Archive for August, 2011
Open mike 02/08/2011
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 2nd, 2011 - 105 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
You paid to get Try-hard John on the telly
Written By: - Date published: 6:29 pm, August 1st, 2011 - 165 comments
Remember John Key’s awful Letterman appearance? Supposedly worth a fortune in tourism. We know that was complete crap. It was a stunt meant to impress us saps. Now we learn that we paid for it. PM’s office pleaded for months to get on Letterman. Try-hard even sent a demo tape. When that didn’t work, they paid a US PR agency $10K to seal the deal.
Generation Zero
Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, August 1st, 2011 - 40 comments
It is one of the failures of our society that far too many young people are politically disengaged or apathetic. Many – but not all! Meet Generation Zero. Please go visit their website, join up, or spread the word…
All hail our vampire overlords
Written By: - Date published: 11:14 am, August 1st, 2011 - 96 comments
How did the wealth of the 151 richest people grow by 10% of GDP when the economy grew only 1.5%? Mostly by revaluing existing assets. Not a lot of ‘wealth creation’ from our self-appointed Randian Heroes, just book changes. But, apparently, we owe everything to the elite and need to let them suck up more of our wealth for themselves.
Breeding for a business?
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, August 1st, 2011 - 76 comments
A typical shock horror headline on Stuff in the weekend – “Pre-teens dream of kids and dole”. So what’s going on here, and is it an argument for “welfare reform”?
Let it out
Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, August 1st, 2011 - 139 comments
The polls show that New Zealanders, quite rightly, prefer the policies of the Left, such as capital gains tax, over National/ACT’s ‘plan’ to hock off our assets. But the majority still seem to favour returning a Key-led (and Key’s the, um, key) government, even if they won’t like what it does. What the Left needs is Goff to build personal trust with the people.
Open mike 01/08/2011
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 1st, 2011 - 84 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
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- ‘If we can do a wedding in 5 days, we can do anything we set our minds to’
Comment: Some people make long lists of things they want to do. When my partner Solly and I decided we wanted to get married, just five days before I flew out on tour with the Black Ferns and he flew out to play for Biarritz, I said, ‘well, how many ...1 week ago - To belong should never be beyond hope
Opinion: I recently had a wonderful meal with Bariz Shah and his wife Saba, together with their two pre-school children. I had to admit that I hadn’t read Bariz’s book Beyond Hope yet, but after talking about their life over dinner, I knew I had to read it.Imagine arriving in Auckland ...1 week ago
- ‘It was just the right word’: When ‘bugger’ took New Zealand by storm
Summer reissue: It’s a quarter of a century since the nation was stopped in its tracks by a dog saying the word ‘bugger’. This is the complete history of Buggermania – the ad, the controversy, and the enduring legacy. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we ...1 week ago - On being undeniably, irretrievably old
Summer reissue: David Hill is in his ninth decade. In a touching tribute to his late friend, he challenges some myths about ‘old farts’. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign ...1 week ago
- The half-a-million-dollar decision that still haunts the book industry
Summer reissue: Narrative Muse was awarded $500,000 to boost sales of New Zealand books. Three years later, industry insiders report that it has had little, if any, impact. What went wrong? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 2 January
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 2 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 2 January
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- Obituary: Former Race Relations Conciliator Wally Hirsh dies
Brought to this country by his German Jewish refugee parents in 1938, Hirsh said his membership of a minority gave him special sensitivity to race issues. ...1 week ago - Getting jiggy with it: Inside the wild world of competitive speed puzzling
Summer reissue: If you thought jigsaw puzzles were meant to be relaxing, think again. Tara Ward lifts the lid on one of the Masters Games’ most intense and demanding events. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please ...1 week ago
- All 85 of The Spinoff’s rankings, ranked from worst to best
Summer reissue: The rankers become the ranked: Hera Lindsay Bird tackles the most meta ranking of them all. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. ...1 week ago
- Set your political imagination free (and some pleas for humanity in the NY)
Opinion: I got this book as holiday reading (I know, what a nerd!) but read it straight away. Although David Runciman is a professor, he also does popular podcasts and this is very accessible. It wanders through an eclectic bunch of thinkers who share a goal of “liberating our political ...1 week ago
- The NZ ‘voice of the century’ who wound up in a psych hospital for 16 years
Summer reissue: Mina Foley was a formidable talent dogged by wild rumours about her mental breakdown. What is the truth? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...1 week ago
- Ten wild political predictions for 2025
For the eighth year in a row, The Spinoff asked a hand-selected group of experts for their most outlandish political prophecy. And for the eighth year in a row, they did not disappoint. Madeleine Chapman (editor, The Spinoff) Winston Peters will realise just how bad it feels to hand over ...1 week ago
- How Mukpuddy conjured up a bold new vision of Badjelly the Witch
Mukpuddy co-founder Ryan Cooper tells Alex Casey about bringing Badjelly to a whole new generation of New Zealand kids. They conjured Badjelly back with a simple tweet. It was sometime in 2018 when Ryan Cooper’s co-founder of Mukpuddy animation studios Alex Leighton was sketching a witch, and wondered aloud if ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 1 January
The post Daily crossword, Wednesday 1 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 1 January
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-title { font-size: 1.2em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .entry-meta { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; margin-top: 0.5em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-meta { font-size: 0.8em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .avatar { height: 25px; width: ...1 week ago
- Animal Justice Party Condemns Planned Mass Euthanasia Of 1,000 Canada Geese In Christchurch
"This mass slaughter is an ineffective, inhumane, and costly waste of ratepayers' money," says Danette Wereta, General Secretary of the AJP. "It’s a short-term fix that fails to address the root causes of the issue and risks exacerbating the problem ...1 week ago - Vaping kits to be made free for smokers to help them quit
The government will be supplying vaping starter kits to stop-smoking services around the country next week to help adults quit. ...1 week ago
- What has The Warehouse done to my favourite song?
Summer reissue: Alex Casey watches on in horror as the red shed makes a mockery of a beloved 1999 classic. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...2 weeks ago
- 2025 New Year Honours: Six people named Knights and Dames
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has named six people Knights or Dames as part of the 2025 New Year Honours. ...2 weeks ago
- How the Gen Z broccoli haircut became big business for a teen barber
Summer reissue: Three teenage barbers in Mt Albert have capitalised on a viral haircut to build businesses on Instagram. Duncan Greive gets a haircut and a lesson in modern business. Photography by Jin Fellet. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these ...2 weeks ago
- The cultural Cabinet’s top picks
Laura Walters, political editorBookThe Men Who Killed the News: The inside story of how media moguls abused their power, manipulated the truth, and distorted democracy by Eric BeecherPerhaps 2024 was the best and worst year to read this book by Aussie media executive Eric Beecher. At a time when news ...2 weeks ago
- ‘My grandmother lived to 112; despite cancer I’m good for a few more years’
Comment: About a year ago, a very close friend of mine told me that she had stage four cancer. I knew what it felt like to make that phone call telling friends and whānau of one’s plight because I had the same experience and, at the time, was in the ...2 weeks ago
- Hastening 2024’s demise with unstructured days of reading
Opinion: Many of us will be pleased to see the back of 2024 with its global unrest, recession and uncertainty. Longer, sunnier days signal that the dumpster fire that was this year is fast coming to an end.To hasten 2024’s demise I’ve started dreaming about my summer holidays: unstructured days of ...2 weeks ago
- The true story behind New Zealand’s emporium empire
Summer reissue: Before $2 shops and Temu, there were Arthur’s, Geoff’s and Pete’s Emporiums – and that was only the beginning. As these local institutions mark their biggest day of the year, Gabi Lardies delves into their shared history. Editor’s note: This story was first published on October 31, 2024. ...2 weeks ago
- The first Wellingtonian
Summer reissue: Hundreds of years ago, a man named Tara founded the first permanent human settlement in Wellington. The city still bears his name: Te Whanganui a Tara. But what do we actually know about him? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue ...2 weeks ago
- Can Sandringham’s South Asian flavour survive gentrification?
Summer reissue: Thirty years ago, Sandringham wasn’t known for Indian food at all. What will it look like in another three decades? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...2 weeks ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 31 December
The post Daily crossword, Tuesday 31 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 weeks ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 31 December
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 31 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 weeks ago
- Opposing The Normalization Of Apartheid Through Sport
Welcoming Israeli athletes to Aotearoa is not a neutral act. It normalizes the systemic injustices perpetrated by the Israeli state against Palestinians. ...2 weeks ago
- Protest Against Israeli Tennis Player At The ASB Tennis Classic Today
Glushko has served in the Israeli military and is an Israeli army reservist. She is representing the rogue, apartheid state of Israel at the tournament. ...2 weeks ago
- A complete list of things I only know about because of The Office
Summer reissue: A spider is an arachnid, not an insect… and 50 other fun and obscure facts, names, places and phrases. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be ...2 weeks ago
- Dream job or idle fantasy? What it’s like running horse treks in the Far North
Summer reissue: Selena Anderson from Ahipara Horse Treks seems to have a perfect job. But what’s it like behind the scenes? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be ...2 weeks ago
- Sez Says: A final 24 thoughts on 2024
1. Lydia Ko clocked golf in 2024. Winning an Olympic gold medal in Paris to complete her set (bronze in Tokyo, silver in Rio), Ko then had the necessary requirements to be inducted into the LGPA Hall of Fame at just 27 years old. Two weeks after the victory in ...2 weeks ago
- Academics ‘indoctrinating’ students? What the Dickens!
Opinion: I retired from academic life three years ago, having taught mainly 19th-century British literature at Auckland University since 1987. One thing I am pleased to have avoided once retiring is being regularly caught up in the very histrionic representation of universities and their staff in current public rhetoric. But ...2 weeks ago
- Peters on NZ First: ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’
Winston Peters doesn’t trust the polls.They’re unreliable – he knows it, you know it, and we all know it, as the man himself might say.Yet when Peters sits down with Newsroom to discuss New Zealand First’s plans for 2025, polling is the first thing he brings up.“Our internal polls all ...2 weeks ago
- Is cooking with dog food instead of meat actually fine? I gave it a go
Summer reissue: Results ranged from surprisingly yum to soul-destroying. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. I love cooking. The kitchen is a hearth of ...2 weeks ago
- When and where does a ‘bach’ become a ‘crib’?
Summer reissue: Alex Casey goes on a linguistic journey to find the true difference between who’s using ‘bach’ and ‘crib’ across our fair nation. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign ...2 weeks ago
- ‘Everything I do in life, I do it for my donor’: Inside Aotearoa’s struggling organ donation s...
Summer reissue: We don’t have enough organ donors in New Zealand. The Spinoff investigates the problem – and how we might fix it. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...2 weeks ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 30 December
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 30 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 weeks ago
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