My Picks for Top Tweets: 23 August 2017

by | Aug 23, 2017 | Tweets | 8 comments

It’s a glorious day in my part of New Zealand. Spring has sprung! There’s still a nip in the air, but who cares when the sun is shining and there are clear blue skies as far as the eye can see. There are a lot of tweets today, but I’m sure you won’t mind.

New Zealand has an election one month from today. It’s been pretty exciting by our standards. The leaders of three parties have resigned in the last month, throwing the result wide open. The new leader of the Labour party, Jacinda Adern, has seen them rise sharply in the polls. However, the resignation of the co-leader of the Greens, Materia Turei, due to a scandal has lost them a lot of support. That support has mainly gone to Labour. Labour and the Greens will be coalition partners in forming a government if they win enough seats.

The third leader to resign just in the last few days was Peter Dunne of United Future. He only had one seat, but that seat was very important in keeping the current government, led by the National party, in power. National’s other coalition partners are two other small parties – the Maori Party and ACT.

The likely result of all this is that Winston Peters. leader of the New Zealand First party, will be king or queen maker after the election. He only has 9.5% support, and frankly it always amazes me that anyone votes for him at all. With every other political party, whether I agree with their policies or not, I can see why people support them. Not so NZ First. Winston Peters is one of those politicians who gets votes by appealing to the worst in people. Fear of immigrants, for example, is something he always campaigns on.

However, there are likely to be a few changes before now and next month. The smaller parties often poll well in the lead up, but then people end up not voting for them when they get into the polling booth.

Here are the latest poll results (via Stuff):

But on to the important stuff – cats!

Cat Tweets

I’ve seen this look too …

You’ve heard of a ship in a bottle – now try it with a kitten …

 

Everyone who’s ever been cat staff knows this problem …

Dog Tweets

What’s going on here?

 

Other Animals Tweets

Not a sign I ever thought I’d see …

 

Scenic Tweets

Some cool engineering going on here …

Architecture Tweets

Absolutely gorgeous!

 

Art Tweets

First world issues …

Political Tweets

What would I do without Ann German? This is hilarious!!!

 

Perhaps it’s an attempt to stop drug addiction?

(Also from Ann German.)

 

Ann German sent me this too. The gerrymandering that goes on all over the US is disgusting. Both parties do it, though the GOP has done more. It’s one of several things about the US electoral system that needs to change.

 

Interesting …

 

Remember when Donald Trump said, “I nominate the best people”? Here’s another one of his “best people” …

Eclipse Tweets

Here’s a new view of the eclipse!

 

Funny Tweets

Translation problems!

 

You have to wonder about the person who thought this was a good idea …

 

I hope this guy has a sense of humour, because he’s never going to stop hearing about it …

 

Enough said …

 

Some kids are smart …

 

And some aren’t …

 

And some are really, really cute … (Via Ann German.)

Human Rights Tweets

Imagine what sort of man takes the job of driving the streets to find women who don’t fit his religion’s notion of “modest”.

 

White is the colour of resistance in the US too …


This is why it’s important to stand up for what’s right. Silence is compliance. (Via Ann German.)

 

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8 Comments

  1. Jenny Haniver
    Jenny Haniver on 23rd August 2017 at 5:06 pm

    The doorway in St. Petersburg is exquisite. Think I need to copy that “Do Not Disturb Sign.”

    An unsettling coincidence: Today, I learned the names of a couple of alt-right white supremacists who are supposed to be to Berkeley this weekend and are known to provoke trouble. One of them bears the nickname,”Based Stickman” because he carries a lead-weighted stick and uses it to attack counter-demonstrators at rallies. I learn that his given name is Kyle Chapman; but when I did a Google search, of course, the Kyle Chapman who first came up was the white supremacist from New Zealand. They’re roughly the same age and could pass as brothers or cousins — surely they are in ideology.

    I wonder if you or your readers are familiar with the website http://mudfooted.com/? It’s a wonderful blog, hosted by a Cambridge biologist; lots of excellent photos and info about weird and beautiful animals, nature in general, and more.

    Reply
    • Heather Hastie
      Heather Hastie on 24th August 2017 at 7:38 am

      When the NZ Kyle Chapman got married a few years ago, his fiance made him publicly denounce the white supremacists. It was almost the only TV coverage he ever got, and certainly the biggest. However, I’m pretty sure he’s gone back to his old ways. White supremacists only very rarely get media coverage here, and it’s usually little more than a passing mention. The decision is that ignoring them is the best way to deal with them.

      Reply
    • Federico Bär
      Federico Bär on 24th August 2017 at 10:53 am

      Thanks for your suggestion, Jenny; I also find ‘mudfooted’ an interesting blog. Consequently I am going to open its pages more often, although it surely will take much of my limited (I need at least 8 hours to sleep) time schedule 🙂
      .-

      Reply
  2. Federico Bär
    Federico Bär on 24th August 2017 at 10:09 am

    On Trump’s favorite scientist Sam Clovis (“homosexuality is a choice”): this was also stated by a Protestant pastor, one of the panelists in an Australian tv-program. A young boy from the audience asked him: – “When did you choose to be straight?”.

    I have recently made this comment in a blogforum that I don’t remember. My apologies in advance if I have repeated this brilliant question on a dicussion here.
    .-

    Reply
    • Heather Hastie
      Heather Hastie on 24th August 2017 at 11:22 am

      You haven’t brought it up here before, and I’m glad you have now.

      Reply
  3. nicky
    nicky on 25th August 2017 at 2:47 pm

    It should be pointed out that paedophilia is legal in the US. There is no age limit for marriage in a majority of states, and under-16 or even under-13 marriages are not rare.
    Now if Clovis were to take action against that…. but no, it’s mainly religious sects perpetrating this real abomination and hence ok.

    Reply
  4. Andrea
    Andrea on 29th August 2017 at 11:52 am

    Thank you for the MANY laughs in this bunch!

    Reply

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