Covid Pyjama Karaoke: Lost In The Woods

Ten Stupidist 'Essentials' I Could Find Online

So I came up with this list after trying to find a few things to top up Abby's birthday presents.  I'd done most of her birthday shopping before lockdown, so this wasn't necessary.  But like most parents I wanted her fifth birthday to feel special.  Especially given the situation.  Soon I found myself sucked into the online shopping hole, and while I didn't find much for Abby*, I did become obsessed with finding the least essential 'essentials' available.

This has taken me some time as it's a tricky thing to do.  What we deem essential is actually quite personal.  Things I find frivolous may be considered a necessity by some.  And while the government has clarified, what they've deemed 'essential' is still quite broad.  And while some retailers have really considered each and every item they've included in their 'essentials' range**, others have taken a much looser approach.

10) Baby Bunny Romper (Postie Plus)

Coming in at number 10 is this velour baby bunny romper.  This was the only thing on the Postie Plus website I thought pushed the boundaries on 'essential'.  Yes, it is cute.  Yes, it is warm.  Yes it is well priced.  But are there more practical warm options you can buy for a baby?  Yes.  Now I love me some velour, but it is way less breathable than cotton or merino.  And cos babies can't regulate their temperature like us grown ups they could easily overheat in this outfit.  Sure, you can take some cute Easter pics, but when we're on lockdown due to a pandemic that is killing tens of thousands of people, is that really so important?  I guess this bunny romper helps bring a sense of normalcy to some folk.  I get that.  I think bunnies are cute, but I also think dressing babies up to get attention is a little exploitative.  I know many will debate me on this.  This is why I have carefully placed this at number 10.

9) Durex Bullet (Mightyape)

I expect equally as much disagreement here.  This gem, like the majority on this list, comes to us courtesy of Mightyape.  While I can see this might be a great time for getting jiggy for some, it's hard to justify this as 'essential' when it's function can be carried out manually.  I don't feel like this about all 'adult' items.  I think lube is very essential.  It reduces friction which reduces condom breakage, and uncomfortable chafing.  Lube prevents unwanted pregnancies, STI's and pain.  Lube is basically medicine.  But vibrators?  The only argument I can come up with is that it may reduce depression rates in solo bubbles.  Or pregnancy rates in flatting bubbles.  I mean, these are both valid arguments which is why this bullet only makes it to number 9.

8) Play Table and Chairs (Farmers)
So while you can't buy actual furniture right now, for some reason it's totally ok to still buy tiny furniture for tiny people.  I mean this is not essential baby stuff - at least the bunny costume keeps a kid warm.  This is a toy.  And while it can function as a table the folk small enough to sit here probably cannot eat unaided.  Furniture is not deemed essential.  Toys are not deemed essential.  What the fuck Farmers? I'm sure you argued it's case as a 'nursery' item, but it has the word 'play' in its name.  It's a toy.

7) Automatic Pet Feeder (Mightyape)

Not only have we missed the two overseas holidays we had planned*** and the local ones we re-planned when international travel was off the table, but holidays are off the table for all.  Want to go to your bach this Easter weekend?  Don't.  You've been told.  We shouldn't have to be setting up blockades for idiots and yet it seems we must.  So no-one in New Zealand needs an automatic cat feeder.  Some essential workers might be working crazy long shifts right now and might find this handy, but otherwise they're redundant.  And they will be for some time.  Travel is basically off the agenda until we're back down to Level 1 and that's not going to be soon.  Plus isn't lockdown kinda ideal for pets and pet owners?  Surely this is the ideal time to be snuggling, feeding and playing with our pets?  I mean, there are so many very real health benefits in spending quality time with pets and right now we need as much of this as we can get.  You should see how shiny and happy my cats are right now.  Ain't no robot feeding my pets.

6) Satinelle Epilator (Farmers)
This is another item that will be contentious.  I've chosen it more as a representation of the very many unnecessary 'health and wellness' items available for purchase right now.  It is necessary to remove our body hair?  Well, no.  Not unless you're getting a tattoo or having a medical procedure and both of these things are not commonly happening right now.  And in both cases usually someone else does this for you.  Surely hair removal, bubble bath and foot masks are not 'essential' right now?  There are certainly some retailers that normally sell this stuff that have opted not to (Postie Plus, Bed Bath and Beyond and Kmart are a few).  I mean, I love face masks and bubble baths, and yes, self care is good for our mental health.  But if there were ever a time where we should be working out how to DIY this stuff that time is now.  No-one actually needs these things.

5) Kitchenaid Standmixer - Raspberry Ice (Mightyape)

I used to sell these and they are an AMAZING machine.  I love Kitchenaids.  Heavy as shit at 13kg, but sturdy, practical and amazing.  I want one so bad, but don't bake enough to justify the expense or bench space.  My friend has one.  Her husband bought it for her as a birthday gift.  I am so jealous.  At $1,199 this baby don't come cheap.  And in a time of uncertainty and job loss, where many are struggling to even source flour, owning a Kitchenaid doesn't really seem like a priority.  If you have a really big family and are baking all the time because everyone is suddenly all home then maybe?  But when you have a lot of folk to feed then cost is probably a concern, and given you can pick up a stand mixer for 1/3 of the price elsewhere, and a decent one (Kenwood) for almost half the price it seems unlikely.  I see this and see the bourgeois panic purchasing stuff they really don't need online because their lives have been turned on their heads.  And that ain't necessary.

4) All Blacks Bar Fridge (The Warehouse)
While I'm certainly not the biggest sports supporter out there (I truly just don't care), I miss my gym HARD.  I miss swimming.  It's something that's just not possible during lockdown.  Not only did it keep me fit, but it kept me sane.  It sucks that I can't go swimming.  I miss the sauna.  And like the gym membership card in my wallet, this bar fridge is a reminder of all we're missing right now.  I mean it's not quite rugby season yet, but it will be soon and the reality is that (dare I say it?) there might be no rugby.  This fridge will remind you of that every time you go to grab a beer.  Speaking of beer, this fridge also supports binge drinking.  Unless someone's that concerned about their flatties (or children) pinching food over lockdown, no-one will buy it for any other purpose.  It's not a freezer - you can't store food in it for long periods.  This is purely for beer, or the things like beer, that you can still acquire during lockdown.  Not only does this item provide the means to drink excessively, but for some, it will also give them a reason.  RIP sports. 

3) Jelly Belly Jumbo Beanboozled Spinner Game (Mightyape)

While some folk are reliant on council food parcels, and others can't get bread, flour or yeast you can rest assured that your supply of inedible jelly beans is still available.  I like games.  We have a ridiculous collection.  And while I can see the fun in this, it just seems ludicrous that this is available when many are struggling to have basic nutritional needs met.  Especially given almost half of this food is barely edible.  Someone gave us a small version of this for Christmas (I have no idea who or why).  So I've tried them.  And I can tell you that the blood and squid ink flavours are inedible****.  Given this set includes even more foul flavours, like dead fish and stinky socks, I expect the rate to be even higher here.

2) Pootin Lavatory Mist (Mightyape)

This is only not number one because technically it has a use.  And when confined in small spaces for long periods that use is actually quite useful.  Scented with jasmine and green tea, Pootin promises to alleviate stenches from the bathroom.  Does it deliver?  I don't know.  I will never know.  I will never purchase this Pootin.  Is it funny?  Yes!  Poo jokes are always funny.  Poo + politicians is definitely funny!  Is it necessary?  No, absolutely not.  Just burn a match for fuck sake.

1) Inkless Printing Kit For Pets (Mightyape)

I know cat people and I know dog people.  I myself am animal people.  I love my pets.  I love my neighbours pets and yes, I think of my pets as members of my family.  But do I think it is necessary to get their paw prints on paper right now?  No, I don't.  Will other folk?  Yes, of course and I'm not going to judge them for it.  But would I consider this an essential item right now during a pandemic?  No. I really don't.  That is why this made it to number one.  It has literally zero necessary function.  Go cuddle your pets.  It's free.  And they will love you for it.

Whether you agree or vehemently disagree with my list I strongly encourage you to consider making one of your own.  Doing this made me really consider my values and how these play out in the real world.  Putting thought to what we consider 'essential' is a really helpful thing to do in uncertain times.  It helps put things in perspective.  It helps us realise we can survive without all of this stuff.

Be safe, be kind and be compassionate.

Happy lockdown Easter everyone!


* If it's helpful there are limited toys available both online and instore at Countdown, and a very limited selection of party stuff and knock off family boardgames at Pak n Save.

** Kmart, Bed Bath and Beyond and Briscoes truly seem to have thought about what they've kept available as 'essentials'.

*** While I'm sad about this, I think that the decisions made by our government have been pretty spot on and I'd much rather miss out on a holiday than propagate a pandemic that kills our most vulnerable.

**** Oddly, I found the vomit, moldy cheese and toothpaste actually ok.

Covid Pyjama Karaoke: Superstar

Random Lockdown Animal Sagas

Part 1: Chicken/roosters

So before lockdown we noticed a pair of chickens roaming loose on our street.

The first time I noticed them they were on the property across the road from our driveway.  I assumed they lived there, although they seem irresponsibly housed.  They look very young.  Over time, seeing these chickens in varying places roadside and after conversations with multiple neighbours we realise these are not pets.  We are worried.  Our road is a busy thoroughfare.  We think they will get hit by cars.  One has already been clipped and has developed a limp.

We are very accustomed to chicken guests at our place   

Their preferred place to sleep is under the trampoline of our roadside neighbour.  She feels sorry for them so has been feeding them bird seed.  But she doesn't want them there.  Not only because of the poop and noise, but because she doesn't want to see them hit by cars.  No-one wants to see that.  My direct neighbour and I have the same thought - she has chickens already.  We just have to catch them and re-home them to hers or our place less than 50 metres from where they like to stay.  We use food, we use herding, we even set up a 'trap' of a puppy cage.  We try, and fail at this for weeks.

Then the day before we're due to go away on holiday* we manage to herd them up to our place.  I drive the car while Murray walks along beside it.  We are almost in shock!  We've finally done it!  We move our falling apart hutch we loaned to our neighbour back to our place (with help from her son) and attempt to get them inside.  We fail, and close to dusk one of the chickens flies over the fence, soon followed by the other.  Somehow, I manage to herd them back to our place.  They walk straight into the hutch.

We now have chickens.  The kids have named them Dutch and Snowy

Dutch and Snowy cuddled up together

But we're going on holiday.  We buy chicken feed.  Our direct neighbour who also has chickens is feeding our pets while we're gone, and we aren't planning on going for too long, so it feels ok.  We have two nights away from home before we hear Jacinda on the radio saying we're shifting to Stage 3 and will be in Stage 4 in two days time.  I decide to pack up and head home immediately so we can prepare.

We get home, and I feel so grateful to have chickens before lockdown.  It's something to do, and they're productive.  There will be eggs!  The morning after lockdown has just begun, one of our chickens starts crowing.  Two days later, our chickens are fighting.  While we try and deny it for a day or so we realise that, unsurprisingly, our chickens are dumped roosters.

If it weren't for the fighting, we would have kept them until the end of lockdown.  We know having roosters goes against council restrictions, but I'm also pretty sure that my brother in Kaiwaka might be able to take them when we're allowed to travel again.  I check in with our neighbours to see how bothered they are - they haven't even noticed the crowing.  The crowing doesn't start until about 7.30am, so it's not bothering us either.  They have become BFF's with one of our neighbours chickens Chippy, and they all hang out together during the day.  When they aren't fighting, they are preening each other and cuddly.  They are so cute.  But the fights are epic, and one day one of them attacks one of our neighbours other chickens.

Chippy is their BFF.  She is distraught when they go

I contact the SPCA, the bird rescue and a local animal rescue.  None of them are able to help.  The council jurisdiction on roosters is the same across West Auckland.  No-one can take them.  We feel like we have no other choice.  I catch our roosters, put them in the cat cages and take them to the vets to be euthanised.  This was not the life we envisaged for them.  They were wonderful birds that, when not fighting, loved each other and Chippy.  They were sweet.  They were teenagers.  My heart is heavy.  Etta is crying.  Chippy is mad at us.  This was not the plan.

Everything is so much quieter.  It's odd.

Part 2: Snails

So a while ago we said to Etta if she saved enough money she could buy a small fish tank set-up (she'd seen one at the Bird Barn for $50).  So she saved up.  When we got to the Bird Barn to buy the set up she then decided that she wanted to save more money before she bought it.   She didn't want to be left with nothing.  I said fair enough.  About a month later she decided she had enough money and bought her tank.  And after getting the water quality about right, we bought a couple of snails and some tepid water guppies.  We added a few more later on.

A hillstream loach (not Badger)

The tank has been an unexpected source of entertainment for us all.  Especially after we got a Hillstream loach named Badger, which has provided a Where's Wally aspect.  This fish mostly hides under a rock, so any time we spot it feels like an achievement.  And one of the snails - Red - is the most entertaining critter in that whole tank!  It seems to climb the walls of the tank to launch itself into the oxygen pumps' bubbles.  And Red is fast!  Faster than you'd ever expect a snail to be.  It's easy to get caught up just staring at the tank watching for what Red's going to do next.

About a week before lockdown our other snail Moe passed away.  We knew they were older snails.  They were much bigger than any Red Ramshorns the shop assistant had seen   An empty shell remained in the tank.  Etta cried.  She held a small service.  We put Moe's shell into the china cabinet.  And then two days later, magic happened.  Baby snails.  Lots and lots of baby snails.  Etta believed Moe and Red had made babies.  Moe had left Etta a legacy**.

Badger's sucky side and one of the baby snails

 What's great about this is it is added entertainment during Lockdown!  Some days we've counted 14 little baby snails.  And they're growing quickly.  Over the past week they've got much bigger which makes it easier to spot them (at first they were mere specks of snail).  Thinking up names, and options for rehoming them as they get bigger has made for much entertainment for the kids.  This fish tank has certainly added some entertainment to our lockdown.

Part 3: Assorted mammals

I'm not sure if this has been a common experience of folk on lockdown but we have certainly seen more dogs roaming than usual.  It might just be because we're home more and are walking more.  We made our first call to animal control just a few days after the lockdown started after me, Murray and our neighbours all spotted the same dog on separate walks during the afternoon.  He had a collar, but no tag.  He seemed friendly and harmless.  My main concern was for his safety - that he'd be sidelined by the quiet street and meet a car unexpectedly.  By the time animal control had turned up, he was was off the street and assumed safely home, which was great to hear.

            Meet Prada, one super cute pup!           

A few days later Murray comes home from a walk around the block and says a puppy has followed him home.  I don't believe him.  He is prone to exaggeration and he doesn't especially like dogs.  But when he said it was on our driveway, I believed him.  I found a very excited lovely wee pup.  He'd encountered her two streets away and she literally just followed him home.  Given he doesn't really like dogs I doubt he will have encouraged her - he's not a patting random animals kinda guy.  It's taken me all kinds of bribery to get any animals into our house.

She was very young, only looked about 12 weeks.  I said we should call animal control, but keep her at ours so she would be safe.  After 2 minutes of her being outside and chasing the cats and rooster/chickens to the point they flew over the fence, I brought her inside.  Etta is phobic of dogs, and after a very excited encounter, Abby was feeling nervous of her too.  So we had to keep her between the hallway and bathroom.  Murray called animal control.  We fed her and gave her some water and took turns giving her attention while we waited for animal control to turn up.  After some time, the kids even warmed up enough to give her some pats while we held her so she didn't jump up.  She looked healthy and happy and was clearly loved.  Half of her claws were painted pink.

Murray told me he wanted to keep her.  I reminded him of all the reasons why we couldn't have a dog (and that he'd done the same thing to me when I felt in love with a rescue kitten a month ago).  The kids wanted to keep her.  She was delightful, but definitely a well loved pet who needed her family.  When animal control came he said he had met her before and knew where she lived***.  He was so lovely and cuddly, we all felt a little better.  We knew she would be going home.

And then recently we've discovered a new cat in the neighbourhood.  There hasn't been any in some time, so this was pretty exciting.  We spotted this glorious white cat prancing along the fence last week.  Then yesterday, we saw their curious face peeking through our ranch slider and sniffing the cat door.  I went outside to say hi and they are super friendly and cuddly.  I'm not sure where they live or what their name is but Etta has named it Tauntaun after its similarly coloured coat.

This is 'Tauntaun'

*            *            *            *            *            *          *            *            *            *            *      

I am so grateful for the pets we have at home.  They make this time pass so much more sweetly.  Even when there are hard days and difficult decisions, it feels worth it.  I cannot imagine our lives without them. I'm sure we'll have many more animal adventures in the weeks to come. 

* Not to Australia as booked and planned, but close to Katikati after the borders shut down.

** In truth, the snails likely came in on some new plants we'd purchased when we got our loach, but there was no point explaining this to Etta at the time.  Now that it's apparent there are two different species of snail and she's over Moe's passing, we have had to.

*** It turned out that he didn't.  He probably just said that so we all felt better.  Prada did see her owners again the next day though, and now we know where she lives so we can return her if we find her loose again.  Her owners had got her JUST before the lockdown was announced and Prada discovered their section was not quite secure - pretty sure that's sorted out now.

On The Abortion Legislation Bill

So The Abortion Legislation Bill passed its final reading last Wednesday.

Both prior to, and since that happened I have read a lot of misinformation about this.

Things like:

1) That the majority of the public don't agree with abortion.

2) That an extreme law was passed allowing women to terminate up until birth

3) That those who supported the abortion act don't believe people with Down Syndrome have lives that are of value.

4) That the MP's who supported this bill are murderers that voted to kill babies.

5) That the final reading was rushed through parliament and that the Covid-19 Lockdown was timed to push it through.
    Good ol' anti abortion sign near Thames

Here I attempt to address these issues.  I don't expect to change minds, but I do want people to understand what the bill actually means.

1) The majority of New Zealanders do not want abortion legalised

This image is taken directly from the Family First website.   

Why would anyone trust them to present balanced poll results?

So I've read on someone's Facebook page that just 2% of Kiwi's agreed with being able to terminate up to 40 weeks.  It was also said that the majority of the public do not agree with abortion.  So I decided to investigate where those facts came from.  I went directly to the poll.  This poll was commissioned by Family First, a conservative Christian lobby group, and Curia, the company they hired to carry it out is owned and run by someone who is very active politically (David Farrar).  The issue with this is that both of these parties have very set ideas on abortion.  Consequently, neither are likely to be interested in presenting balanced data.  Neither can be considered independent.

Even without taking this into account, this poll was conducted via landline to eligible New Zealand voters.  The problem with this is that since 2016 more folk use mobile than landline and that number is steadily dropping.  This in itself skews the kinds of people surveyed.  Those in poverty and younger people are less likely to have landlines.  Those with perceived language barriers are unlikely to complete the survey.  Conversely, older people, and rural folk are more likely to.  These two groups are also more likely to have more conservative views.  Very few people I know my age still have a landline.  Using this methodology also strongly biases the results.

What was interesting about reading this poll in its entirety was that the majority polled still said they 'supported abortion'.  Of those that 'supported abortion', 58% were women.  So even in a poll naturally biased toward conservative viewpoints, the majority surveyed 'supported abortion'.  It is interesting to note that these are not the statistics presented when Family First refer to this poll.

In contrast with this I also have the results from the 2018 Newshub/Reid Research poll:



This poll clearly shows that almost 70% of New Zealanders were in favour of abortion being removed from the crimes act.  And as a poll carried out by the same company used for multiple political polls, it is a far more credible source.  So even if we had a referendum on abortion reform, it is likely that as a whole, the people of the nation would have voted for it.

So where did that 2% stat come from?

It comes from asking the following question:

'The law currently makes it a crime for abortions to be performed by a doctor on a woman after a certain number of weeks in pregnancy, except in exceptional circumstances.  What do you think the time limit should be for legally performing an abortion, in terms of weeks?

The issue I have with the phrasing of the question is that it implies that termination is to be carried out on request.  This is not the intention of the new law.  As before, the only terminations performed after 20 weeks (considered late term) will be in circumstances where they are deemed necessary for the woman's health.

The answers respondents could select were tiered by weeks of preferred legal limit.  Framed this way, most people would not choose 40 weeks.  I would not choose that.  My daughters were born at 37 and 38 weeks.  It is purposefully emotive.  Few people would select the 40 week option as most folk know that is a full term pregnancy.  Selecting this implies you approve of terminating birthed babies without rationale.  Why would anyone choose this?

And just to put that 2% in perspective is another poll from Newshub from 2018.  This shows that, in fact 36.7% if folk thought no test was needed for any termination regardless of how many weeks it was.  And 12% of folk thought there should be a test after 22 weeks.  Both of these categories outweigh the preference to test for abortion generally, and 36.7% is certainly much greater than 2%.

2) That an 'extreme law' was passed allowing women to terminate up until birth

In New Zealand in 2003* 97.35% of terminations were performed before 16 weeks.  2.03% were done between 16 - 19 weeks.  Only 0.56% of terminations were performed over 20 weeks.  I expect this to change very little.  Most people who want a termination want it done as soon as possible.  Since mifepristone** is now in common usage, I expect that if we had current stats the majority of that 97.35% would have been carried out before 7 weeks.  Regular surgical abortions are not fun things to have.  Late term abortions are even less fun.  You literally still have to birth a baby (albeit a small one), and then have a D&C***

This law is  not designed so women can 'change their minds'.  We have not legalised termination on request after 20 weeks.  There will not be large numbers of women rushing to terminate their 35 week pregnancies.  All that has changed is that seeking a termination after 20 weeks is no longer considered a criminal act.  That it may be legally granted if deemed necessary for a womans health inclusive of mental health.  There are many medical reasons why a women may not be able to terminate before 20 weeks.  There may also be medical reasons that may not present themselves until after 20 weeks.  All this law change does is put women at the forefront of abortion law as opposed to the unborn.  So that they have a say in things that massively impact their lives.

While I don't approve of terminating full term babies at will, I do approve of women having the right of termination on medical grounds.  Who am I to force another women to carry life when it's at detriment to her own?  I know that like me, most people will struggle to choose termination beyond 20 weeks, beyond feeling your baby kick.  So I know those that do have not made their choice lightly.  Their doctors will not have made their decision lightly.  Neither should be judged for being put in the position where they must make such an awful decision.

Jacob Dombroski - first Kiwi with
Down syndrome on Shortland Street.
Articulate, smart and pretty damn fly

3) They don't believe people with Down Syndrome have lives that are of value
These MP's are not sitting around a boardroom table patting each other on the back for wiping out trisomy 21.  Because they haven't.  Antenatal screening for Down syndrome has been happening here since 1968.  It is optional.  If you opt for screening, markers can be checked in the first trimester, and again in the second if there were indicators in the first.  Other potential health issues are also optionally screened for. 

The reason for this screening is not just to give families options, but to ensure that pregnant folk have the appropriate care.  54% of pregnancies of Down syndrome babies result in miscarriage.  Half of all babies born with Down syndrome have heart defects.  Many folk with Down syndrome have compromised immunity.  If this is known in utero it means there can be more support on hand to aid women with a high risk pregnancy carrying a child that may need extra support. 

And while I absolutely respect peoples rights to believe they can handle anything, I also respect peoples right not to.  I respect that people might be afraid of higher miscarriage rates and managing complex health issues.  I have had more than one friend have irregularities come back on those tests.  And they struggled with that information.  And even though I didn't always agree with them I had to put my personal feelings aside, shut my mouth and just respect their feelings.  I can never know how being in this situation might feel.  There are many, many things in life that make it hard for someone to be a parent to someone with different needs - poverty, health issues, lack of support.  I hate to think what happens to any child born into any situation where their parents aren't capable of giving them all they deserve in life.  I know how much abuse occurs in our state care system.  And that as a whole, disabled children are 3.7 times more likely to experience violence than their more abled counterparts.  I cannot judge those who are honest about just how much they can handle.  I cannot say their hearts are not in the right place.

The only two changes that have occurred with the Abortion Legalisation Act regarding Down syndrome is that:

1) Abortion has been removed from the crimes act
2) A women may seek a termination after 20 weeks if deemed medically appropriate by a doctor****.

Kate Grant strutting her stuff               

None of this is specific to Down syndrome, nor any other syndrome.  And fetal abnormality is still not a grounds for abortion in itself.  This means that if a pregnancy is over 20 weeks and a fetal abnormality is discovered, there is still only grounds to terminate if it is deemed medically appropriate.

Many women will not choose to test for Down syndrome or other syndromes.  Many women on discovering their unborn child has trisomy-21 will not choose to terminate their pregnancy.  Many people in favour of this bill, myself included, do not think Down syndrome folk have no value.  What we recognise is that not everyone has the same capacity.  That while some families will cope, others will not.  That we do not share the same privilege.  The changes to our abortion law simply free women from legal persecution for making a choice that we've been able to make in some form for more than 50 years.  Down syndrome folk under 50 still exist.  They take up space and regularly show us just how capable they are.  This law change is unlikely to impact that.

4) The MP's who supported the bill are 'murderers' and voted to 'kill babies'.

In fact, by medical accounts a fertilised egg is first considered a zygote and then an embryo until 11 weeks into a pregnancy.  After that, it is a fetus from 12 weeks until it is born.  At no point in utero is a fetus considered a baby from a medical standpoint.  Consequently, killing a baby via abortion is not possible.

Now I know that many churches deem life to start at different points.  Medieval Christians also believed that life began once an infant took its first breath of air.  For some other Christians, and in Vedic literature, the soul enters the body at conception.  In science, many points in time have been argued to be the start of life - from implantation to segmentation to brain function and fetal viability.

Regardless of when life begins, church and state are separate.  This means state law is not guided by religion.  I think this is a good thing because otherwise the beliefs of the most populous church will always be prevalent in society.  Not only would this be unfair on everyone with other beliefs, but it discourages diversity of thought.  Innovation is the key to success in business, the key to success in farming, science, art - everything.  And the more diverse a group is, the more innovative it is.  I am glad that we don't all think the same way.  I am glad to live somewhere where there is religious freedom.

Whilst I don't agree with Amy Adams on much, I do on this

Voting to remove abortions from the crimes act does not in any form make these MP's murderers.  All this means is that women are perceived differently from a legal standpoint.  They are now supported by law to make decisions for themselves.  Many female MPs supported this bill, a number of whom come from a political party I have never supported.  I applaud them all, especially those who voted against the majority of their party.  That was not an easy thing to do.  Amy Adams said: 'I have an absolute belief that women have an inalienable right to control their own reproductive systems and to control whether they will have a child.'   These choices were not made by MP's sitting around rubbing their hands together and practicing their evil laughs.  The MP's that supported this bill did so because they support women's basic human rights - their rights beyond that as a vessel for life.

5) That the final reading was rushed through parliament and that the Covid-19 Lockdown was timed to push it through.

I can see why people believe this was rushed.  It was.  But not as a cover up to avoid referendum.  This was taken off the table on the 18th of March after it was voted down by MP's.  Only 19 people voted for public referendum - 100 voted against.  This shows that many that voted against abortion law reform also voted against public referendum.  So it seems unlikely that they believed the outcome would have been any different.

  On the 23rd of March, the same day that this was ratified, two other bills were processed further and another bill was ratified.  And since then, four more bills have been processed to the next stage and three more ratified.  That is in the space of just three days.  The reason for this is that parliament is unable to sit during lockdown for the same reasons that I can't go to work.  And while yes, there was a shorter time between the second and third reading than between the first and second there is a valid reason for that.  It is not that they were trying to avoid a referendum.  It was that this had to be processed before lockdown.  I understand how passionate everyone feels about this bill.  But everyone must understand that our government will have bigger fish to fry after lockdown.  And if want our world to return to how we remember it, we need to let them prioritise our needs regarding this pandemic and its effect.

*            *            *           *            *            *           *            *            *                   

Regardless of what I've written here I know that people will believe what they choose to.  And that's fine.  At the end of the day our opinions on this don't really matter.  Abortion is a very personal issue.  This is why it should be up to each individual to have the right to decide what is best for themselves and their families.  I am glad the right to do that has finally been granted.  It is a massive step forward for women in Aotearoa.


* I couldn't find more recent stats for late term abortions in New Zealand.  The overseas rates are similar to this - some slightly higher (around 1%) for termination post 20 weeks.

** This is the pill you can take to bring on miscarriage in early pregnancy.

*** I've had a D&C for other medical reasons and can tell you right now, they hurt.  They are not fun.  A whopping great tube is pulled from your insides while you are conscious and can see and feel it.  It's one of the grossest medical things that's ever happened to me.  This is not a choice someone will just make without having thought about long and hard.

**** These were also performed before the passing of this bill, but only if deemed 'necessary to save the woman's life or prevent injury'.

On Kindness In The Face Of Coronavirus

As happens when there's a pandemic, much has changed in the very short time since my last post on coronavirus.  My position on this remains unchanged in that people need to remain calm for us to get through this intact.  What I want to reiterate in this post is how important it is to pay heed to what is required to flatten the curve and ensure we handle this more like South Korea than Italy.

Thank you Toby Morris

Why is it important to flatten the curve?

Because if we don't, frankly we'll see many unnecessary deaths.

The reality is that while we have protocols in place for this sort of thing, our hospitals just don't have the capacity to deal with this.  In all this craziness you may have forgotten that just last year we saw four times as many folk in Auckland visiting their GP's with flu-like symptoms (of which over 60% of cases were actually the flu).  In fact, last year Auckland ran out of flu vaccines.  What will happen this year if Covid-19 hits proper?  If there is a large, sudden influx into hospitals it will impact on all health care services.  So even if you (like me) are at low risk of dying from coronavirus, you may still be affected by the impact that coronavirus has on our health system.

Just because there are only 8 confirmed cases here does not mean we are out of the woods.  This is definitely an attitude I've heard from many.  Given it's just over two weeks since our first confirmed case, and the virus can present 14 days after contact it's very likely we'll see more soon.  And the reality is that most of the countries hit worst are in the Northern Hemisphere.  They are just coming out of their Winter.  Ours hasn't even started yet.  This isn't going to be over for us for quite some time.

We were due to head to Australia this week.           
While the kids were sad they miss out on Koala Breakfast,  
there are more important things at stake.              

And this is something new.  Whilst we have seen pandemics since pretty much forever, we haven't seen one like this in my lifetime.  Yes, there was the swine flu, but that was undeniably different.  The fatality rate for swine flu was 0.02%.  The fatality for coronavirus has crept up globally to 3 - 4%*.  So while it's not as deadly as measles, it is far more deadly than our last pandemic.  And with the world becoming progressively more global it has moved fast.  This virus has been confirmed in 140 countries and counting.  No-one was aware of coronavirus until the 31st of December 2019.  The first death from the illness was recorded in Wuhan on the 11th of January.  By the 13th of January, the first case outside of China was reported in Thailand.  By the 28th of February here, on the other side of the world, we had our first recorded case in New Zealand.  This has spread very, very quickly.

But not all countries have the same fatality rate.  In South Korea, the fatality rate on closed cases is 6%.  But over in Italy the closed case fatality rate is 44%.  That's a huge difference.  And the reason for this difference is that South Korea learned from their brush with MERS in 2015, took coronavirus seriously and had a plan in place for pandemics.  Italy did not have the infrastructure to deal with so many very sick people at once which is why the death rate leapt so suddenly.  Here in New Zealand our government is trying to emulate the plans set by countries like South Korea.  So while travel restrictions may be inconvenient, self-isolation daunting and the cancellation of public events a bit of a bummer, it is for good reason.  If we can avoid a 44% fatality rate** then surely it's worth it?

How does kindness come into this?

I've heard comments from many that they're not at risk.  It's just a flu.  It's no biggie.  And the thing is that for many of us, it won't be***  But that more than anything puts the onus on us.  To keep those less fortunate safe.  The elderly, those with compromised immunity and those newly pregnant.  This is a scary time for them.  Truly.  And while many of them will be self-isolating and putting strategies in place to manage, not everyone will be able to.  The reality is that  regardless of our health, we all need to eat.  I work with a number of people who are immune compromised and for most it's just not financially feasible to self-isolate.  And I work in an industry that deals with the general public.  There will also be many who may not know they are immune compromised; those in poverty who can't afford healthcare, those who are too busy to get things checked out.  Or those who are only just pregnant and haven't had a positive test yet.  I will be surprised if any one of us does not know at least one other person in this position.  These are the people who should be at the forefront of  how we choose to handle this.

It's also important to remember this will inadvertently affect those in poverty the most.  How can you self-isolate when you live with 11 other people?  How can you get tested for covid-19 when you have no car?  When you have no money to pay the doctors?  How can you keep your sick kids home from school when if you don't go to work there's no money to buy groceries?  And how can you keep up to date if you have no internet access?  If we are well and able we need to do our best to contain this virus before it hits those with less privilege than us.  Because they are the ones who will pay the most for our selfishness and stupidity.  And in truth, the ability to travel overseas shows a level of privilege.  A level of freedom.  And for those stuck in place by circumstance to be effected the worst by this just sucks.  Those of us with privilege need to support those with less.

I can't remember who it was, but someone said something along the lines of: 'act as if you have covid-19 rather than as if you are trying to avoid getting it.'  This is fantastic advice.  If we are sick, we work hard to avoid making others sick (well, most of us do).  Given many folk have tested positive that are asymptomatic, you could easily have this virus and not know it.  When I was 20 I had Epstein Barr virus with no symptoms for potentially weeks****.  And while I wasn't exactly kissing a bunch of people at that time, I'd hate to think how many people I may have given it to just through proximity.  There is no harm in acting with caution*****.

It's good to have enough basic food for two weeks

While there is no need to go to the lengths some have taken to prepare, it's probably a good idea to have enough food for two weeks in case you do need to self isolate.  However, if you don't it won't be the end of the world.  Close proximity is  'being within 2 meters of someone for more than 15 minutes'.  So if you don't need to self-isolate, shopping is still fine provided you don't chat whilst standing close for more than 15 minutes.  Taking the kids to the park is fine with the same addendum.  Going to the beach is fine.  And if you are self-isolating, having friends, whanau, supermarkets or delivery drivers drop things off to your home is also fine.

A friend (who is a Doctor among many other things) posted this fabulous, simple advice:

Things that work to reduce coronavirus spread:
- Washing hands and cough etiquette
- Social distancing, self isolation
- Looking after each other; especially the vulnerable
- Following official recommendations

I'm going to add to that:

- Try not to touch your face (it's hard! But I'm trying)

- Try to follow basic health measures to avoid the flu

- Get the flu injection. If we can cut down on flu cases this should have a flow on effect to hospitals which will make it easier for them to handle the impact from coronavirus. Even I'm doing this for the first time ever this year*****

- Don't be a selfish git.

This is a great opportunity for positive changes going forward in terms of self reliance and sustainability.  A great opportunity to learn and use new greetings.  Whilst things are uncertain it's important to focus on the positives.  And it's so, so important to think of others, and act with kindness.



* This is not based on closed cases - this includes open cases so may actually be much higher.

** It's also important to remember that deaths caused by a health systems inability to service people with non-coronavirus related issues are not included in these stats.

*** From a health perspective.  From a financial and lifestyle perspective, this will likely impact all of us in some way.

**** I had none of the standard symptoms besides extreme exhaustion.  I had been to the GP and while they checked my iron and B12, they never thought to test me for EBV.  It wasn't until I saw a homeopath who asked me a bunch of questions about my health that I was tested (she worked in conjunction with doctors and wrote a list of tests I should have).  Knock homeopathy/naturopathy all you like, but when they work in conjunction with medicine, just the act of actually listening, and asking questions to gain a holistic view can offer insight beyond what a GP on a tight schedule in a busy clinic is able to offer.

***** Unless you're using it as an excuse to hoard resources in which case there is much harm.  Panic buying puts unnecessary pressure on everything.  It's not helpful to anyone.

****** Not an anti-vaxxer, I just react to a LOT of medications so have some anxiety about having a jab that I know a lot of people have an adverse reaction to.

On our massive overreaction to coronavirus

Since a single case of coronavirus was confirmed last Friday afternoon, an epic level of crazy has ensued.  Sadly, this hasn't come as a surprise.  Since the WHO declared the outbreak to be an emergency on the 30th of January, I've seen and heard some crazy shit.  And most of it has come in the form of crappy ways to be racist.

In my workplace we had two racist incidents directly linked to fear of coronavirus.  In one instance a customer was afraid of touching an eftpos machine because it had been touched by a colleague.  This woman had deemed her to be a 'risk' for coronavirus based on no information other than what she looks like.  Not long after this happened one of our kids friends was told by a parent that to keep safe (regarding the virus) they needed to wash their hands regularly, and stay away from Asian people*.

At work I've had an elderly customer accuse us of 'hoarding' hand sanitiser because I could not tell them who our workplace supplier was (I do not know.  That is not my job).  I've had customers ask to purchase our half full hand sanitiser and then give me the evils when I said that wasn't possible as it was not a product we stocked.  We have hand santiser at the counters because we handle all sorts of things in the department store and don't have easy access to hand washing whilst on the floor.  We use it to keep both ourselves, and our customers safe.  We do this regardless of pandemic.  We are not hell bent on hoarding hand sanitiser.

Early in February Bunnings sold out of face masks.  These face masks do not prevent the spread of viruses.  What they are designed for is to prevent dust and wood/stone particles from being breathed in to someones lungs.  Buying these masks to prevent virus spread isn't just stupid, but it unnecessarily endangers those who actually need those masks:  our tradespeople and our DIYers.  These are the kinds of people these masks are designed to protect.

Support your local Asian Supermarket 
Unlike Countdown, there are no queues

And by mid February our Chinese restaurants were suffering.  Now unless you're dining on pangolin the likelihood of contracting coronavirus from food is very low.  Sure, most Chinese restaurants are run by Chinese people.  But being Chinese does not make people more likely to have coronavirus.  If you are assuming that most Chinese Kiwi's are flying in and out of Wuhan on the reg you would be wrong.  Not only are there travel restrictions in place, but to do that, you'd need a lot of money, and considering on average white folk earn almost double that of our Asian population that seems unlikely.  It also completely ignores the fact that many Kiwi Chinese folk may never have been to China.  Many have families that have lived here for generations and are just as likely to have come in contact with coronavirus as I am.  Today I did the vege shopping and mine was literally the only white face in my local Asian supermarket.  People, this isn't being smart or safe.  This is being racist and xenophobic. 

This is our response to one confirmed case in New Zealand.

I struggle to understand.  I truly do.

Well, I struggle to understand the panic shopping and water hoarding. 

I don't struggle to understand Brian Tamaki's reaction.  His responses are always fairly transparent.  He is taking advantage of peoples fears to promote his 'product'.  Given that his wife, Hannah Tamaki is heading a new political party, this is doubly beneficial for him.  The more folk on board with Destiny, the more votes they can count in this next election and the more power he has.  You might be thinking 'Balderdash!  No-one is crazy enough to believe in airborne demons' but you would be wrong.  People believe masks will save them.  People are hoarding food like the apocalypse is at hand.  This is the perfect time for those like Brian Tamaki to take advantage of peoples fears.

Yoda is here to save the day (again)                    

And thinking like Brian Tamaki is dangerous**.  He, and others like him will use the coronavirus to promote hate speech.  He will use coronavirus to back their idea of culling immigration by 97%.  He will use the rise in cases in Iran to back the idea that mosques are evil.  In promoting misinformation around coronavirus and its spread he is actively making it harder for us to manage best practice in containing it.  And in feeding on common fears, he will appeal to many more than you would think.

Now, onto panic buying.  Following the global trend, once Aotearoa had its first confirmed case folk started buying up large at the supermarket.  In Auckland, given we're in drought I do understand big water purchases.  What concerns me is that there are many on tank water who genuinely have need for this water***.  What if they miss out because John Smith has decided to stash some for the end of days?  I get that people are freaked out.  The reality is that this pandemic is impacting production in China.  The reality is that much of the stuff we take for granted does come from China.  But given the timing that hoarding began - immediately after a case was confirmed - I suspect most of these buyers weren't thinking of that.  I think they were thinking more about hiding at home in fear of the virus.  This thinking is also informed by how quiet my workplace has been since Thursday, and how quiet the gym and pools are.  People are scared to go out.

Panic buying is selfish.  It fails to consider those with greater need.  It fails to consider those with cancer or otherwise affected immune systems who need consistent access to hand sanitiser.  It fails to consider those for whom the masks are actually designed.  It fails to consider those affected by drought.  It fails to consider how this may impact on food banks, and those reliant on them.  On those who can't afford to panic shop.  Panic buying looks like people not thinking and making selfish choices.

What is far worse than this are those taking advantage.  Who see this fear as opportunity.

Frank and Fiona Gallagher making the most of a Chicago Blackout (Shameless)

We had a nursery sale a week ago and a man came in and purchased all of our thermometers.  Now, I could be wrong in my assumptions here.  This man may have been purchasing on behalf of a charity group, or purchasing for extended family to send overseas.  But I've often experienced customers doing both of these things and this man did not behave like them.  Usually they already have a finite number in mind, or people they are thinking of and naming/counting off as they choose what they want.  This man just said 'all'.  And to hedge his bets he bought one style of thermometer from me, and another from a co-worker at another counter in two separate trips**** so I strongly suspect they were purchased to onsell.  We have had to turn so many people away since because we do not have thermometers in stock.  Mostly parents of sick kids.  It's an awful feeling.  I am sure there are many, many other examples of this happening worldwide.

The immense drop in air pollution over China courtesy of NASA

I think the only reason we're scared about China shutting down is because we are scared of change.  We are used to our fast food and online shopping.  We are used to not having to think about where our food, clothing, furniture and phones come from.  The reality is that since production and transport has slowed in China their nitrogen dioxide rates have dropped drastically.  How can this be a bad thing?  We know global warming is real.  We see it happening right in front of us.  We just had 42 days without measurable rain in Auckland.  Why has it taken a pandemic to make immediate and massive change?

The reality is that we will have to make some changes, but most of those changes will, by necessity, be more sustainable.  We may have to start shopping seasonally as shipping from the Northern hemisphere slows.  We may have to start mending our clothes and buying second hand.  We may have to start considering buying NZ made when there are few other options available.  All of these things are things we should be doing, but many of us aren't.  These are all positive changes.

If we continue to live in fear, if we continue to perpetrate these selfish acts we will create more disorder, more hurt and more stress in what is already a scary time.  It is not hard to be kind.  In fact, we are stronger when we are united.  If growing our own fruits and veges becomes more important, we should co-ordinate with friends and neighbours to support those with greater need.  We can host clothes swaps to freshen up our wardrobes.  We can teach each others children those important skills around growing and preserving food that have been lost.  If we share what we have, we have more options.

Rather than choosing fear, choose kindness.  Support your local Chinese restaurants and supermarkets.  Think of others before you buy more than you need.  Remember the fatality rate is about 2%, and if you're under 50 that drops to 0.4%.  Transmission rates are slightly higher than the flu but much, much lower than measles.  This is not the modern plague.  Educate yourself on COVID-19.  Read the guidelines on how to keep safe.  Wash your hands.  Be rational.  But most importantly, be kind.

* I'm happy to say this misinformation was corrected by the other parent and step parent before it became a thing.

** While I'm not religious myself I believe strongly in peoples rights to religion freedom.  Consequently I cannot stomach those like Tamaki who aim to take those rights away.  While I am not religious I was raised with Christianity.  I have read the Bible (and the Bhagavad Gita) and I cannot for the life of me believe that anyone trying to be like Christ would behave as the Tamaki's do.  Jesus was about kindness.  He was about forgiveness.  He was about love of your fellow man.  He cared for those less fortunate (here's an awesome article about recontextualising how Jesus would behave now regarding homelessness).  He did not care for possessions or riches.  He threw the money lenders out of the temple.  He would never have people tithing when he knew they could not afford it.  While I believe in freedom of religion I cannot believe that a church that puts fear and hate ahead of kindness and humanity is a good thing.  I will not apologise for condemning these actions.

*** The need for tank water refills is so great that a friend said they were told by two water supply companies they couldn't get anything to them until April.  They are using the laundromat, showering at the local gym and totally reliant on bought water for drinking.

**** We just realised this yesterday ie: I didn't know she had also sold him a ridiculous number of thermometers and vice versa.  We conferred after another store called in the hopes that we had one, so I suspect this happened at other stores too.