Latest news with #Civis
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Whatever you call it, it's warm and woolly
Civis won't pull the wool over your eyes with this winter query: are those knitted upper-body garments called jerseys, pullovers, jumpers or sweaters? Maybe even guernseys? It's the kind of question to prompt knitted brows, and the answers are just a bit woolly. Civis fears the creeping invasion of the United States and Canadian sweater, although internet searching suggested jersey is holding its own in New Zealand. For Civis, jersey remains the go-to. Sweater is also a broader term, pulling in cardigans (open at the front), pullovers and sweater vests (sleeveless). According to one blog, sweaters can be casual or dressy, and span sporty styles to luxury contexts. Pullover is said to be a globally recognised term, especially common in European fashion. Jumper sounds more British, and it's a term Civis thought was losing its bounce in New Zealand, until The Warehouse site was checked. There, 14 different men's "jumpers" were displayed — and not a single jersey in sight. There are also plenty of women's "jumpers", plus a handful of sweatshirts. It being July, let's not sweat over that last term, or over hoodies, for that matter. The blog identified jumper as the standard word in the United Kingdom and Ireland, evoking cosy knitwear for cooler seasons. Disconcertingly, jumper was also listed as the primary word for Australia and New Zealand. Adding to the confusion: in American English, a "jumper" is a sleeveless dress worn over a blouse. Civis had no idea. Jersey is thought to originate from Jersey in the Channel Islands. Jersey was renowned for high-quality knitted wool garments, and the name became associated first with the fabric, then with the garments themselves. In the 19th century, woollen jerseys were a natural choice for sport. The word "jersey" soon shifted to describe the entire garment. Regulations at the 1908 London Olympics even required competitors to wear a "sleeved jersey". Thus, jersey embedded itself in the sporting lexicon. Today, the leader of the Tour de France wears the yellow jersey. The All Blacks "play for the jersey", even if it's made from some fancy synthetic material. The garment called a guernsey emerged from another Channel Island, Guernsey. It was a tightly knitted, rugged top worn by fishermen, later adopted by the British Navy. Guernsey is now often considered a particular style of woollen jersey. In the 1870s, Australian rules footballers began wearing guernseys — robust, navy woollen tops. These evolved into today's sleeveless AFL guernseys. The Collins Dictionary notes that jersey, as a knitted upper-body garment, is "old-fashioned". How dare it! ★★★ Language acquisition and the integration of grammar rules into mother tongues are fascinating. Pre-schoolers, through repetition, begin to understand that "-ed" turns verbs into the past tense. That works fine for climb/climbed and kick/kicked. But English is riddled with irregular verbs, so you'll often hear little ones say eated, sleeped or fighted. Or perhaps even "I runned so fast my shoes flyed off". However, what really caught Civis' ear was a girl of nearly 3 using both forms together: she not just "seed" something — she "sawed" it. And what about this gem from a pre-teen? She's just learned that the small pieces in chess are called pawns and not prawns. civis@
Otago Daily Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Up tos, kid prices and the % of griping
It's been months since Civis' curmudgeon corner, a place to vent about some gripe or other. Today's main serving is about misleading advertising, noting the prominence of children's pricing. It's minor (pun intended) in the scheme of things, yet irritating. The side dish is on "junk fees". In the months leading up to today's test between the All Blacks and France, tickets were being advertised online "from $30". Perhaps, it's obvious that the price is for the cheapest children's seats. However, this cheap trick doesn't feel right. Adults are the ones buying tickets. Flagging adult prices would be fairer and more relevant. The child's $30 is for limited areas in the worst spots on the ground, although most viewing at Forsyth Barr Stadium is excellent. There's $6.95 per transaction, and another 2.2% "applies to all tickets other than purchases made through Ticketek agents, at outlets when using cash, or when redeeming a Ticketek Gift Voucher. This fee covers the cost of facilitating electronic transactions." The $30 is also initially displayed on the Ticketek site during ticket selection. The adult price appears as you click through. There's also no mention of credit or debit card fees before the last payment stage. Consumer New Zealand campaigned on credit card surcharges in 2023, following a law change. It applied pressure to Ticketek, which lowered its fee from 3.5% for some sports events to a standard 3% — still too high. The other extras, known as "junk fees" in the United States, soon add up. Across a full stadium, the extras generate a tidy return for Ticketek. Is Civis picky and petty? We've no choice but to pay if we want tickets. We shrug at the misleading advertising, while the extra fees become normalised. Civis wonders what happened to the principle that the price you see is the price you pay. Despite these niggles, Civis believes the prices for tonight's match are reasonable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Civis saw a major travel company advertising headline deals that were child prices. Although that was soon apparent, Civis resents being drawn in falsely, even if briefly. Civis is also bemused by airline sales to Australia. Because of taxes, flying from New Zealand is cheaper, so the lower outbound fare is almost always the advertised headline price. Most passengers are likely to want to come back, and most booking apps and sites default to "return" rather than "one way" as the booking process begins. The airlines will, of course, want to capture both fares. To be fair, sometimes the figure for the full return flight is prominently displayed. However, never expect the fare for transtasman flights from Australian cities to be the selling point. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Everyone knows the disingenuous "up to 50% off" sales. It's easy to become cynical when exposed repeatedly to these attempted enticements. Another example of deception, at least superficially, was a sign in a Dunedin shop for 40% off everything. Look a little closer, and it was 40% off only the shop's brand. Just because such tactics are commonplace does not make them right. Advertising must be truthful, accurate and not misleading, according to the Fair Trading Act. Misleading to whom? Are we so used to businesses pushing boundaries that these examples no longer qualify as misleading? We're conditioned to accept disingenuous "up tos," child fares, and one-way prices as standard marketing. Sadly, that might be both accurate and true. civis@
Otago Daily Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Speeding towards a sign of the travel times
Are you on the left or right-hand side of the road on the contentious speed limit changes of 2022? The Tackling Unsafe Speeds Programme gradually introduced reductions, lowering many single-carriage roads from 100kmh to 80kmh as part of the Road to Zero goal. However, the present government reversed lots of these. For many, the slower speeds were long overdue — a practical measure to save lives. Reduced speeds decrease both the frequency and severity of crashes while also lowering emissions. Additional travel time lost would be minimal. Critics argued blanket speed reductions unfairly penalised responsible drivers for the actions of a few, reflecting nanny-state overreach. They contended lower speeds unnecessarily restricted personal freedom and driving enjoyment, particularly in rural areas where traffic was sparse. Longer travel times would disproportionately affect freight companies and rural commuters, while safety gains remain minimal. Support for reductions tends to be strongest among the educated, influential, and elite left and centre-left. Thirty-eight sections of state highways are being reinstated to the 100kmh limit, though none of these are in Otago and Southland. The deadline for implementation is the end of this month. Forty-nine other highway sections underwent public consultation in February and March, so "local communities could have their say". Ultimately, only six sections will retain their lower speed limits owing to strong public support (more than 50% in favour), including from the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound. These changes are also set to take effect by the end of the month. Just as with the overuse of cones, Civis remains in the middle of the road on this issue. It's easy to become over-zealous about speed limits. After all, it's sometimes said that if we were truly determined to eliminate safety hazards, all private driving would be banned. Some highway segments, such as SH1 south of Oamaru, have had an 80kmh limit for years. Given the bends, undulations and proximity to houses and businesses near the road, this feels right. Civis also supports 80kmh for crossing the Waitaki Bridge, a matter of controversy. Traversing the bridge by bike must be daunting, as highlighted in a recent ODT letter to the editor. Waitaki Bridge residents argued the change in 2020 to 80kmh along the 2.6km strip from Glenavy to Waitaki Village should be retained. During formal consultation, of the 1200 responses, 646 strongly opposed the lower limit, while 56 slightly opposed it. Meanwhile, 480 strongly supported the 80kmh limit, with another 28 slightly supporting it. A further 26 were neutral. Tension often arises between the preferences of local residents and those from further afield. In the Waitaki consultation, of the 102 responses from the local community, 83 strongly supported the lower figure. Speed limits will, as they should, continue to be debated in the news. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ In contrast, the phasing out of Limited Speed Zones (LSZ) in the early 2000s stirred little controversy. They quietly disappeared from roadsides, becoming a matter of curiosity rather than debate. Current regulations sensibly require speed signs to display specific numerical limits, rendering older open road signs – the white disc with a black diagonal stripe — also obsolete. LSZ signs allowed too much leeway. Drivers were expected to slow down in adverse conditions but could legally travel up to 100kmh when conditions permitted. A surviving LSZ sign was recently spotted in west Wanaka — the area beyond Glendhu Bay and across the Matukituki River. You're unlikely to want to drive 100kmh on that dusty road. civis@
Time of India
03-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Lack of infra for solid waste management key concern among citizens, shows BMC public consultation
Mumbai: The BMC received 2,774 responses during its large-scale public consultation on its Draft Solid Waste Management Bye-Laws 2025, held from April 1 to May 31. The consultation, supported by the Civis Foundation, aimed to capture citizens' lived experiences and actionable suggestions. Key concerns raised by citizens included a lack of infrastructure for waste segregation, irregular garbage collection, insufficient bins, and challenges in high-density settlements. Respondents also flagged underutilised composting systems and demanded decentralised alternatives such as micro-composters. While the BMC recently announced its move to defer the implementation of a user fee for the collection of solid waste, feedback on user fee was sought under the process, and mixed responses were received: 49% supported it, while 43% opposed it, citing fairness and confusion. As for fines in cases like littering or urinating in public spaces, 52% felt these would improve civic behaviour, but 66% wanted these implemented only after toilets and bins were in place. Only 39% of citizens found daily waste segregation practical. Mumbai generates 8,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, a majority of which ends up at the Kanjurmarg dumping ground and a smaller portion at the Deonar landfill. The draft bye-laws, proposed to replace the ones from 2006, were uploaded on the BMC website on April 1. Citizens were able to review the draft and submit their suggestions or objections until May 31 via email or several other means. At 2,418, most responses came via a WhatsApp chatbot, with the remainder through emails, town halls and field interviews. Deputy municipal commissioner for solid waste management Kiran Dighavkar said Civis was appointed specifically for gathering feedback from all sectors of society, from slums to formal housing. "We are looking at finalising the bye-laws in a month," he said. Civis, a non-profit that partners with govts to enable informed public participation in policymaking, is the BMC's official consultation partner for the initiative. It developed a WhatsApp chatbot that allows citizens to understand the solid waste draft in minutes and share their suggestions with the BMC. Civic officials pointed out that many citizens focused on everyday sanitation and waste segregation, but certain topics — such as construction and demolition waste, disaster-time waste handling, biomedical waste segregation, and extended producer responsibility (EPR) compliance — saw limited engagement. Several suggestions received strong public support, including multilingual IEC (information, education, and communication) campaigns for community engagement, school-based civic education, and the appointment of local waste ambassadors. Other suggestions included the introduction of night-time waste collection shifts for markets and arterial roads, replacement of cash fines with QR code-based challans, creation of public dashboards to track ward-wise performance on sanitation, fines and compliance, and the development of pilot zones with strict enforcement and reward systems to create replicable "clean ward" models.
Otago Daily Times
16-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Oamaru bid for heritage status no sloppy call
As an enthusiast for Oamaru's historic town centre, Civis was pleased to read about progress toward achieving National Historic Landmark status. The 15 buildings in the Harbour St-Tyne St precinct, and the life around and within many of them, create a unique and impressive New Zealand ambience. They are worth visiting just about every time you pass through Oamaru. Both the visionaries and the hard sloggers who did, and still do, so much to retain and develop the area deserve thanks and praise. The Landmark process began in 2022, and earlier this month, the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust gave Heritage New Zealand formal assent to include the buildings in a proposal for Landmark status. If the government approves, the area will join the Treaty of Waitangi grounds in holding this premier standing. Others are also lining up for approval. The Wellington National War Memorial's application is with the heritage minister, and work is under way for the Christchurch Arts Centre and Kerikeri Basin. If too many sites gain landmark status, however, exclusivity will be lost. ★★★ Discussion of the word fulsome a few weeks ago received, dare Civis say it, a "fulsome" response (to use one of fulsome's meanings) from Oamaru reader John Chetwin. He said he found himself shouting in agreement about the unfortunate evolution of the word. John finds the word "impact" causes him as much anguish because it has almost completely usurped the roles of the verb to affect and the noun effect. "As a consequence, we have lost the use of three words in one hit: affect, effect and impact. In this case, I believe journalists have a lot to answer for." Craig Radford, of Dunedin, reported that, while unaware of fulsome's origins, he also avoided the word because of its ambiguity. He eschews "decimate" for the same reason. It was a Roman army punishment; the execution of one-tenth of a unit in response to a mass infringement. Later, as Craig also says, it was used to wipe out a tenth or a significant portion of an army. But now it is widely used to mean the almost total destruction of anything. While Craig notes that shifts in meanings are not new, sometimes the process now happens within a few years. Gay and woke are two prime examples. ★★★ Elly Kennedy wholeheartedly agrees about the superiority of curved sinks over the modern square variety. She believes many new inventions are more awkward than they need to be. She prefers the old method of manual dialling to the modern approach of punching in numbers, and she laments that so many things are designed to be thrown out rather than fixed. Janet, no surname supplied, still regularly uses the Kenwood mixer she received in 1974 as an engagement present. Civis suspects many even older Kenwoods are still chugging away. ★★★ Words have a way of quickly becoming fashionable. Recently, Civis read twice about "slop" within five minutes from two different news sources. Civis heard the word again just before writing this column. Two of the three uses referred to AI slop. The third was "slop" as the stream of disposable objects consumed. Peak use of slop as a noun was about 1910. It's quickly on the rise again, aided no doubt by sloppy uses of the word. ★★★ Civis' gripe a few weeks back with "American" to mean from the United States came to prominence last week. TVNZ's news was not the only outlet to proclaim the election of the "first American Pope". Also "sloppy", perhaps. Where the heck did Pope Francis come from if not Argentina, part of South "America"? Some outlets corrected themselves to the first North American Pope, although they might have wanted to specify the United States. civis@
