My friend, the climatologist, told me this year is off to a bad start. My friend, the epidemiologist, told me this year is off to a bad start. My friend, the historian, told me this year is just getting started.

That's a mighty fine Regulatory Standards Board you've got there, Mr Seymour. It'd be a real shame if someone went and applied for one of them jobs you're advertising on it... open.substack.com/pub/melanien...

Here's the A1 sized story board for 'the pearl fishers'. All images internet screenshots, some manual editing. I'll start putting out the rough edits on my Substack soon. It's part of the collection that forms the #monkeyandthequeen #thepearlfishers

Because caregiving & sick leave disproportionately fall on mothers, especially single mothers, making schools & daycares safer through clean air & normalized masking is an essential part of any serious gender equity agenda

This are story board images from my novella called 'the pearl fishers', published on my Substack soon. An ancient Italian village has a Nazi problem, again, after the 48th Maori battalion gets recalled to the desert due to Rommel. From the 'voyage of the troll', itself part of 'Monkey & the Queen'

As parts of Aotearoa are due to cook under 38C today, a reminder about the humble 🌳 in keeping you cool and fresh Time for the 3-30-300 rule Able to see 3 trees 30% urban forest canopy 300m from the nearest park or green infrastructure

open.substack.com/pub/melanien... If anyone in New Zealand needs a job paying probably around $250k pro rata, there's some nice jobs for the boys here on the Regulatory Standards Board. Although Melanie does say it, it would be such a shame for David if some competent people applied, wouldn't it?

Renee Good: Mother of 3 who loved to sing and write poetry fatally shot by ICE in Minneapolis www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/5...

Let's see if New Zealands 'Government of business' wipes out our primary sector or not over the next few weeks Queensland fruit fly could have 'massive impact' on fruit and vegetable crops www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...

I'm waiting for the maga hardcore to start blaming America's precipitous decline on global warming. They might be sharper than you realize, as at very least they've recognized, years ago, en massee, that America is no longer great.

Douglas Adams fans, something to consider. Theres suggestions that the ASCII code for * is 42. But have people considered that 42 is naturally the antisolar point where rainbows form, in an atmosphere like ours, making the question to the answer of 42 more likely to be where do rainbows come from?

While it's really pleasing to hear strong voices raised attempting to defend the rule of law & established norms of rules based international diplomacy, few people seem to reflect that the events in central America are the norm, not the exception, & normal means more of exactly this. This is not new

I'm enjoying this song. How many years has it been? North American scum, by LCD Soundsystem open.spotify.com/track/29ufIw...

My nephew listening to early nirvana is like me listening to Billie holiday. Which he is also listening to

What accountability and justice looks like for rich pedo businessmen and politicians

The Government has just rushed through its voter suppression law. The Electoral Amendment Bill will disenfranchise tens of thousands of voters—it has no place in a healthy democracy. #nzpol

If punishment is the right of the criminal, what should we make of a police officer being granted a mere nine months home detention today - and being spared registering as a predator? I think, if @hannah arednt were here, she would have choice words to say. I know I sure do

David Seymour promises to reignite Treaty principles debate in 2026 www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

The hero of Bondi: Ahmed el Ahmed, a 43 year old fruit shop owner from Sutherland. He grabbed the gun off one of the terrorists shooting at Jews during a Hanukkah celebration. Ahmed was then shot in the leg and shoulder by another terrorist. He’s being treated in the hospital and expected to be OK.

OK, Tāmaki Makaurau, the hornet army is on the march. Time to saddle up, cut up some bottles and trap the little bastards before they do any more damage. MPI has bumped up the zone so if you're inside that purple line it's time to get busy. More info here: www.mpi.govt.nz/news/media-r...

Too many laws passing without 'proper scrutiny', Geoffrey Palmer says www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Don't read and drive

Climate change is made up, but those bloody fish are heading south. Shane jones hits a career high for accuracy (for this century) with a unusually high 50% accuracy rate... Minister raises concerns over fish heading south due to warming waters www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Not wanting to grant him one atom of oxygen, but does the leader of New Zealands supposed libertarian party even know the phrase 'personal responsibility'? Let alone what it means? I feel like the sainted invisible hand of the market is getting ready to slap him down, big time. Very fucking hard

The Peleus War Crimes trial seems suddenly really relevant right this minute

open.substack.com/pub/melanien... If you've not come across Melanie Nelson @weavingourworlds.bsky.social on Substack, shes putting out work again. I love her thoughts, especially about the biscuit tin. We might hear a lot about the contents of this particular folded sheet metal container in '26

Erebus victim's daughter furious memorial will be in Christchurch instead of Auckland www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa... A memorial frequented by intoxicated, often violent individuals during the hours of darkness. While it's probably the best location, in the south, will it be safe 24/7? I think not

This is the first part of a book I've started writing while lying about. Idle hands. Very idle. Maybe 20 chapters so far tho they all need a very good edit but it's a start! I've just put this out to figure out using apps etc. Monkey turns up in chapter five substack.com/@lukewigram/...

Send this to the gannet in your life 💃🦢🪶 www.instagram.com/reel/DRbSpp8...

The Cook Islands allowed over a hundred shadow fleet tankers trafficking sanctioned Russian and Iranian oil. A Big Read from me looking at the curious case of Maritime Cook Islands with an investigation employing big data analysis and fieldwork in Raro. www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...

Jimmy Cliff, reggae music pioneer, dies at 81 www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/5... Let your yeah be yeah, and your no be no

Schools close as more types of play sand test positive for asbestos www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

New map produced by RTVE, Spanish national TV, of the 6000 mass graves in Spain. In the last 25 years some 17,000 bodies of men, women and children have been exhumed out of the ~120,000 dumped in mass unmarked graves by the Franco regime. www.rtve.es/noticias/fos...

If you see this post a bird

#rocketlabs twin Mars orbiters have just set off to the red planet. This is big for science. Hopefully next time the launch will be from Aotearoa using their own rockets

Coup. The word is coup.

#ClimateChange: #Iceland deems possible Atlantic current collapse a security risk: Scientists warn current collapse could trigger modern-day ice age for Northern Europe -caused by using #fossilfuels www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

In today’s NZ Herald

Hey so “underage girls” are…children. The word you’re looking for is children. They’re not like, women-in-waiting or women-lite or whatever. They’re children. I think some of you are very uncomfortable with what that means for you but it is still true.

We lost a battle today but won the war. Just one step to go now ae www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/pre... #rsb #rsa #regulatorystandards #nzpol #AoNZ #AoNZpol

One for the Brits. Epstein wrote a list of names for Steve Bannon. The first one on it is Mandelson

The third and final reading of the #rsb #regulatorystandardsbill is happening in parliment now. Now the fight really begins

Farage has dropped out of BBC film following BBC row. Good. Access journalism is client journalism. The BBC should make a film about Reform whether or not Farage chooses to ‘sit down’ with Laura Kuensberg. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

In today’s NZ Herald

@sarahkendizor has been suspended from @bsky.app She is one of the world leading writers and thinkers, period, and was suspended for defending Johnny Cash, of all things. Here's how to find her on Substack. substack.com/@sarahkendzi...

Maybe someone can sneak in an amendment where police leadership is also banned from the internet

If I, as a woman, get accused of ruining society by being a woman I’m just gonna keep doing the thing even more. I definitely want to ruin society. These men are dropping bombs and destroying the environment and getting away with it. Ruining society will continue as long as my morale improves.