For two and half years, he was forced to listen to the hangings of more than 300 prisoners. “The whole prison would sing for two or three days before the hanging, to ease the terror of the victims ...It was the most beautiful music on earth, sung in a vile place.”

In case you haven't seen the Jesse Ventura video, see it now: www.youtube.com/shorts/cnF-D... These Minnesota people — Frey, Walz, Sens Smith + Klobuchar, Keith Ellison, now Ventura — are not fooling around.

What are the most trustworthy online resellers of iPhones? I have never paid-off a phone over months, and not intending to now, but I have to upgrade my personal phone or apps aren’t supported.

What does it mean that when we did a midnight toast, that two wine glasses lost their stems? Nothing good I’m guessing.

Happy new year, jigsaw friends! I received a nice jigsaw felt portable mat for Christmas, but neither puzzle I received fits on it properly 🙄

On the upside the cat seems to be better, on the downside she’s joined us on bed for the great cleaning of butt. 😼

My advice for the new year would be what Regine says to Seth in More Than This: “Know yourself, and go in swinging.” Don’t let anyone take your light. Not billionaires, not terrible presidents, not radicalized children’s authors. Decline to change your shape to accommodate the bigotry of others.

RMA out: fewer plans, fewer consents – Expert Reaction

A movie I’ve watched more than six times 😍

Our grads will stop traffic this week with glam fits, billowing cloaks, and bright smiles, on their way to celebrate their achievements at the MFC and Te Herenga Waka marae. The parade will run from the Old Government Buildings to Queens Wharf on Thursday 11 December.

Why is this not the only lead story in all our news media every day until the next election? (And every day after that?) This is killing our grandchildren to appease some farmers / corporations today.

"It is our view that a detailed framework for post-2050 reductions and removals is best developed closer to 2050." - wrong. We need action now to avoid disaster in 2050. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

The track record has been: 1. Abolish something 2. Replace it with something meant to do the same thing but less effectively & more corruptly which 3. Actually takes forever to set up & therefore nothing is getting done before the next election & everything is disintegrating 4. ???? 5. PROFIT

“The relationships that schools and kura have with Māori endures despite directives from the right-wing.” — Awanui Te Huia.

Whenever some small government fuckwad complains about red tape hurting businesses show them this article and ask them what is the acceptable number of children to expose to asbestos.

I’ve never liked a National Government or National led Coalition government but I can’t remember a time when they completely disregarded human rights and human decency, thanks to Act & NZ first. Every day a new horror. Every day dragged back decades

40-year water fluoridation study finds no negative effect on brain development – Expert Reaction

Puberty blockers save lives. I know this from close proximity. In a term of cruel and un-scientific things this might be the most cruel and un-scientific thing.

Kiwi Christmas Books is a fabulous charity making sure thousands of children have a book to open on Christmas morning. We spoke with founder Sonya Wilson about the initiative: www.thesapling.co.nz/kiwi-christm...

I think if 2025 has shown us ANYTHING it's that we need people with impeccable morals in charge.

❗💰Did you see today's #KiwiSaver news? Half a billion dollars of our retirement savings are being lent to governments with the very worst human rights records. 👉🏽Here's a good article on the research from @interestnz.nzcow.com : www.interest.co.nz/bonds/136006... (cont'd)

Māori academic warns draft curriculum erases children's rights to local histories www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

If I ever consider moving again, please don’t let me

“In Sāmoa, our people are the doctors, the lawyers, the prime ministers. I’ve grown up always surrounded by our people being educated, being in leadership.” — Dr Emma Dunlop-Bennett, assistant vice-chancellor (Pasifika), Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington.

Today I will be packing everything except: three days of work clothes, a towel per family member, a plate, bowl, cutlery per family member, a motel level of cooking things, and self/ and house-cleaning supplies. On Thursday, we move

It's 1870 in Aotearoa, the economy is in trouble... The land wars faded out without much resolution except death and pain. The NZ gov was still called the colonial government. Māori had their own. The gold rush hype in Otago, the West Coast, and Coromandel was drying up fast.

There's a job going for a Marketing and Partnerships Coordinator at the Auckland Writers Festival thebigidea.nz/jobs/marketi...

Delighted to announce that acclaimed poet Tusiata Avia MNZM has been appointed Creative NZ / Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Writer in Residence for 2026, and will be joining us at the IIML next year to work on her next book! www.wgtn.ac.nz/modernletter...

"Listen, in some ways, I get it. When I came on the scene in 2001, I probably seemed pretty unsavory compared to the competitors. But that was when academic research happened in libraries and George W. Bush was considered the stupidest president."

The Te Tiriti content (which isn't introduced until Year 4) implies the English text was signed in Feb 1840, that the Māori text is a "translation", and that Te Tiriti was primarily a response to the Musket Wars. This is all nonsense.

'… what is becoming an adult if it isn’t working out to use your little piece of power, for the good of others, or yourself' @forster81.bsky.social reviews the new YA novel from @elizabethknoxnz.bsky.social: www.thesapling.co.nz/review-kings...

First phoenix game of the season

“If a ‘knowledge-rich’ curriculum isn’t grounded in te ao Māori and the very people and things that make Aotearoa unique, who is determining the knowledge and where does it come from?” — Jessie Moss on the ideology behind education reform.

Fascinating. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

I am weeping. I am supporting nzpoetryshelf.com/2025/10/23/p...

"The Government has just released yet another new curriculum for primary school – our third in three years. Little wonder that 650 principals ... signed an open letter..." that stated various curriculum changes – for example, maths and literacy – were “rushed” at an unmanageable pace."

10 hours. Underfunding that leads to long wait times at emergency departments cause extreme risk to health. Support striking health workers.

Proud papa moment: my son J published a letter in the @nytimes.com today (in print tomorrow) on the need to think our definitions of autism.

heartbroken to learn the pope sympathizes with the poor. how can i continue to believe in god

I just put an item from my pantry that was virtually a family heirloom in the bin. A brown squeeze bottle with ‘chicory’ on the lid, that I last recall dad using to sweeten coffee on a ski trip. When I was 14. It was a survivor of three-ish house moves, maybe more.

Book club meeting in front of the ICE building, in #Portland. They’re discussing Animal Farm by George Orwell. 🤣🐷🐖🐽

I'm going to open to queries from November 3 through November 7th or until I receive 1,000 queries submissions! I'll be open to all MG and YA genres, plus Mystery and SFF, including horror, in Adult. Looking forward to reading! My website will be updated shortly with more details.

The select committee report on the Regulatory Standards Bill is in. 📝166,000 submissions. ❌98.7% opposed. Yet National are going to continue supporting it. 🗣New Zealand could not have been louder, but Luxon still isn’t listening.

Anyone else find this terrifying? We're going backwards at a rate of knots. newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/13/t...

Everything that makes Aotearoa New Zealand unique is related to Māori culture. Welcome to the country, that's a pōwhiri. We are gonna thrash you at sport, that's a haka. Traditional meals, that's a hāngī. Matariki that's our New Year If you don't like Māori stuff maybe you're in the wrong country?

We got our central library back. There's proper pipes down Taranaki street now. No sewage dripping down Cuba street and Lambton Quay. There's a much safer cycle routes between city and airport, and the basin. The buses aren't cancelled every day What a difference from Wellington three years ago.