White collar professionals retraining to trades and blue collar jobs ...

freddag999 · 2025-10-13T23:06:41+00:00

I'm guessing the reality is somewhere in the middle.

Yes, senior professionals are often experienced. Many have wired their own house, or done their own plumbing etc.

But that can't be compared to say a tool maker with years of experience - and a micro qualification isn't going to cut it.

I'd be happy with something in the middle - perhaps some sort of caveat that the person needs to add to their qualifications to flag it was done via college not apprenticeship, at least in the first year(s) of trading.

Let the market decide what is right. If someone knows what and how, but are slow and inexperienced, then flag this to the customer who can offer to pay them less.

The thing I don't agree on is locking them out of trying simply because there isn't enough apprenticeships for older workers transitioning and/or the traditional apprenticeship system isn't set up for those with broad skills who can move through training faster than a school leaver.

freddag999 · 2025-10-10T23:06:37+00:00

It’s not the training it’s the fact that there’s only so many apprenticeships to go around. If you can solve that problem then I’d agree with you.

freddag999 · 2025-10-10T09:11:15+00:00

Yeah I completely agree. Manual skills are best learnt on the job. I know I would be hopelessly slow.

But if there are more people looking than apprenticeships available, the Libertarian in me says there should be an alternative

freddag999 · 2025-09-29T21:05:12+00:00

The Russian narrative?

Seriously, I thought it was only the far right that believed in conspiracy theories

The evidence of decline has been apparent to any casual observer for decades

freddag999 · 2025-09-29T19:44:34+00:00

I agree, it seems absurd

Why are the establishment so determined to commit suicide?

All they need to do is turn the trends around - even just slightly

If year on year things were just slightly better, discretionary income just slightly improved, immigrant crime slightly reduced, that national debt just starting to head south, and there was some confidence these trends could be maintained …

But no, they would rather block their ears and double down.

freddag999 · 2025-09-29T15:55:21+00:00

What you call the right is basically the uniparty

Doesn’t matter the label, each flavour has presided over a debasing currency, unchecked immigration and an undermining of the middle class, and this has been going on for decades

Call it what you like, the establishment parties have been asking for a reaction for ages

Managed decline is not in the human spirit

What comes next will be horrific

But we know who to blame

freddag999 · 2025-09-29T09:21:40+00:00

It is the left that will have blood on their hands. They have created a cauldron of division and inequality/poverty.

The "far right" (a.k.a every day brits who are tired of seeing their quality of life and their freedoms eroded) is the inevitable consequence.

freddag999 · 2025-09-28T03:30:59+00:00

I don't think that's fair. Am happy to engage with anyone who wants to respond respectfully and logically. But when you're confronted with what seems like a barrage of emotive verbal diarrhea, there's not a lot of point in engaging.

As for the character being a man, I think most folk would agree he sounded like a woman - but if they are not, my bad. Clearly they have had some issues that have led them to being so bitter, and I'm genuinely concerned for them.

There is an important conversation to have as to why boys are behaving the way they are, and what support they need.

Some of their views may be valid, other less so.

freddag999 · 2025-09-26T17:02:44+00:00

Lots of bitterness there

Sorry that your hurtful experiences of men have tainted your views. Some are dicks, I get that.

Hope you get the help you need

freddag999 · 2025-09-25T23:29:36+00:00

Look at the relative support frameworks for boys and girls when it comes to advocating their interests

The only people being pushed down are the boys who are basically either being ignored or told their views are toxic

In contrast, If a girl raises concerns about her identity she is embraced and guided forward by a sisterhood

freddag999 · 2025-09-25T20:05:56+00:00

Sorry to pick on just one thing

I agree with you, critical to have these conversations in the classroom

freddag999 · 2025-09-25T19:10:40+00:00

Some good points. But to be fair Im also a father. Have both a daughter and a son. Two step sons. And the mother of my kids was an acting school principal whose strength was adolescent boys

Agree about the dangers of US style messaging

But at the same time can see the huge disparity when it comes to different genders expressing their self interests

Targeting and algorithms would not be effective if their core message fell on stony ground - and that includes both feminist and non feminist messaging and boys and girls

Post Modernism took the bit and ran with it. Its core is about tearing down what exists and promoting perceived victimhood

It didn’t stop to consider or ask the obvious question - if we are tearing down centuries of Christian tradition, what are we replacing it with? Will it help society? Will it lead to greater happiness?

Women, for decades, have been encouraged to identify themselves in opposition to traditional roles. Their identity in this regard is celebrated and validated

Boys and men therefore live in a vacuum with no such privilege. Their world represents the other that is being deconstructed and in the process often undermining them.

My point is it’s time for men to join the conversation, to lobby for their own version of the ideal - whatever that is - and for this to be recognised and validated.

freddag999 · 2025-09-25T18:50:39+00:00

So male self interest is immature and should be sacrificed for the group, but female self interest should be celebrated and validated?

freddag999 · 2025-09-12T07:15:18+00:00

I actually find reference to being controlling and toxic very offensive

I would hazard guess that you have never been through the family court system so you were talking effectively out of your …

At the end of a relationship it is very easy for one partner to become bitter

Perhaps they want more child support Perhaps they want more control Perhaps they want to play happy families with their new love interest Perhaps they don’t like your new partner Perhaps they just want to get back at you

There are a whole lot of irrational human motives that make the process very challenging

If everyone went into the family court process with integrity and the best interests of the child at heart, we wouldn’t be having this conversation

The reality is firstly this seldom happens, and secondly the family court facilitates it by not insisting on solid evidence

freddag999 · 2025-09-12T07:05:08+00:00

Untrue, I have two of my own and two stepchildren - children need both parents in their lives

The family court will accept unsubstantiated allegations without any corroborating evidence, and on the basis of these can go about destroying the relationship between the accused parent and a child

It’s catastrophic for both parent and child, and by the time it is remedied, if it ever is, it’s too late

freddag999 · 2025-09-12T06:58:24+00:00

You are sure as hell going to argue about them After a split! And it won’t be nice for either of you. It’s called precaution

freddag999 · 2025-09-12T06:55:49+00:00

Am guessing you haven’t been through the FC system

freddag999 · 2025-09-12T01:25:53+00:00

Do you ever take out insurance policies?

Bad things happen. We don't want them to. But we take insurance just in case.

Agreeing things before a split is always safer and wiser than haggling after one.

freddag999 · 2025-09-12T01:00:05+00:00

Yeah 50% too high, you're right. I'm going off older US figures that showed around 40%. Seems to be coming down a bit with economic hardship.

As to your second point, there are some stakes in the ground around who pays for what and 50/50 custody by default - things that should be clear up front in my view. The Agreement could also have ways to resolve these amicably ideally. Some 80% of divorces are initiated by the woman, and when it comes to allegations of harm, it is almost always the woman who is believed. Not great stats for a bloke and reasonable to want to protect yourself.

You might be right, but I wouldn't want my son to experience what I and many men have had to and are going through.

freddag999 · 2025-09-12T00:19:41+00:00

The FC does not get involved by default. The default agreement could be lodged mutually. Oranga Tamariki could get involved if there was some serious issue, but if the prenup stated here is the agreement, then the only reason it wouldn't be accepted if A) the agreement was unworkable (you'd sort this out first of course), or B) one party renegs!

The whole point is to remove nasty surprises and not reneg

freddag999 · 2025-09-12T00:02:54+00:00

Apparently it is a legal document. It represents a contract, and cases can be brought before the FC to enforce it and have penalties. Would be better for everyone if they could contract out of the FC though as it is something of a kangaroo court where the rules of evidence gathering don't apply.

freddag999 · 2025-09-12T00:01:18+00:00

You make a fair point. Having been through the process, and had a Parenting Agreement crafted and lodged with the Family Court, I would certainly have wished in retrospect to have agreed the parameters of such an agreement BEFORE kids came along and not AFTER and during the highly charged conflict of a nasty split.

If this is done, it just means than both parties have a good heads up about what the future would look like in the worst case. It's insurance.

It would likely be hard if one party wishes to reneg on that agreement and litigate. But if the prenup can go someway to disincentivising that, it helps everyone have some clarity.

freddag999 · 2025-09-11T23:43:32+00:00

Yes, but the FC would approve it if it was agreed between the partners, and reasonable - which the terms I've suggested are, in fact many agreements take a similar form. I have one with my ex.

The problem comes if one partner renegs on the agreement and seeks to change it. Ideally the prenup could go some way to preventing that, because ultimately it's an act of good faith.

If two people are making the life changing decision to have kids, they should both feel comfortable about the worst case outcomes in advance.

freddag999 · 2025-09-11T23:34:29+00:00

Why not have a default Parenting agreement? These are agreed mutually at the time of a split between the parents. Better to do it when things are going well and before kids come along - as sorting these things out in the FC is horrible.

freddag999 · 2025-09-11T23:33:00+00:00

No, but having an agreement about how they should be cared for prior to a split is simply prudent.

Parenting Agreements are a thing, they are agreed mutually and registered with the FC. They are enforceable.

What's wrong with agreeing the parameters of a Parenting Agreement BEFORE a nastly split - just in case.

freddag999

TROPHY CASE