My Picks for Top Tweets: 7 September 2017

by | Sep 7, 2017 | New Zealand, Tweets | 13 comments

Well, I’ve got even less time than yesterday to look for tweets. I won’t bore you with another tale of the woes of my life. Suffice to say, things aren’t ideal right now.

However, I’m very, very lucky that I was born in this country, especially as a woman. Despite all the stuff that’s wrong, I actually have a better life than the majority of people on this planet.

“Fun” fact: over three billion people live on less than $2.50 a day. Despite that, as a proportion there are less people living in poverty now than there have ever been. Almost 800,000 people over fifteen are illiterate, and two-thirds of those are women. Only 6.7% of the world’s population has a degree, though these days women are more likely to have one than men.

In New Zealand, women have been doing much better than men when it comes to education for a long time. According to the Ministry for Women:

From the early 1990s New Zealand girls became more likely than boys to stay on at school to ages 16 and 17 years. Since that time, New Zealand women have been acquiring bachelor degrees at an 80 percent higher rate than men, post-graduate degrees and undergraduate diplomas at a 50 percent higher rate, and lower level certificates at a 30 percent higher rate.

Currently, we’re 130% more likely to get a college degree than men.

There’s no problem here being an atheist (or anything else) either. I can express my opinions freely. Reporters Without Borders does an annual Press Freedom Index, which includes netziens. New Zealand is one of only sixteen countries they consider “free” for press purposes. (The US is NOT one of those countries.)

My country also has extremely low levels of corruption. Transparency International places New Zealand #1 in the world in it’s 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index.

I could go on. However, I think that’s enough to prove my point that I got pretty lucky in where I was born.

 

Cat Tweets

Give us a kiss!
(Via Ann German.)

 

Even kittens enjoy flowers!

 

Another counting test …

 

Caught!

 

Spooning – everyone loves it.

 

Dog Tweets

Mmmm. Babies taste good!

Just splashin’ around.

Other Animals Tweets

Awww …

 

It’s not the first time I’ve put in a tweet like this. Last time it was a gorilla. I wonder if it’s a common reaction?

 

Reptile Tweets

There’s video at the link too if you want to know more.

 

Insect Tweets

Some cool mimics here …

 

Food Tweets

I can’t wait to try this! Berry and sour are my favourite flavours in sweets.

Political Tweets

This is something New Zealand should look at too. There are several occupational areas we need immigrants and DREAMers are likely to fit the bill.

 

Good on this priest. I think his message becomes a little confusing when he drags abortion and same-sex marriage into it, then says that the Church should be welcoming to LGBT people, but the principle he’s trying to express there is a good one. Religion can and does also argue that God put leaders in charge and whatever they do is right. However, it’s clear to humanists that what Trump is doing is wrong and cruel. What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong, whatever religion has to say on the matter.

 

It’s just completely beyond me that someone could be so cruel. If Trump feels so strongly he has to get rid of DACA, but genuinely loves the DREAMers, he should have had his staff write a Bill and send it to Congress for them to work through.

 

You had to know this was coming, and I agree with all he says.

Human Rights Tweets

Another very brave Iranian woman. I hope they get their way sooner rather than later.

 

You’ve got to wonder about the values of Pastor Lee’s congregation …
(Via Ann German.)

 

Whatever I say about the government, this will never happen to me. I live in New Zealand.

Religion Tweets

Making up a story damages your cause. It’s stupid as well as wrong. As far as I know there were no mosques refusing to help or shelter people. The only place of worship refusing to help people, though it was later shamed into doing so, was Joel Osteen’s megachurch. That revolting creep passed the plate around to those people sheltering in his church.

Scenic Tweets

I’m a bit of a Europhile. There’s not a country in Europe that I wouldn’t love to visit. Here one I haven’t featured before.

 

My comment above applies doubly to England and Scotland.

 

How’s this for a view out the tent flap of a morning?

 

Another place I’d like to visit.

Science Tweets

Very cool.

 

So now you know …

 

By the time I get there, science could have beaten dementia there’s so much amazing progress in the field!

 

Don’t give your money to a church if you want a cure, give it to science.

Space Tweets

I hope there’s a colony on Mars in my lifetime. I’d so love to see that!

 

This meant I couldn’t see CNN for a while yesterday! It seems to happen a lot at this time of year – between now and the end of the calendar year.
(Via Ann German.)

 

More interesting stuff from Now This.

Architecture Tweets

My first choice of career as a kid was to be an architect.

 

Weather Tweets

Just to be boring: if Ivanka was the name for “I” on this year’s list, they wouldn’t have used it because of her current status. They would have chosen another and saved Ivanka for another year. They would still have used it if the storm hadn’t got noticed, but once it got big, a name like Ivanka was out.
(Via Ann German.)

 

Scary but important work.

 

Funny Tweets

What to do next?
(Via Ann German.)

 

A story for the grandchildren?

 

Now it’s 3.15 pm and I still haven’t had lunch. You better enjoy this today!!! 🙂

 

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13 Comments

  1. Diana MacPherson
    Diana MacPherson on 7th September 2017 at 3:28 pm

    Hope you’re fee,Ing. better soon, Heather.

    Reply
  2. rickflick
    rickflick on 7th September 2017 at 3:58 pm

    I glad you are living happily in New Zealand. It’s a great model for the rest of the world. I’ve visited, and was so impressed, I looked into moving there. Turns out it’s a bit difficult so I’ll stay in NY.

    Reply
    • Heather Hastie
      Heather Hastie on 8th September 2017 at 4:46 am

      The criteria change fairly regularly, so anyone who wants to come should check regularly.

      It’s easy if you do a job that we need. Otherwise it can be tough. Everyone wants to come here – it’s immigration that’s fueling our strong population increase and a huge chunk of our growth.

      If we don’t need your job, it’s currently tough. You need a big bank account to get in under the assumption you’ll spend or invest your money here.

      Reply
  3. j.a.m.
    j.a.m. on 7th September 2017 at 9:40 pm

    Tropical cyclones are named from predetermined rotating lists. For the Atlantic, “There are six lists of names which rotate every six years and begin with the first letters A—W used, skipping Q and U, and alternating between male and female names.” The “I” names are Irma, Isaac, Imelda, Isaias, Ida, and Ian.

    A president in principle could direct the weather service to follow a different scheme. You can only imagine the sore loser rioting that that would have provoked!

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone_naming

    Reply
  4. j.a.m.
    j.a.m. on 7th September 2017 at 9:58 pm

    “Religion can and does also argue that God put leaders in charge and whatever they do is right.”

    What religion makes that claim? Methinks you’re confusing religion with monarchy.

    Reply
    • Heather Hastie
      Heather Hastie on 8th September 2017 at 5:03 am

      Read your Bible. Listen to the pronouncements of the Evangelical leaders who support Trump.

      It’s the whole reason Christianity has taken a different path to Islam – because it doesn’t seek to overthrow leaders. It works with them.

      Historically it forced the conversion of a country by converting its leaders. That’s how Christianity spread.

      Reply
      • j.a.m.
        j.a.m. on 8th September 2017 at 1:34 pm

        I must say, even if we take that at face value, it’s a far cry from the original sweeping, categorical statement. And count me skeptical that anyone, let alone a bona fide Evangelical leader, actually said Trump is infallible.

        Reply
        • Heather Hastie
          Heather Hastie on 8th September 2017 at 1:43 pm

          Start here. http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/lance-wallnau-god-is-telling-christians-to-shut-up-and-stop-criticizing-trump/

          At this site: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/ you’ll find multiple videos of evangelicals leaders saying just that.

          As for God putting leaders in place, try Romans 13:1. You’ll find evangelicals quoting that verse in relation to Trump as well.

          Also check out Acts 5:39. That’s why they think we cannot rid ourselves of Trump: NIV – “But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

          Most atheists are atheists because they know the Bible well mate. You’d do well to remember that.

          Reply
          • j.a.m.
            j.a.m. on 8th September 2017 at 2:21 pm

            A knack for quoting random Bible verses has nothing to do with knowing the Bible well, much less with having informed views on religious beliefs and practices.

            To judge from the evidence available on the Internet, most atheists these days are atheists because they have no earthly idea what they’re talking about. (Or maybe that’s no fairer than judging “Evangelical leaders” by what one can scrounge up on the Internet.)

  5. nicky
    nicky on 8th September 2017 at 1:10 pm

    I dont understand how they did that beating heart with MRI. MRI images take time to make. Must be some kind of chopping and reassembling composite. Very impressive.

    Reply
    • ratabago
      ratabago on 8th September 2017 at 2:07 pm

      I think it would be stop-motion using ECT-gating, during holding a breath to minimize chest movement.

      Reply
      • ratabago
        ratabago on 8th September 2017 at 3:50 pm

        …and of course ECT-gating should be ECG-gating.

        Reply

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