AMERICA - BEWARE!! THE KIWIS ARE COMING!!

Over the past five years or so that the probligo has been living in the blogiverse he has learned just how fragile - and in so many ways - the average American psyche can be. Just look to the last post for the most recent instance; the inability of an individual to accept that facts can actually oppose standing preconceptions and long held beliefs. But this is not the time nor place for that debate - that is yet to and will come.

About two or three weeks back there was a considerable raruraru in the local (NZ) media about a proposal to move away from traditional pasture farmed dairying toward the techniques used in EUrope and the US with fully enclosed herds on "artificial" feeds. The advantages were many, and much outweighed the perceived costs of open farming.

Personally I hope that they fail. NZ's major advantage in all farming methods is not the "green and clean" message but the fact that our methods are natural; we convert water and sunlight into food.

Now - this last week - there have been reports coming through of Missouri (the US one, so that we are clear) reclaiming some 5% of the total US dairy market (such as this example). Apparently the US dairy state had been losing its markets and consequently suffering reduced production under the pressure of "increasing costs and decreasing returns". That despite what I suspect would be fairly substantial state and federal subsidies.

With milk prices so low and many dairy farmers losing money, the New Zealanders’ low-cost methods, which mostly involve a different way of feeding cows, are luring converts.

“Their impact has been so significant in our state that it’s hard to get your arms around it,” said David Drennan, executive director of the Missouri Dairy Association.

...

As recently as 1975, the state had 20,000 dairy farms and 333,000 dairy cows. Today, there are about 2,000 farms and less than one-third the number of cows.

A decade ago, businesses, farmers, bankers, academics and others gathered around a table in the Greene County Extension Office in Springfield to confront the crisis.

The group realized the business practices of the state’s dairy farms needed to improve.

The turn-round in production has come largely from four farms purchased, "modernised" and managed by Kiwis - the re-introduction of traditional pasture based farms of my countryside.

Kevin van der Poel remembers the skepticism and suspicion when he moved here four years ago from New Zealand with a newfangled approach to raising dairy cattle.

He heard the doubts, peppered with a tall tale or two.

When he started construction on rock walkways for moving cattle between pastures, the rumor spread that he was building housing for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Some locals thought his cows seemed too thin.

In the radio programme on this topic last week (I still listen to the rural news and other rural based programmes) there was a delightful descrition of a field day held at one of the farms. Questions after the tour ranged from whether cows would get stones stuck in their hooves, to the problem of the cows having to walk too far and getting tired, and the consequent impact on production...

And so we come to -

Tony Finch understands why some people might resent the New Zealanders’ different approach and, ultimately, their success.

“People see that as a threat or a degree of arrogance that we do it right and they do it wrong,” said Finch, general manager of Grasslands Consultants, another New Zealand operation, with 9,000 cows on 10,000 acres around Monett.

“That’s been a struggle — to convince people that what we’re doing is not a threat to what they’re doing, but another way of doing it.”

In many ways, the New Zealanders are returning Missouri dairy farmers to their past.

Traditionally, all Missouri dairies were pasture-based. But, in the 1970s, many began to use confinement operations and increased grain feeding to boost milk production.

In the Ozarks, where most of the dairies are, costs rose as more feed needed to be delivered and more manure needed to be removed. Labor was scarce.
...
The operation, which the van der Poels run out of a nondescript yellow barn set back off a rural highway, pumps about $6 million annually into the local community, he said.

They employ 28 people, about a third of the number required to run a confinement dairy with a similar-size herd.

...thereby returning to my wish for the "enclosed farming" developments in Southland to bite the dust before too many people waste their money on them.

Happy Thanksgiving, America!

A little belated perhaps, but a thoughtful wish to all in America for a happy Thanksgiving. From my contact with the business world over there I know this is the last chance for a reasonable holiday before the privations of winter set in especially for those in the north.

A post by TFS brought this to mind. Being the man that he is, his emphasis is almost entirely on the religious aspects of Thanksgiving as primary. He links to another like-minded person who gives a quotation from Frenchman De Tocqueville.

The religion which declares that all are equal in the sight of God, will not refuse to acknowledge that all citizens are equal in the eye of the law. Religion is the companion of liberty in all its battles and all it conflicts; the cradle of its infancy and the divine source of its claims.

As one might expect, there should be (as I see it at least) one huge lot more than that for America to be thankful for.

It is horrendously out of context, I know, but no more so that the original quote and quite likely the translation as well. Not being a French-speaking scholar of De Tocqueville I am not going to take it any further than that.

First up, as I pointed out to TFS, that passage was written in the mid-1800’s, 1851 if Wiki is to be believed. At that time “citizen’s rights” were defined in a manner that would today rank beside the likes of Iran, 1950’s South Africa, and China.

To be clear, I am including under the heading of “citizen’s rights” such forgotten things as –

The right to vote.
The right to own property.
The right to unrestricted travel.

Those rights were not universal in the US in the 1850’s. I have to concede that the right to vote was not universal in NZ until 1869.

That being the case, the thought led me to think what would I be thankful for if a similar religious festival were in place in NZ.

First I think would have to be for the blessing (look it up in the Oxford TF, I am not going religious yet. It means “something to be thankful for…”) of having been born in this country, for its freedom, its bounty and beauty.

Immediately after that would come the people who have fought to make it, and keep it, that way. The likes of Hobson, Williams, Hone Hika, Te Whiti, as the foundation stones, followed by Kate Shepheard, Apirana Ngata, and even Richard Seddon and Michael Joseph Savage would be worth a passing thought. The servicemen and women of the six wars fought overseas – Boer, WW1, WW2, Korea, Malaya, Vietnam.

It is there that the difference would lie. I doubt that many of those listed would consider themselves “divinely inspired” apart from Williams who was a Minister and Missionary. For the rest, I suspect that much of what they achieved would fall into the “95% perspiration” category.

So it is likely that if I were in America now, I would be thanking a whole bunch of people for their work and sacrifice in building what America is today and striving to keep and better all that is good in that nation.

On meeting old friends and having words -

Sunday was Father's Day here in NZ.

Sunday also produced some of the best weather so far this year. It was warm, bluedome sky, light breeze; perfect for the flying of small model aircraft.

Many of the other members of the club thought so as well. As a result there were an unheard of 14 cars parked along the fence at the top of our modest flying field (many thanks to the Butcher family for persistently putting up with this rather odd group of aging men who enjoy doing strange things in the middle of a cow paddock.

Among those I met and talked with was Rubber-band Ron. He is a delightful chap. Has about seven years on me, and has not been in particularly good health for the past ten or so years. He was enjoying the sun and fresh air sitting with the car door open. I sat and nattered with him for about an hour, topics ranging from family history, WW2 aircraft, modelling, and words.

One of the drugs I take is a diuretic to stop me from retaining water in outlying regions of the probligo anatomy. That requires the occasional departure behind a bush watching out for electric fences, the short-drop at the far end of the field, in general terms the khazi. Ron flicked up at this and we spent some time swapping some of the more esoteric of kiwi slang and their likely etymology.

Many came back to NZ after the wars, and particularly the 2EF from Egypt. Ron felt that that might have been the origin of khazi, as had some of the others we went through like bint and wally. I looked up khazi in some of the on-line dictionaries and while there is no question about the meaning, some of the origins were distinctly off-beam. Like from Italian "casa" or "case". No, sorry, I don't think that likely.

Most likely was from Urdu. Which takes the word to England during the 19th century...

And so it goes.

On Feminism - and a response to the Teflonman

My wife “lived” through the feminist years of the late 60s and the 70’s. She was directly involved (at a personal level) in gaining pay equality, and work equality.

To explain.

When she became pregnant with our first child she held the position of City Treasurer’s Secretary; a very senior position, one which these days might carry the title of “Executive Personal Assistant” or somesuch, with commensurate salary. In that position she was one of the top four Secretaries in the organisation. But the rules were that if you got pregnant you had to resign. “Why?!!?” was the immediate reaction. That policy of “not employing” pregnant women was almost universal at the time and was one of the primary targets of the feminists.

Prior to that the City – as employer – had made some moves toward the totally radical idea of equal pay for equal work. If you were comparing the salary for a male clerk with that of a female clerk, the solution was quite simple; and in some cases the simple solution led to male clerks having their pay held at the same rate for some years while the women “caught up”. At the level of trying to set the salary of an Executive Secretary it became somewhat more difficult. So difficult, that SWMBO was told she would have to wait three years for the full value of her personal increase – like about 8% per annum for three years gives a clue. In the meantime she had corporate authority that (in some detailed instances) exceeded that of an accountant.

The point here is that “feminism” at that level was a very admirable thing. As an executive responsible for the selection and appointment of staff in my department it gave me almost double the population from which to select and I had an excellent team of eight women and one man under me. Oh, and if I recollect the man was third ranked in the pay scale. Even better, I could pick the best person for the job to be done and pay them accordingly.

The experiences my wife had at that time were frustrating in the extreme (“Why should I give up my job just because I am three months pregnant??”). She was not a member of the “militant” feminism movement but certainly she was well supported by people who were.

The difficulty then, and now too it seems from your (the Teflonman's) article, was the impact of opposing propaganda. So we get the idiocies of the “woman God”, the “Chairperson”, the “person-hole”, “post-person” and all of the other stupidities. At least in our Parliament, “Mr Speaker” became (quite correctly) “Madam Speaker” despite the efforts of some (male) members to attach other connotations to the title. I suspect that the similar rebuff of “Male members” would have been sufficient to quiet that line of thought. The idea of androgynous descriptives and nouns seemed to disappear out of the window overnight; driven out of the room, not least by the strident voices of extremism on both sides of the fence.

That feminism was one of the major and better social changes of the twentieth century – at least in the western world – should now go without saying. When you consider that it came less than 100 years after universal voting rights (at least in this country) shows that the rate of change was not exactly fast. That it came within ten years of the acceptance of the contraceptive pill is of no surprise and shows the speed with which society can change when even relatively small changes are made.

That feminism should still be the butt of jokes and politicised propaganda from a small (predominantly male) section of society is hardly surprising. Those that fall into the category would also, I suspect, feel hard done by immigrants “who work for low wages and take the jobs of more deserving people”.

It just seems to run through the territory.

Actually this whole change of social attitudes is, in my opinion, a very good thing.

I was interviewed for a position (some years ago, and I was not successful) when I was asked whether I would have difficulty with the fact that I would be working with a boss who was homosexual. My response was “Not unless the fact I am hetero becomes a problem with her. Otherwise why should it matter?”. Did that affect my chances? I was thanked for my honesty at least. Was I upset not getting the job? No, not one bit.

Back to the start -

How many "advanced" nations are now giving as of right maternity leave? How many are providing paid maternity leave? That change, as much as any other single instance signals just how far the Feminist movement has taken societal attitudes. To those who crow the old "feminist mantras" (and remember that very few hens crow) I say, "Grow up just a bit. Perhaps then you might earn the respect of a lady."

Politicising stupidity -

Well, TF didn't seem to like my idea but since I am pig-headed I'll repeat it here.

It stems from TF's "How do I become an illegal alien?" post, a reprint of one of "those" letters that react with me the same way as the crumbs the Djinn of All Deserts sprinkled onto the rhinoscerous' skin while said rather grumpy beastie was taking a dip in the wadi.

I am not going to repeat Mr Ruppert's letter here (mainly for that reason).

This is what I wrote for TF -

There are times when I just can do no more than wonder at how some people's heads work.

Don't worry, TF, we have this kind in NZ as well.

OK, so the premise is -

Pay $2,000 fine.

Pay three years taxes.

Collect free citizenship card.
______________________________

I think that if I were this jolly roger's political representative I might reply in the following terms...

_____________________________

First, Mr Ruppert, you might like to refund to your employer the difference between what you actually earned in the past 5 years as a presumably legal US citizen, and what might be paid to an illegal immigrant.

Right, got that?

Now sell your home, donate the proceeds to charity (along with any tax credits that might be due), and live in low income rental housing for the two years that you want tax free.

Still feeling keen?

Now remember that for the past five years you have been an illegal. You know the stress that you feel when you see that policeman shake his finger at you for exceeding the speed limit? Live like that for the whole 5 years, 24/7, the next police is going to stop you with intent and ask for your cards...

Finally, bear in mind that you could, in that 5 years, be one of the 5% that are caught and deported (in NZ it is closer to 50%). Like in snakes and ladders or monopoly - return to go, do not collect anything, and miss your next 5 turns...

Still want to join in?

Yours truly...

Perhaps too, Mr Ruppert might like to take employment in one of those (unwanted) jobs that are more often than not performed by the (unwanted) illegals. You know the kind of thing - fruit-picking, sewer fixing, house cleaning, gardening... And, Mr Ruppert, don't start getting on your high "taking jobs from the poor" horse with me either because even here in NZ we have to import labour to do some of these tasks. Admittedly, the unemployment level is currently still under 4% so the "legal" people can to some extent afford to pick and choose what they want to do for a crust.

The truth, Mr Ruppert, is that whatever way you measure it those "illegals" have been allowed to stay in America simply because America needs them as much as they want to escape Mexico or Vietnam or China or where-ever they might have come from.

And it is because of where they might have come from that I get mighty suspicious of the true motives behind these letters. Words like "red-neck" start to float to the top of the word-cloud, justified or not. The fact that they seem to surface when-ever there are elections in the offing does not give me any consolation either.

Having said all of that, America does have a problem. There are a great number of people who want to live there. Some are more "desirable" than others.

I do not fall into either camp.

My World Is Mine: What I still don't know...

In the midst of his reflections on the loss of a very senior family member, the Teflon Man posted this-

"The last Buddha Gautama Siddharta gained Enlightment and then Supreme Nirvana after he realised that life is suffering and everything is caused by desire or clinging.So, when one can give up all desires or clinging, then one is supposed to be freed from the cycle of life and death.

My point is this: The secret about desires and clinging and life is suffering is out.What does the next Buddha have to realise before he too can gain Enlightenment and then Supreme Nirvana?I mean, if Siddharta were taught the lesson early enough, he wouldn't have to spend so much time searching for the answer, right?

We now speak of the Buddhist precepts to no end. Surely, there must be something else that is of the essence next.

I wonder what that would be."

I am not Buddhist. Let me very clear about that. I have read some of the teachings, particularly from Zen, in the same way as I have read the Bible and Gita. So I am speaking from a very unknowledgeable and simplistic soapbox on this.

I posted a reply to Tef ending with my recollection of a Koan which runs along the lines of "If you depart with a destination in mind then you will never arrive".

Since then, both Tef’s post and his response to my comment (to which I have further replied) have been bothering me; like that itch that you get between your toes in the middle of a long lecture and you just know that the whole theatre will know when you remove your boot to scratch it...

I haven’t quoted the comments here. That is a dialogue I hope will continue. Nor do I wish to critique Tef’s thoughts – he likely knows more about Buddhism than I have learned in 60 years. Perhaps I can glean some of that...

Out of the original post, I think that the itch is caused by the question –

Surely, there must be something else that is of the essence next.

I wonder what that would be."

I admire anyone who questions. I can’t provide the answer, Tef. I would be another Gautama if I could.

I can not help but feel that the answer, no make that the beginning of the road to the answer, lies somewhere behind you. You have missed it, passed it by. Perhaps the clue to where it may start is in two words –

"I wonder..."

Have you ever read "Monkey"? I thought it a marvellous parable of the conflict with "self", with emotions, and with outside world.

Common Sense - Obituary

Tef has this up on his page - creditting the Times. Hat tip to him.

Today we mourn the passing of an old friend, by the name of Common Sense.

Common Sense lived a long life but died in the United States from heart failure on the brink of the new millennium. No One really knows how old he was, since his birth records were long ago Lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools, hospitals, homes, and factories, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness. For decades, petty rules, silly laws, and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, and that life isn't always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and it's okay to come in second. A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the
Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including body piercing, whole language, and "new math."

But his health declined when he became infected with the "If-it-only-helps-one-person-it's-worth-it" virus. In recent decades his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of well intentioned but overbearing regulations. He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero-tolerance policies. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, a teen suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student only worsened his condition.

It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but could not inform the parent when a female student was pregnant or wanted an abortion.

Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from the Boy Scouts to professional sports. Finally, when a woman, too stupid to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, was awarded a huge settlement, Common Sense threw in the towel.

As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was Kept informed of developments regarding questionable regulations such as those for low flow toilets, rocking chairs, and stepladders.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers: My Rights, and Ima Whiner. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Tef, you might note some slight differences between your version and that. Correct, it is different.

Here is where it came from..., reputedly the earliest reference on the 'Net.

Thought for the week...

In a conversation with the Mrs probligo, the topic the attitudes of others to things like courtesy and respect for others...

For some people, the universe extends no further than their ears.

Am I allowed a bit of a skite?

Just for a moment to three?

Auckland ranks No 5 in the world for its quality of living.

The usual praise and three cheers please...

Oh, and Ilse will be pleased to know that Dusseldorf is only just behind at No6 after ranking equal 5th with Auckland last year.

Five books from childhood...

... in the order I remember having read them. Blame the Old Whig for this lot.

Janet and John School tract and reading lessons. Started reading them at about 3 1/2.

Christopher Robin and the Pooh books before Disney got hold of them.

The Just So Stories Rudyard Kipling, essential reading for every kid, along with the Mowgli books. Shoot me I cheated... so chuck Dad's BOP annuals in there as well. And if you know what BOP were you really are showing the years.

Swallows and Amazons - great!

Can't possibly leave out The Magic Pudding, Aussie classic.

So many, so many others... including the Bible, Al, and King Cotton.