Where Marama went wrong …
"You’re proving Marama correct, white cis males are driving hatred of trans people" was levelled against someone on this forum who likes to troll … funnily enough Posie Parker (to my knowledge) isn't a "white cis-male", and neither do I have a problem with "LGBTQ and the whole bloody alphabet" people - and I'm white, male, and cis.
I once had a discussion with a black guy from the States who was quite racist in his comments, against both white and Asian people - and when challenged stated that "Only white people can be racist!" - oh the irony of that.
When I hear what Marama said and how others try to "protect" her then I have to think of that black guy. Marama didn't make a mistake, it wasn't due to the bike, she simply spoke unguarded from the heart - and what she said was racist.
It would have been better to own up to the fact that EVERYONE is SOMETHING based on our history and experiences. Racism is build in because it is the "fear of the unknown" - you will ALWAYS fear a stranger more than someone you know (just ask yourself if you would leave your wallet with them), whether it is justified or not (and the vast majority of sexual assaults is actually done by people you know).
The question is not whether someone is racist or not, the question is how they face it. For example in a small village in Germany the asylum seekers were treated with suspicion - so they organised a meeting in the town hall that was very well attended, broke the ice, and made "strangers" simply human. The more you understand other people and races, the less racist you become. When you realise that that nice guy you like to talk with is gay then homophobia starts looking silly.
Marama (and her supporters) had the chance to put this simple fact at the center of the discussion - instead they chose to dig their heels in, make excuses, and went on the attack. Not the mark of a leader, and not smart at all: the "vast majority" of abuse is committed by "white cis males"? First off: the murder statistic they showed as evidence is a 70% male, 30% female split - that's roughly 2:1. Not exactly what I would call a "vast majority" (especially as men seem to prefer bashing someone's head in or shooting them which is hard to pass off as a natural death, while poisoning which can be hard to detect is the favourite method used by women). And if you want to know how "white" males are doing - then you need to analyse it as a proportion of the population (eg compare the numbers of murders committed by white / black / Maori / Pacific / Asian etc men in proportion to their number in the population) - you might find something that isn't quite politically correct but puts the emphasis on the fact that social deprivation increases stress which causes more violence.
See for example www.stuff.co.nz...
Which brings me back to something that I noticed back in 1999 - New Zealanders like to put emphasis on "race" when they should simply deal with the problem. If back then they would have said "We need to help the poor get out of poverty" then nobody would have objected even if the policy would have helped Maori the most - instead they said "We need to help the Maori to get out of poverty" (eg free Health Mobile for Maori, allowed to study Medicine if 1/8th Maori, etc) which drove a wedge into New Zealand (instead of bringing them together as “Kiwis” with an appreciation of the different cultural contributions like it is in Europe) and made race a much more important factor. Unsurprisingly the Maori formed their own party, and nowadays you have election posters showing "Maori" with a check mark - should you really vote for someone because of his or her race? That has echoes of Apartheid in South Africa (I never thought I'd agree with Winston Peters but he lambasted that policy because it "stole" Maori pride and depicted them as people who can't do it on their own if just given a fair chance).
And what Marama is doing is exactly the same - put race into the discussion about violence against women. That is stupid and counter-productive. It detracts from what the problem is: abuse of others. And as Posie Parker and many religious groups ("conversion therapy" anyone?) show - it is not just males, never mind white or cis.
Stop abuse - and keep your “culture wars” to yourself.
P.S. Marama has history on that method: www.stuff.co.nz...
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Poll: 🗑️ Would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Aucklanders, our weekly rubbish collections are staying after councillors voted to scrap a proposed trial of fortnightly pick-ups.
We want to hear from you: would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Keen for the details? Read up about the scrapped collection trial here.
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82.5% Same!
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17.5% Would have liked to try something different
7 tips for buying your Christmas ham
It’s the centerpiece of the Christmas table, so when you’re peering into the supermarket chiller or ordering from the butcher, choosing the perfect ham can feel like a daunting task.
Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing one to bring home with you.
1. What type of ham to buy
You’ve got some decisions to make when it comes to the type of Christmas ham you’re going to buy.
Cooked on the bone (COB) ham is the traditional Christmas ham. If you’re buying a half ham, you’ll have the choice of the shank or fillet end. The shank is the part with the bone sticking out that gives the ham that traditional look. The fillet end is the round part that gives more meat. If you’re deciding whether to get a whole ham or half, consider how quickly you’ll be able to eat it all. You only have about a week to eat an opened ham before it will go off, so it can be a good idea to get two halves. That way you can eat one half during the week of Christmas and save the other for January.
Champagne ham has had the bone removed and only has the hock left on, so it’s easier to carve.
Pressed ham – also known as continental ham – has had the bones removed and has been pressed, so it’s also easy to carve.
2. Check the pork percentage
The label on a packaged ham will say what percentage is actually meat. Hams are injected with brine, to keep them moist, and additives. The brine injection level for manufactured hams is usually between 10% and 35% of the ham's weight. A manufacturer that wants to produce a cheap ham will add more water to bump up the weight.
3. Know how to tell if it’s New Zealand pork
By far, most of the hams bought in New Zealand this Christmas will be from pigs reared overseas. New Zealand imports pork from about 25 countries. It’s frustrating for New Zealand pig farmers because this ham can come from farms that don’t have to meet the same animal welfare standards as we have in this country. As a result, overseas meat is often cheaper.
If buying New Zealand pork is important to you, look for:
words on the packaging like ‘New Zealand pork’ or ‘born and raised in New Zealand’
4. Have a good look at the ham
If you’re going to be glazing your ham, look for one that is covered in a finger-thick layer of fat. This will give you the thickness you need to make good score lines.
New Zealand Pork’s website also advises looking for a ham that has a meaty texture rather than one that looks wet or rubbery. It says the ham’s skin should be smooth with even colouring. “If the knuckle is sunken, it may be overcooked. If the rind is buckled or uneven, it may be a sign of dryness.”
5. Ask a lot of questions
If you’re ordering your pork from a butcher, you probably won’t be able to compare hams like you would at the supermarket. So, make sure you ask lots of questions, now that you know what you’re looking for.
You could ask:
Is the ham made from New Zealand born and farmed pork?
What will be its injection percentage?
What flavours will it have?
You could even ask if there’s a glaze the butcher thinks would work particularly well with those flavours.
6. Know what size you’ll need
If the ham is the only meat on your Christmas menu, New Zealand Pork advises allowing 1kg of ham for five people. Or if you’ve got other meat options, 1kg will feed about six to eight people.
7. Know the best hams in New Zealand
The best hams of the year were awarded at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards earlier in the year so you can check out which ones got medals. Some of them are only available in the city the butcher is based, but a Farmland boneless ham available nationwide won a gold award and Woolworths bone-in and boneless hams picked up bronze.
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