrier" by the National Transportation Institute. That means ours are among the highest paying trucking jobs.
In this video you'll hear how you can increase your truck driver pay through Roehl.
After reading this page and watching our video, we hope you'll have a better sense of the difference between a truck driver salary and how the transportation industry generally compensates truckers. We also trust you'll see the differences in how Roehl pays our teammates, and how that leads to better W-2s and overall some of the highest paying trucking jobs.
If you are an experienced truck driver, take this opportunity to join a company that is built on values and is led by a driver: you can be the driver you want to be with Roehl. If you're looking to own your own trucking company, consider Roehl's excellent lease/purchase options. And, if you're an inexperienced or student truck driver, consider Roehl's industry leading on the job training, including our Get Paid to get your CDL Program (and start studying using our CDL practice test general knowledge and other CDL resources.


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Current Location: Home » Full Text Search
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1. Chinese Entrepreneurs Around the World Meet in Nanjing
TODAY Chinese entrepreneurs can be found in almost every corner of the world. Their forefathers traveled across the sea centuries ago to settle in various parts of the world, and started small
Author: staff reporters XU HAN, JIA LIN & SHEN HONGLEI Year 2001 Issue 6 PDF HTML
2. Yulin, Green City on the Tropic of Cancer
PART of the luxuriantly exotic area along the tropic of cancer, Yulin City, in the southeastern part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is blessed with an evergreen climate and abundant
Author: staff reporters XU JING & JIA LAN Year 2002 Issue 8 PDF HTML
3. Approaching Yulin
ON the map, Yulin resembles a nibbled leaf. L ocated in southeastern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yulin comprises one city, two districts and four counties.The Robust Yuzhou DistrictYuzhou
4. XIAMEN CREATES CHANCES FOR OVERSEAS INVESTMENT
BETWEEN September 8 and 12, 2000, the Fourth China Fair for International Investment and Trade will be held in Xiamen, a southeastern coastal city. It will provide opportunities for both Chinese and
Author: staff reporters XU HAN & ZHANG HUA Year 2000 Issue 6 PDF HTML
5. Tourism Industry Booms in Macao
MACAO'S location makes it an attractive destination for many tourists. The region, located on the southern side of the Zhujiang Delta and about 40 nautical miles from Hong Kong, is an easy
Author: staff reporters DENG SHULIN & HAN LIN Year 1999 Issue 12 PDF HTML
6. Anji, Home of Bamboo
ANJI County in northwestern Zhejiang Province is synonymous with bamboo, with its 60,000 hectares of bamboo groves. Anji has been designated a pilot county for ecological construction. Within its
Author: staff reporters WU XINYI & JIA LAN Year 2002 Issue 8 PDF HTML
7. Xingkai Lake Emerald of Northeast China
XINGKAI Lake in east Jixi City, Helongjiang Province, forms a boundary between China and Russia. It has an area of 4,380 square kilometers, and empties into China's easternmost Wusuli River.Xingkai
Author: staff reporters YU JIE, JIA LAN Year 2002 Issue 9 PDF HTML
8. Jixi: A Promising Eco-Tourism City
LOCATED in southeastern Heilongjiang Province and bordering Russia to the east, Jixi City administers six districts and the three county-level cities of Jidong, Hulin and Mishan. Within its boundary
9. The Great Beijing Chicken War
American Kentucky Tried Chicken and Chinese Ronghua Chicken are battling it out over who's tops with Beijing's chicken-lovers.SINCE KENTUCKY Fried Chicken first appeared near Beijing's Qianmen Gate
Author: staff reporter LIN HAN Year 1993 Issue 8 PDF HTML
10. Jiujiang, New Communications Hub on the Yangtze
Sun Yat-sen predicted great things for Jiujiang, which are finally coming true, thanks to opening and reform.WITH THE completion of the longest bridge across the Yangtze River at Jiujiang City,
Author: staff reporter HAN LIN Year 1993 Issue 9 PDF HTML
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Harris, Menominee County, Michigan
Harris: Township in Menominee County, Michigan
Harris is a township located in the county of Menominee in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its population at the 2010 census was 1,968 and a population density of 14 people per km². After 10 years in 2020 city had an estimated population of 1,867 inhabitants.
Quick Facts about Harris
Population : 1,867 (2020)
Country : United States of America
State : Michigan (United States)
County : Menominee County
Area : 143.2 km2
Altitude : 850 feet / 259 meters
Time Zone : America/Menominee
Local time : 19:27:00 (26th January 2023)
Density : 13 Pop. per km² as of 2020
Population growth : -5.41% (2010-2020)
Harris is located at 45°42'13"N 87°20'43"W (45.7035800, -87.3454100).
Harris map
Click "full screen" icon to open full mode. View satellite images
According to census records, the population of Harris decreased by 5.41% in 10 years.
Population by years (2010 - 2020)
Year Population % Change Method
2010 1,968 - census
2011 1,955 -0.66% estimation process
2013 1,947 0.1% estimation process
Schools in Harris
College & universities near Harris, MI
Bay de Noc Community College Escanaba (MI) 49829-2511
Stations (4)
Amtrak & bus stations near Harris, MI
Escanaba, Michigan 2901 27th Avenue North BUS
MWI
Marinette, Wisconsin W 1390 Old Peshtigo Road BUS
MQT
Marquette, Michigan 1325 Commerce Drive BUS
Oconto, Wisconsin 517 Smith Avenue BUS
Post offices near Harris
Post Office Name
Harr Post Office Harris (MI) 49845
Other places with the same name (7)
Harris , Indiana unincorporated community in Marshall County, Indiana with a population of 23,960 people.
Harris , Illinois township in Fulton County, Illinois with a population of 8,404 people.
Harris , Minnesota city in Chisago County, Minnesota, United States with a population of 3,247 people.
Harris , Ohio township in Ottawa County, Ohio with a population of 2,920 people.
Harris , Iowa city in Osceola County, Iowa, United States with a population of 158 people.
Harris , Missouri city in Sullivan County, Missouri, United States with a population of 55 people.
Other cities in Menominee County
Cities, Towns, Neighborhoods & Other Populated Places in Menominee County , MI.
Bagley 6,070 Township in Otsego County, Michigan
Menominee 3,311 City in and county seat of Menomiee County, Michigan, United States
Wilson 1,973 Unincorporated community in Michigan
Spalding 1,592 Unincorporated community in Michigan
Nadeau 1,098 Township in Menominee County, Michigan
Whitney 947 Human settlement in Menominee County, Michigan, United States of America
Ingallston 884 Township in Menominee County, Michigan
Stephenson 628 City in Michigan, United States
Powers 403 Human settlement in Menominee County, Michigan, United States of America
Gourley 401 Township in Menominee County, Michigan
Daggett 242 Township in Menominee County, Michigan
Faithorn 230 Township in Menominee County, Michigan
Carney 181 Human settlement in Menominee County, Michigan, United States of America
Harris distances to largest Michigan cities
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text:
Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (9)
Schulich School of Business (6)York University
Vlerick Business School (3)
Harvard Business School (2)Harvard University
Rotman School of Management (2)University of Toronto
David Eccles School of Business (1)University of Utah
ESMT Berlin (1)
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (1)
London Business School (1)
Aalto University Executive Education (1)
Indian School of Business (1)
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (1)
Foster School of Business (1)University of Washington
Florida Atlantic College of Business (1)Florida Atlantic University
INSEAD Business School (1)
Operations/Production (1)
1 week to 1 month (1)
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CAD $1,950
Selling Strategies for Non-Sales Executives
University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management
Enterprise Sales Management
March 29 - April 25, 2021 4 weeks
School: Rotman School of Management • Category: Sales


A few years ago, I joined the gang that chooses one word to strive for each year. A couple that I can remember have been focus and purpose. This year I chose, Real.
I want to be real. With everything.
Have you looked at Pinterest lately? All the photos are so pretty and put together. If my photos look like that it is because they are staged. I don't want to stage things anymore. I used to test things I found on Pinterest, but then I didn't take photos because it was such a mess. No more.
I have a messy house! I'm not a great housekeeper. I have four dogs, therefore I will have dog hair in my photos. Can you believe I used to edit those out if they were noticeable? I did!
I want to lose weight, but I just ate a chocolate covered peanut cluster. I drink too much Diet Dr. Pepper, and not enough water.
I love to read! I would much rather stay home with my husband and our dogs, and read than hang out with other people. Just being real.
I hate doing cardio! But, I've started reading while on the treadmill so, I am tolerating it.
I love Jesus, my husband, our kids and grandkids! My Momma, my Daddy, and my sister too! I try to love everyone like Jesus would do! But I fall short, and I don't really like a few. Just keepin' it real!
Just hang around for a while, things are changing around here. I quit writing so much because I felt like I had to sugar coat everything. There might still be some sugar, but it will be real.
Do you have one word for the year? What is it? Will you share?
Head on over to #oneword365 to find your tribe (those that share your word). I tried to find my tribe, and found that I am the only one with Real. Want to join my tribe? Click here.


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Tourism/Transportation
P.R. Tourism Co. expects record-breaking cruise season
Contributor September 30, 2016
P3 Authority Executive Director Omar Marrero, explained that this project will result in the strengthening of Puerto Rico as a tourist destination through "very attractive ports for the cruise industry worldwide." (Credit: P.R. Tourism Co.)
Puerto Rico is on its way to break cruise passenger records for the second time in three years, tourism executives said. (Credit: P.R. Tourism Co.)
Puerto Rico is on its way to break cruise passenger records for the second time in three years, Tourism Co. executives said Thursday, during the 23rd annual Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCAA) Cruise Conference and Trade Show in San Juan.
Puerto Rico's port of San Juan posted record passenger numbers in 2015 with the arrival of 1.5 million passengers. The port is now poised to break that record in the 2017-18 season with an expected 1.6 million visitors, with increased calls from Oasis-class ships plus the maiden season of MSC's Seaside, said Ingrid Rivera Rocafort, Tourism Co. executive director.
That will represent an economic injection for Puerto Rico of some $240 million, she added.
Homeport passengers are also expected to grow, as Norwegian Cruise Line returns to homeport in San Juan, joined by other industry leaders such as Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruises, plus several luxury cruise lines, she said.
"The cruise business, a vibrant industry sector for us, has posted 22 percent growth over the previous four fiscal years," said Rivera-Rocafort, adding that the expansion of Pier 3 in Old San Juan was a key factor in luring "mega cruise ships" to Puerto Rico including the Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, the Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, and soon to arrive the Harmony of the Seas.
Puerto Rico is the "number one homeport for cruise ships in the Caribbean and continues to be one of the most popular cruise destinations, attracting the world's largest vessels," she said.
Docking in Puerto Rico this year, include Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival and MSC Cruises. Puerto Rico is welcoming the arrival of Quantum-class vessels and will be a port of call for the 2016 winter season for several new ships such as the Carnival Vista and the world's largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, with 6,780 passengers that is scheduled to arrive in San Juan on Dec. 28. San Juan will also be the first Caribbean homeport for the Viking Cruises, with Viking Star sailing from October to April, she said.
Additionally, based on demand, new Puerto Rico shore excursions and day tours for cruisers have been developed to respond to passenger's eagerness to explore the island.
The island is hosting the FCAA event this week, which starting in 2018, will be held in Puerto Rico permanently each year, Rivera-Rocafort confirmed. For this year's event 100 industry executives representing 19 cruise lines will be engaging in business discussions with attendees for the four-day event, plus more than 750 delegates from tour operators and fellow Caribbean destinations
"We're extremely satisfied with the results obtained from this convention. I'm honored that we've reached the highest attendance in recent years, which shows Puerto Rico's appeal for all of the international delegates of the tourism industry," she said.
In November, Puerto Rico will welcome more than 21,000 passengers arriving at the Old San Juan ports.
This story was written by our staff based on a press release.
collaborator@newsismybusiness.com
Tourism Alliance for P.R. blasts 'lack of activity on P3 for San Juan docks
Contributor February 19, 2020
3 cruise ships anchored in San Juan with some 15K visitors
Contributor January 9, 2020
Top cruise ship industry execs confirmed for upcoming trade show
Contributor October 10, 2019
2 more cruise ships cancel stops in San Juan, representing $750K loss
Contributor July 22, 2019


text:
Pero je izrastek kože ptičev, ki ga sestavljajo poroženele celice povrhnjice. Izrašča po vsem telesu ptičev in tvori zaščitno plast, ki ji skupno pravimo perje. Izraz »perje« pomeni tudi množico peres, ne nujno v kontekstu poraščenosti ptičev, npr. kot polnilo za blazine. Po prisotnosti peres se ptiči ločijo od vseh drugih skupin živali. S perjem so bili poraščeni samo še dinozavri iz podreda Theropoda, neposredni predniki ptičev. Perje ptičem služi kot toplotna izolacija, je kritično za sposobnost letenja, njegova barva in oblika pa imata vlogo pri spolnem vedenju ali skrivanju pred plenilci. Peresa naj bi se razvila iz nitastih izrastkov kože dinozavrov, ki so služili za toplotno izolacijo.

Struktura peresa
Ptičje pero je sestavljeno iz tulca, strženastega rebrca, vej, gladkih in kaveljčastih vejic, ki skupaj sestavljajo kosmačo. Tulec je vsajen v kožo in se na drugi strani nadaljuje v osrednje rebro ali os, iz katerega dvostransko izrašča na stotine stranskih vej, nameščenih v eni ravnini. Iz vej se zopet dvostransko cepijo žarki ali vejice in na tistih, ki so obrnjene proti vrhu peresa, so drobni kaveljčki, s katerimi se oprijemajo nekaveljčkastih vejic naslednje stranske veje. Takšna prepletajoča zgradba daje peresu stalno obliko in trdnost.

Po strukturi se β-keratin, ki sestavlja peresa, kljune in kremplje ptičev nekoliko razlikuje od α-keratina, ki ga najdemo v človeških laseh in nohtih. Beljakovinske verige so namreč med seboj povezane z vodikovimi in disulfidnimi vezmi, kar tem strukturam daje še večjo trdnost.

Tipi peres
Poznamo dva glavna tipa peres, krovna in puhasta peresa.
 Krovna peresa imajo ravno osrednjo os ali rebro, iz katerega izraščajo ožja stranska rebra, iz teh pa še manjša stranska rebrca, ki držijo rebra skupaj, zaradi česar slednja tvorijo ravno površino. Na bazi je predel med seboj nepovezanih reber, ki tvorijo puhast del peresa - kosmačo.
 Puhasta peresa imajo samo rebra brez rebrc, ki niso urejena v ravno površino, podobno kot kosmača krovnih peres.
 Letalna peresa so posebna oblika krovnih peres brez kosmače, ki jih najdemo na perutih in repu ptičev in imajo ključno vlogo pri letenju. Letalna peresa na perutih so dolga, toga in nesimetrična. Oblikovana so tako, da med letom omogočajo čim večji vzgon. Repna peresa so pogosto vzdolžno simetrična.

Uporaba perja
Zaradi mehkobe in odlične toplotne izolacije uporabljamo perje, predvsem gosje, kot polnilo za blazine, odeje, spalne vreče in zimska oblačila. V preteklosti so perje uporabljali tudi za izdelavo puščic in pisanje. Sorodnim pisalom tako še danes pravimo pero.

Orlova peresa imajo za ameriške staroselce veliko kulturno in versko vrednost.

Reference

Zunanje povezave
 Ptičje pero

Telesna zgradba ptic

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