Sunday Reading
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9:30 am, December 16th, 2012 - Comments Off on Sunday Reading
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My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. But this week it’s mainly your chance for you to share what you found this week, as I’m off overseas for a month by the time you read this.
But to get you started:
The Spice Girls were my gateway drug to feminism.
Getting Republicans to care about Women’s Issues through snacks.
The War on Drugs is a War Against Human Nature.
Could you survive on less than $US2/day – like 1.4 million US households do?
Jean-Luc Mélenchon: ‘Socialism [is] a concrete answer to concrete problems’
When should photographers drop their cameras and help?
How doctored images affect our memories
and because it’s the silly season:
Bike Porn: 7 Awesome Innovations
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- Ngāruawāhia section of Waikato Expressway back to 4 lanes for Christmas
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...3 weeks ago
- Research suggests those who use buy-now-pay-later services end up spending more
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ashish Kumar, Senior Lecturer, RMIT University Przemek Klos/Shutterstock Once, borrowing money to make a purchase was a relatively tedious process, not a spur-of-the-moment thing. True, some stores offered lay-by plans that would let you pay for goods in instalments. But ...27 minutes ago - Limit coffee-drinking to this time window to lower early death risk, study suggests
The benefits of coffee consumption on your health could depend on when you drink it, new research has found. ...35 minutes ago - Trump card looms large for foreign policy in 2025
Optimism can sometimes feel in short supply for observers of international relations.With high-profile wars in Ukraine and Gaza (not to mention lesser-heralded conflicts in Myanmar, Sudan and western Africa), ongoing tensions between rival superpowers China and the United States, and a swell of populist and protectionist sentiment, there are no ...3 hours ago - Success comes in small packages after a stroke
In December 2023 I had what now appears to have been a brain seizure. This was followed some months later by three TIAs (mini strokes). Then I had a stroke and after superb diagnosis at Christchurch Hospital I was admitted to Burwood Hospital unable to stand or walk. I had another brain seizure six ...3 hours ago
- NZ has a lot to lose from a polluted orbit
Opinion: The number of satellites and other objects sent into Earth’s orbit is increasing like never before. Before space ends up awash with debris like the ocean, scientists are calling for global agreements to protect orbital space.The United States and China are in a space race, sending thousands of satellites into ...3 hours ago
- How Asia is redefining sports – and why NZ should care
Opinion: Much of my year is spent with academics and policymakers, talking about shifting tectonics across Asia and how New Zealand is responding to changes in demographics, political and economic order, technology, regional security and so on.But one item sometimes left off the list is the immense contribution our sportspeople ...3 hours ago
- Where do Wellington’s top chefs eat on their day off?
Summer reissue: The capital’s best chefs and restaurateurs share their favourite local eateries and hidden gems. 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 have ...3 hours ago - Auckland’s secondhand bookshops, ranked and reviewed
Summer reissue: Shanti Mathias visits and ranks the crème de la crème of Auckland’s secondhand bookshops. 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. From Ponsonby ...4 hours ago
- Celebrating the lynchpin of our democracy, parliament’s online petitions page
Summer reissue: Ban all fireworks. Give everyone fireworks. Rewrite the national anthem. Stop politicians blocking me on social media: parliament’s online petitions page is a trip inside the nation’s raw, unfiltered political id. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds ...4 hours ago
- Parliament website issues could be cost-cutting – tech experts
People have expressed frustration and outrage this week, after persisent technical issues stopped them from submitting on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...4 hours ago
- Dreaming of my not-wedding day
Summer reissue: What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate 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 to be ...4 hours ago
- ‘It’s insidious and dangerous’: The kids fighting wrinkles before their 10th birthday
Summer reissue: Some of the most passionate consumers of anti-ageing skincare are children. How did the beauty industry get under their skin? The Spinoff Cover Story is our premier long-form feature offering, made with the generous support of our members. Read our other cover stories here. It’s Mother’s Day ...4 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 9 January
The post Daily crossword, Thursday 9 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 9 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: ...4 hours ago
- An indictment of NZ’s settler colonial and ‘Five Eyes’ spy paranoia over political critics
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – REVIEW: By David Robie Three months ago, a group of lawyers in Aotearoa New Zealand called for a first-of-its-kind inquiry into New Zealand spy agencies over whether they have been helping Israel’s war in Gaza. In a letter to the ...10 hours ago
- New Zealand still considering sharing criminal offending info with Five Eyes nations
They already work together on broad issues, but may even share details of their citizens' criminal offending. ...11 hours ago
- Hate Speech Masquerades As Free Speech
Freedom of Speech is not a license to say anything you like. ...15 hours ago - Meta is abandoning fact checking – this doesn’t bode well for the fight against misinformation
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ned Watt, PhD Candidate, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology Meta has announced it will abandon its fact-checking program, starting in the United States. It was aimed at preventing the spread of online lies among more than 3 billion people ...16 hours ago
- Green Party MP urges public to keep momentum for bill submissions
Tamatha Paul is urging New Zealanders to continue to make bill submissions, specifically on the Bootcamp and Anti-Stalking bills. ...17 hours ago
- (Literally) moving house: how home relocations can help address the housing crisis
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Johari Amar, Lecturer in Property, Bond University Henryk Sadura/Shutterstock Australia’s housing crisis represents a fundamental market imbalance where undersupply meets excess demand. In major cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the dream of home ownership is slipping away from many ...18 hours ago
- Large Scale Public Engagement Should Be Celebrated, Not Seen As A Hindrance By Select Committee
The large number of New Zealanders sharing their thoughts on the Bill means that the select committee needs to take the appropriate time to process all submissions and not be tempted to arbitrarily dismiss submissions that have come via a third ...18 hours ago
- PETA To Minister McClay: Mandate Webcams In All Shearing Sheds
Despite recent footage revealing extreme cruelty and violence, the wool industry has failed to stop this rampant abuse, even on so-called “sustainable” and “responsible” farms. ...18 hours ago
- Beach shacks are an iconic part of Australian summer. Yet, they also have a hidden, more complex his...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Clark, Professor in Public History, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock/Nils Versemann From the Torres Strait to Tasmania, and from the east coast to the west, beach shacks are an iconic part of Australian coastal history. Beach shacks have a ...19 hours ago
- ‘Cold violence’ – a hidden form of elder abuse in New Zealand’s Chinese community
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ágnes Szabó, Senior Lecturer, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Elder abuse is prevalent in New Zealand, with one in ten people aged 65 and older experiencing some form of it and only one in 14 abuse ...19 hours ago
- Blood, urine and other bodily fluids: how your leftover pathology samples can be used for medical re...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Carson, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia Kaboompics.com/Pexels A doctor’s visit often ends with you leaving with a pathology request form in hand. The request form soon has you filling a sample pot, having blood ...19 hours ago
- MBIE’s Spine-Chilling $500k Bill For Spine-Straightening Consultants
Over half a million dollars has been wasted by one government department alone teaching bureaucrats how to use a desk and chair, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager James Ross said. ...20 hours ago
- No confidence: Iwi reps call out Taranaki regional councillors
Iwi representatives lost confidence after councillors blocked debate on the contentious Treaty Principles Bill. ...20 hours ago
- Huge if true – dark energy doesn’t exist, claims new study on supernovas
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rossana Ruggeri, Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow, The University of Queensland An illustration of the death of a massive star. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Dana Berry By looking at light from distant exploding stars called supernovas, in 1998 astronomers discovered the universe isn’t ...20 hours ago
- Beach shacks are an iconic part of Australian summer. Yet, they have also have a hidden, more comple...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Clark, Professor in Public History, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock/Nils Versemann From the Torres Strait to Tasmania, and from the east coast to the west, beach shacks are an iconic part of Australian coastal history. Beach shacks have a ...20 hours ago
- Businesses can’t escape the AI revolution – so here’s how to build a culture of safe and respo...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Davis, Industry Professor of Emerging Technology and Co-Director, Human Technology Institute, University of Technology Sydney Oselote/Shutterstock In November 2023, the estates of two now-deceased policyholders sued the US health insurer, United Healthcare, for deploying what they allege is a flawed ...20 hours ago
- New excavation of ‘rings of mystery’ in Victoria reveals rich Aboriginal history
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caroline Spry, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Department of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University Earth ring on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country, near Sunbury, Victoria. David Mullins On the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, there is a series of large rings which rise mysteriously out ...21 hours ago
- Pompeii comes to Australia, and ancient and contemporary stories of disaster and loss converge
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Message, Professor of Public Humanities and Director of the ANU Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University National Museum of Australia Pompeii: Inside a Lost City at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra depicts life in the flourishing Roman city ...21 hours ago
- Extension for Treaty Principles Bill submissions ‘likely’ after website woes
Parliament's justice select committee will meet to discuss what to do about website problems that meant people couldn't meet the deadline. ...22 hours ago
- Mounting calls for submissions extension on Treaty Principles Bill
Complaints have poured in from people who say they couldn't get their submission in because of problems with the website, and parties are weighing in. ...22 hours ago
- New Zealand Government, Opposition Parties Glorify Deceased Māori Party Founder
The chorus of praise for Turia underscores the fact that TPM does not represent any real alternative to the political establishment. It is a right-wing party that for the past two decades has represented the interests of indigenous capitalists, who ...1 day ago
- A single, $80m shot the last piece of the pest eradication puzzle
“This is a massive project,” says Stephen Horn, of a plan to eradicate introduced pests from Auckland Island/Maukahuka. The manager of the Department of Conservation’s national eradication team says that’s something a feasibility project, published in 2021, unearthed – “that the scale is enormous, and it’s complex”.The scale and complexity ...1 day ago
- Around the world in 200 pages
Opinion: Let’s face it. Sitting on a beach or by the lake with a dry text on economic theory is hardly what you would describe as compelling summer reading, perhaps except if you happen to be the Reserve Bank governor!For the rest of us, economics is probably off our holiday ...1 day ago
- Tide going out on good news for oceans
Analysis: According to three vital global metrics for ocean temperatures, 2024 was the warmest year on record. The coincidence of all three global metrics being highest on record is unusual. The last time was 2016. The three metrics are the global mean surface temperature (GMST), the global sea surface temperatures (SST), ...1 day ago
- Christchurch’s secondhand bookshops, ranked and reviewed
Summer reissue: Simon Palenski journeys home to fossick through Ōtautahi’s secondhand bookshops offerings. 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. After finishing undergraduate studies and ...1 day ago
- Confessions of an unlikely petrolhead
Summer reissue: Checkered Flag director Natalie Wilson on her lifelong love of motorsport, and the allure of Pukekohe Park Raceway. 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 day ago
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