The Islamist Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran don’t communicate very well with anyone including themselves. ‘Batshit crazy’ is one way to describe the situation, and very little oil is exiting the Persian Gulf.

Left unchallenged, Islamist radicals will make sure American churches will burn as well—and if we get weak politicians such as Starmer, our free speech will also go away.

— Ben Garrison

Much more at the post at GrrrGraphics.com Don’t miss it!

and tourists don’t want to go there any more—

Unlike Canada’s euthanasia policies, there are strict procedures that govern assisted dying in NZ.

By Roger Childs

Dr David Hadorn said there were major problems with how the End of Life Choice Act was structured and he believed that it was “developed by people who are so scared of death that they want to put whatever obstacles they can in front of people who have had enough”. The Press, 8 February 2025

Now and then

A close friend has elected to make the choice to end his life and will pass away quietly next Tuesday. This year he has been dying of lung cancer which has spread rapidly in the last few weeks, and a week ago the bones of his right side began to crumble.

Going back to 1980, my mother lay dying in Napier Hospital. She had had a brain tumour and faced a painful death in the short term. Ethel, who had lived an incredibly busy life serving other people, would have qualified for “Assisted Dying” today. However in those times that option was not available. 

Instead she sat in a hospital bed for months, uncomfortable and incontinent, and unable to recognize or talk to anyone. She didn’t eat or drink much except for a little bit of orange juice which my father squeezed from the fruit tree in their back garden. The day he squeezed the last orange and took it the 300 metres to the hospital Ethel mercifully passed away.

Reviewing the criteria

As Ann David’s November 2024 article pointed out, the Ministry of Health review of the current restricted legislation wants to see the criteria for making the end of life choice much easier to access. A survey carried out by Horizon indicated that the majority of Kiwis want this to happen.

Currently in Ann David’s words — those suffering unbearably with …. incurable, life-limiting diseases such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, dementia, end-stage heart or lung disease, find it almost impossible to access assisted dying. 

“One of the lucky ones” David Hadorn

You do not expect to see picture of a dying man with his head on a pillow in a daily newspaper.  However, this was the case in The Press on Saturday 8 February 2025. Obviously Dr David Hadorn gave permission and we reproduce this photo with deep respect.

The distinguished doctor who was born in the United States, said that his decision to have an assisted death was made When it was clear I was on a downward trajectory that was getting steeper all the time. His doctors told him that he has less than six months to live, a key requirement for”dying with dignity”. One of his final observations was I’m not afraid of dying by no means. I’m afraid of saying goodbye to people … He passed away on Friday 7 February last year.

The critical need to change the law

The End of Life Choice Society is working towards seeing legal changes such as 

• dropping the need for the person to be “likely to die within 6 months” and replacing it with a requirement for the person to have a “serious and incurable medical condition likely to lead to death”.  
• removing the ‘gag’ prohibition on health practitioners that stops them raising the topic of assisted dying as one option for end-of-life.

If these changes occurred many people who suffer unbearably with incurable, diseases such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, dementia, end-stage heart or lung disease would be able to access assisted dying.

There needs to be recognition that the adage “where there’s life there’s hope” is often not the case. It would also be invaluable for the country if institutions from the Catholic Church to the Hospice Movement could see that assisted dying is a merciful, appropriate and respectful option for people to escape enormous pain and pass away with dignity. 

Fortunately my long-time friend Ross qualifies and has made the sensible choice.

The Community Centre is in Utauta Street next to the tennis courts and close to the GRWC Park n Ride.

With ANZAC Day being next Saturday — this is sold by online retailers as a weather vane; it’s a customised one for Iron Maiden fans, though.

Because Russia is successfully knocking out the EU’s drone factories inside Ukraine, they have been relocated inside the Euro-Reich proper.

But worringly, these drones are also being fired from Finland and the Baltic states — at some point the Russians are going to reciprocate.

We had to look up Bridget Williams too — the LinkedIn page

from New Zealand Brand FB

How Deep Do the Ties Go?

Many New Zealanders are asking a sharper question now: when people mention the World Economic Forum, who here is actually connected to it, and what does that connection really mean? In New Zealand, two names that come up are Jacinda Ardern and Bridget Williams. The reason is not guesswork. The WEF itself has identified Ardern as a Young Global Leaders alumna, and Bridget Williams’ WEF profile says she has served as Curator of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Christchurch Hub.

That is why the debate will not go away. Jacinda Ardern was not just a New Zealand prime minister who happened to visit Davos once. She was publicly linked to a WEF leadership network, and the WEF also highlighted her attendance and profile in its own material around Davos and global leadership. Bridget Williams, meanwhile, was linked through the WEF’s Global Shapers network in Christchurch, which places her inside one of the Forum’s community-based leadership programmes.

For critics, that is exactly the problem. They see a pattern where influential New Zealand figures are connected into elite global networks that ordinary voters never chose. To them, it raises a fair democratic question: even if the WEF does not directly govern New Zealand, are ideas, priorities and relationships being shaped in circles that sit well above the public? The WEF also maintains organization pages for the New Zealand Government and MBIE, which adds to the perception that the relationship is broader than just a few conference appearances.

Supporters will argue that these ties do not prove control. Being a Young Global Leader, speaking at Davos, or helping lead a Global Shapers hub is not the same as handing over sovereignty. Those people would say international networking is normal, and New Zealand leaders should be involved in global conversations. But many Kiwis still feel they were never clearly asked whether they wanted their country’s political and civic leaders so closely associated with WEF-branded initiatives and leadership pipelines.

That is why this remains a live public issue. It is not just about conspiracy claims or blind loyalty. It is about trust, transparency and whether New Zealanders are comfortable seeing national leaders and influencers tied into institutions like the WEF while the public is left to work out the connections afterwards.

Do you think Jacinda Ardern and Bridget Williams’ WEF ties are simply part of modern global leadership, or do you think New Zealanders have a right to be far more concerned about who is shaping influence behind the scenes?

by Jesse Maina

Here’s what the Western media won’t tell you about Russia under Vladimir Putin.

Russia’s GDP has increased by over 933% from $210 billion to $2.17 Trillion.

The same in the US is 170%.

Corporate tax has been reduced from 30% in 2001 to as low as 3% in 2026.

Personal income tax has also decreased to 13% from the initial 30% in 2001.

Lifespan for Russians has increased by over 14 years.

Education up to university level is free.

Healthcare is free.

Cancer treatment is mostly free to Russian citizens.

On top of that, Russia under Putin has managed to build thousands of kilometers of roads, railways and pipelines.

Statistics don’t lie, the West will tell you how immoral Putin is yet they’ve not achieved even a quarter of what he achieved.

Let them not lie to you, if the above is what they call tyranny, then we all need tyrannical leaderships not parasitic democracy meant to benefit the super rich.