Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 5h

And? Looking forwards for the review!!!

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 5h

“We look for someone to grow old together, while the secret is to find someone to stay a child with."
Charles Bukowski

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Reposted by Francisco Blaha

Our World in Data @ourworldindata.org · 1d

Does the news reflect what we die from?

The image presents a comparison of the leading causes of death in the United States for 2023 and the media coverage these causes receive from three news outlets: The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Fox News.

In the footer, it notes the data sources, indicating that the information is based on media mentions from Media Cloud (2025) and death data from the US CDC (2025) and the Global Terrorism Index, with a clarification that values are normalized to sum to 100%.

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Reposted by Francisco Blaha

Sharon Murdoch @domesticanimal.bsky.social · 1d

The Govt wants to cut Health NZ staff working on alcohol harm & end its research & social marketing campaigns. Sixty five organisations have signed an open letter to the PM, calling for alcohol industry to be excluded from policy making.
My #cartoon today #NZpol #alcohol #Health #PublicHealth

Cartoon. Title: “Sponsored by the Alcohol Lobby”. Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Assoc Justice Minister Nicole McKee, drinking together. McKee hands her beer to Doocey and says, “Hold my beer” “I’m going to sort out these Public Health boffins. Lower right it says, “Govt ignores expert advice on alcohol”

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Reposted by Francisco Blaha

Sacha @sachadylan.bsky.social · 2d

"This is the worst we've seen in New Zealand since 2005."

The 'longest, deepest, slowest' job market - recruitment agency

The prime minister claims jobs for young people are still out there, but one of NZ's largest recruitment agencies says the employment market is the tightest it has been in decades.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 2d

I was genuinely moved by his spontaneous message, and said I hope I get to work with him one day. Two years later, I'm working with him here in Taiwan on an Electronic Monitoring study, and as I perceived at the time, he is a top professional and a good man. Good fisheries are about good people.

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 2d

Back in 2023, I received a truly heart-warming message from Ho-Tu Chiang, a young and bright former Taiwan coastguard member Woking on his postgradin IUU fishing. He told me that my work motivated him to start his own path in fisheries sustainability by working to improve industry compliance.

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 3d

Yes… but I rather have my taxes going into supporting someone into work (even if some fail) that into subsidising landlords. Please quit and go back to selling deodorant brands

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 3d

Chilling… I read similar words as teenager… initially by the paramilitary AAA (Argentina Anticommunist Association) 1973-76 and later by the military government 1976-83. Over 10000 people dead, an unnecessary war with England, and a whole generation of scientists and intellectuals emigrated, etc 😔

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 6d

You wanker! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a job, since you decimated the economy! Why do you think young people are emigrating in droves!! Get a grip with reality, mate... quit politics and go back to selling deodorants!

www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-dail...

'Stop playing PlayStation': PM tells school leavers to 'get off the couch', 'go find a job'

Improving school attendance was 'job number one' for cutting future unemployment, he said.

www.nzherald.co.nz

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 6d

This year, at WRT, we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Love Our Wetlands Waiheke (LOWW). To further expand our planting efforts, for every $15 you donate, we plant one tree. This month, your donation is doubled! That’ll give us two trees for $15! Help us via the link
loww.raiselysite.com

Dig Deep for Wetlands - Celebrating 10 years

Waiheke Resources Trust Donation 01 : Make a donation today to support Waiheke Resources Trust Donation 01

loww.raiselysite.com

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 7d

Selamat siang

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 7d

If the show such a level of ineptitude for something as simple as the trick they tried to pull… it should not surprise us how obviously inept they are at governing for the common good

www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...

Luxon’s office admits leaking Hipkins letter to Herald

In the latest instalment of ‘lettergate’, the Prime Minister’s office has confirmed it sent “one media company” the same letter it sent Hipkins requesting a “credible, bipartisan approach” to offshore...

www.stuff.co.nz

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 9d

When I finished reading the paper, it felt like the point was to publish something containing the word PSMA, regardless of whether it was a valid and ground-truthed analysis.
www.franciscoblaha.info/blog/2025/9/...

Leveraging PSM to combat IUU fishing based on AIS analysis — Francisco Blaha

Since I don’t work in academia, I don’t often get involved in the “need” to publish. I enjoyed every time I was invited to co-author papers, and generally my role is to validate assumptions and provid...

www.franciscoblaha.info

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Reposted by Francisco Blaha

Andy McKay @korimakoecology.bsky.social · 9d

These are a great couple of very true paragraphs on local government.

They both made the point that influencing policy change is actually surprisingly easy if you do the work: understanding council process, building relationships with individual councillors, and presenting them with specific and actionable policy. They didn’t just pitch ideas from the rooftops; they humbled themselves and played the game of politics.

I’ve watched a lot of council meetings, and when people fail to influence change, it’s usually because they just complain without attempting to understand. They give speeches berating councillors, fail to consider tradeoffs, imagine that everything is simpler than it is and assume the only reason anyone would disagree with them is because they’re corrupt and/or stupid. They accuse the council of not listening, but they don’t attempt to listen either. When they’re done, the meeting chair says “thanks for your input” and moves on, because they haven’t actually contributed anything that might sway anyone’s vote.

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 9d

Indeed good stuff! It will also fit perfectly for some NGO folks in fisheries meetings as well!

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 9d

We keep going the wrong way… but at least (for now) no one in government is saying that wind turbines kill whales 🙄
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Wind power firm departs, amid fast-track controversy over seabed mining

A plan for an offshore wind power generation site has been abandoned as the company has pulled out, as controversy continues over seabed mining also planned for the area.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 9d

Up in Waiheke on Friday? Come for some free food at Kai Conscious and stay for some Dub, and other tasty vinyl selections from the crates of the mechanic & selectors at the BikeHub. WRT 1 Mako St.

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 9d

He relish in getting support from other taxpayers, while crusading against taxes at home and cutting support for its own people. My mum’s pension does not cover her pharmacy bills 🤬

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 9d

Really @rnzrss.bsky.social? However “honest and decent” this young man can be… he also is “a repeat drink-driver on a restricted licence driving late at night who killed and injured other road users through carelessnes”

What is your message here?

www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

'Honest, decent' man to stay in prison for drink-driving causing death

Tupaea Mika had a previous conviction for drink-driving while still a teenager.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 10d

😳
“Requirements for fire safety and disability access would also be removed”
FFS
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Watch: Government announces shake-up of earthquake strengthening laws

A new "risk-based" approach to earthquake strengthening will allegedly save building owners more than $8.2 billion across the country.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 10d

Guilty of e-biking while being brown?

WuTangIsForTheChildren @wutangforchildren.bsky.social · 10d

ICE Nazis in Chicago tried to kidnap a food delivery worker but my man was too fast for those slow bastards

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Reposted by Francisco Blaha

Dr Sarah Hendrica Bickerton 🏳️‍🌈 @sarahhbickerton.bsky.social · 10d

Just remember y’all, e-bikes have numerous practical uses.

WuTangIsForTheChildren @wutangforchildren.bsky.social · 10d

ICE Nazis in Chicago tried to kidnap a food delivery worker but my man was too fast for those slow bastards

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 10d

Liberation Theology (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberat...) is making a comeback ✊🏽
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Priests chain themselves to MP's Auckland office over Gaza stance

An Anglican priest chained to MP Erica Stanford's Auckland electorate office says they will stay there until they get an audience.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 10d

Yeah, fair point... but they argue that it's their technology, we choose to use it, it comes with a cost for us in terms of our privacy and, of course, money... which makes them wealthy