Category: WTF

Fee Writes

Move Over Ted Cruz

We have our own Ted Cruz right here in New Zealand!

Do you know the recent story about Ted Cruz? Well, do you even know who Ted Cruz is? If not, I’ll fill you in and if you do – skip the next paragraph if you want to.

Ted Cruz is a Republican senator from Texas who did a runner with his family to Mexico when the massive snowstorm hit Texas, and the lights went out. Well, it was more than lights; it was quite a disaster as people died in this dreadful storm.

The press had a field day with this news, and Ted was shamed into returning, giving some ridiculous excuse about his daughter wanting a holiday. He maintained he was just escorting her (and the rest of the family) to Cancun to get them settled into the hotel. Does that mean he doesn’t trust his wife to do this?

(Sorry, Reader, I know, that was two paragraphs.)

Anyhoo, it appears we have our own Ted Cruz, which became apparent just before the recent lockdown in Auckland. Brian Tamaki (aka Bishop Tamaki, leader of the Destiny Church) and his wife Hannah (who aspires to be a politician) jumped into their vehicle and drove from Auckland to Rotorua a few hours before the Level 3 lockdown shut that fair city off from the rest of N.Z. Talk about the the monied elite’s ability to escape hardship.

As Ted left his constituents in a time of crises, so did Bishop Brian leave his parishioners – right when they needed him most. And, just so you know, he didn’t go back!

Now maybe the press wouldn’t have been so hard on him if he had gone back, but interviewing both of them separately, it seemed like they couldn’t even get their own stories straight. Brian was adamant that the trip was for business. However, Hannah said it was the annual hunting trip that always happens around this time of the year. – who was telling the truth?

I wouldn’t have bothered writing about this, even though it did make me laugh at the sheer audacity and selfishness of the couple. But now I’ve heard that this evangelistic leader of a cultist type of non-profit organisation has come out criticising politicians and church leaders for not backing him against the bad press.

Wait… there’s more

He also has claimed that all the bad press he’s received over this caused the recent earthquakes and tsunami warnings.

The couple ended up in the South Island, citizens of which publicly announced they didn’t want them! The poor lad was refused entry into Invercargill and had to go to Queenstown to conduct his Sunday service to the whopping big crowd of 20.

I have the feeling the wealthy in Queenstown are not really the Destiny Church’s ideal parishioner’s profile.

STAY IN THE LOOP

Fee Writes

A Bit of Red Seaweed Does the Trick

What do cows and red seaweed have in common? Don’t know? Neither did I until now.

I happened to catch a wee story about red seaweed the other day that made me shake my head … so I just had to put it under the category of WTF!!!

It appears that scientists have discovered that feeding this abundant red seaweed to cows will reduce methane by up to 90%! Of course they have! Scientists have been working on creating environmentally friendly cows for ages. God forbid if a person is denied the cow juice in their latte.

The seaweed is known as Asparagopsis armata, and it grows in N.Z. and Australian waters. (It may sound like asparagus, but it’s vastly different.)

My first thought was – ‘Truly? Are they going to harvest this seaweed and make another ecosystem suffer because of the love of cow’s milk?’

But then I sighed a bit of relief when I discovered that they would grow and farm it like any other crop.

As I kept reading the article, I discovered that this seaweed is good for fish farming too. Because it is a plant that feeds on the nitrogen produced by fish, fish farms could potentially increase the number of fish they farm.

Dr Meller (from this biotech company) said

“So, it is entirely feasible that a fisherman today in Southland could increase stocking capacity, decrease costs not having to move those pens around and have a third revenue stream of Asparagopsis that we would teach them how to farm, that we would buy back from them at cost, plus a margin of profit.”

He also said

“There are no environmental impacts from farming the native seaweed, and growing it helps in a small way to address ocean acidification.”

Maybe it is a way (shrugging my shoulders as I write) to help with the mess in the ocean??? I just hope the government continues to encourage reducing cow numbers and not make this an excuse to keep or increase the herd sizes.

I want to see ecosystems return.

You can read the article here: Seaweed

STAY IN THE LOOP

Fee Writes

Environment | Health | Rants | WTF

Clean Water Plans for New Zealand?

Last week the Minister for the Environment put forward the Clean Water Plans for New Zealand.

What a joke that was!

The plan is to have 90% of rivers and lakes swimmable by 2040. That’s gone up by 10 years. From my understanding it was going to be cleaning them up by 2030, but now, again, the goal posts have been shifted.
Well, Massey University freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy says the Government is “trying to pull a swifty” with its new swimmable waterways plan.

You see it’s all about how much E-coli (and other stuff) is in the water. This is how I understand it:

540 E.coli/100mls of water gives the swimmer a 1 in 20 chance of getting sick. However, the Ministry of Health recommendation is 260 E.coli/100mls of water and that’s what it used to be. That would equate to 1 in 1000 chance of getting sick.

Big damn difference – again, shifting the goal posts.

read: Unswimmable Lagoon Now Swimmable

The problem is that the Government wants to intensify the dairy industry, meaning, more cows per herd and more dairy farms. Although I have no idea why – with the downturn of dairy and the rise of plant milks, dairy is definitely on the way out (albeit slowly).

The only good thing they announced was that all farmed waterways were to be fenced… however, yes, there’s a ‘BUT’ to this. – doesn’t have to be done till 2040!!!! How much damage can be done till then????
Besides with cows in paddocks, they’re still weeing and poohing and that eventually gets into the water table.

And one last thing he said? Don’t go swimming if there’s been a decent amount of rain. Instead of cleaning the water…..

“a big rainfall event that brings all the crap in.” – Nick Smith

If you want to find out more, head over to Stuff News “The New Swimmable Fresh Water Target”

What’s the water like in your neck of the woods?

Fee Writes

Food | Rants | WTF

Trying To Get More People Drinking Milk

The dairy industry never ceases to amaze me how they come up with ideas to get more people drinking milk

This is one such example

I was in the supermarket yesterday and was checking out the cow milk section, (well I was actually looking to see if they stocked fresh almond milk yet… which, no, they don’t). I thought I’d have a look at all the different cow milk on offer and then I spied this one.

I actually laughed out loud. I think the couple standing next to me thought I was crackers, but I couldn’t help it.
I just find it so amusing that there is cow milk that is designed especially for the lactose intolerant people out there… just in case they are getting their calcium and protein from – I kid you not – PLANTS.

Take a look at the label – it also says “trim” that means they’ve taken most of the fat out as well.

So here’s a bit of info you may not know:
If you eat animal protein the body produces metabolic acidosis and the body uses calcium to fight it off.
For some reason, the less fat there is in milk, the more acidosis is formed and the more calcium is needed usually drawing it from the bones.

Dairy companies are messing around with the milk so much it is not true milk. Here in N.Z. the large companies actually strip the milk down to milk powder and then reconstitute it into the different types. I can’t speak for other countries, but if you know how the milk is produced, please let us know in the comments below.

Fee Writes

Animals | Quick Post | WTF

Harbourmaster Uses Council Boat To Free Orca – Stood Down

A Coromandel (N.Z.) Harbourmaster has been stood down because he used a Council boat to go and free an Orca.

A breeding female orca was trapped in a cray pot line for 16 hours – Yup 16 HOURS!!!! and the DOC (Department of Conservation) peeps were “too busy” to go and free her. So, in the end, the Harbourmaster along with a volunteer who had training in Dolphin and Whale rescue went out to her aid.

She was being held up by other members of her pod – if that’s not distress I don’t know what is!

Read More Here

They did get her free and she swam away.

But now the Waikato Regional Council is

“checking whether any regulations were breached or operational procedures not followed during the rescue”

and the Harbourmaster has been stood down.

This is P.C. gone afoul – as usual. Who gives a toss if regulations have been breached! The Harbourmaster knew what he was doing, didn’t put anyone at risk and saved the Orca. He should be commended not reprimanded!

I’ll get off my soapbox now.

Category: WTF

Move Over Ted Cruz

We have our own Ted Cruz right here in New Zealand!

A Bit of Red Seaweed Does the Trick

What do cows and red seaweed have in common? Don’t know? Neither did I until now.

Clean Water Plans for New Zealand?

Last week the Minister for the Environment put forward the Clean Water Plans for New Zealand.

Trying To Get More People Drinking Milk

The dairy industry never ceases to amaze me how they come up with ideas to get more people drinking milk

Harbourmaster Uses Council Boat To Free Orca – Stood Down

A Coromandel (N.Z.) Harbourmaster has been stood down because he used a Council boat to go and free an Orca.

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