Are Māori and NZ European treated differently in New Zealand’s courtrooms? Our study suggests: yes! We look at first-time drink-driving cases and find Māori are more likely to receive a community-based sentence than a (least severe) fine. Read a summary here: theconversation.com/maori-face-h...

Greetings and good morning its Christmas Eve

I wish a joyous Christmas to all who celebrate. May you have a truly wonderful time 🎄🎅. This #Roman glass spherical bottle would make great #Christmas bauble, but it was used to hold perfume and loose powder. The contents were sealed inside the delicate cosmetic container, and...🧵1/2 📷 me

He’s here a bit early, it’s not even dark yet!

He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.

Christmas Eve.

Sapporo is selling its real estate business to US private equity form KKR. well-known holdings include Yebisu Garden Place, once the home to the original brewery for Yebisu Beer, and Ginza Place. www.cnbc.com/2025/12/24/s...

'Llangollen Canal collapse will massively affect business'

Declassified files from G7 summit in 1994 show Japan was not in favour of Italy’s proposal to let Russia join the group at that time. FM Kono Yohei expressed opposition due to the JPN-RU unresolved territorial dispute. Other countries also preferred to wait. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1256...

What a good Christmas gift 🥰

My son’s comic this month explains that Santa Claus works for Uber Eats to earn the money to buy the toys for children.

#TeslaTakedown I mean Tesla taking itself down

Wish there were still TV programmmes interviewing French critical theorists

I've taken the paywall off this piece I wrote about the wonderful art my mum and dad have been making in their 60s and 70s, which is also about the general (underacknowledged) concept of late-blooming creativity. I hope a few of you might find a moment to read it: www.tom-cox.com/the-magic-ro...

More festive fun. This one got called "Thunderously grim" by one chap (my favourite review)

Bee-autifully crafted gold ornament in the form of a little bee 🐝 ❤️ Length 1.90 cm. From Minoan Crete, circa 1700-1600 BC. 📷 British Museum www.britishmuseum.org/collection/o... #Archaeology

I've seen the Covid memorial wall next to the Thames. They have no fucking idea

The number of British programs where they mention they lost someone due to Covid. I think New Zealanders totally underestimate how lucky (and well managed) we were. The still loud antivax voice/Covid deniers doesn't help. Much harder to deny Covid exists when everyone knows someone who lost someone.

And the finest Christmas tradition has arrived — #DuvetKnowItsChristmas is today! 1) Follow @rhodri.biz 2) post your pics of your makeshift Christmas Eve sleeping arrangements and 3) give money to the homeless @centrepointuk.bsky.social

Japanese novel “If Cats Disappeared from the World” by Kawamura Genki has proved a bestseller in Russia. It topped the sales chart for 2025 at Chitai-Gorod Bookvoed, Russia’s largest bookstore chain. www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1256...

Getting there! 4 flavours in…

I just saved 3 hours of my life watching the new Avatar by painting my cat blue and chucking money at it.

Phenomenal sunset from Heretaunga/Hastings tonight

I've been aware for a while of the work by faith and other community groups to support people seeking asylum. So I asked the @refugeecouncil.bsky.social where there was really vigorous community support. They said Northallerton. Here's what I found when I went there: as.ft.com/r/b3449fbd-3...

Those 'classic' Solar System diagrams you see in textbooks are wrong… and we can prove it with a clementine 🍊 Don't miss the 2025 Christmas Lectures, supported by CGI, on 28, 29 and 30 December on BBC Four and iPlayer. Find out more: rigb.org/christmas-lectures

Amazing what counts as a miracle in New Zealand these days. Far North town, Kāeo, gets running water for first time in more than two months www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Our neighbour gave us part of a beef eye fillet he'd been given at work. I roasted it tonight and we had it with pan-roast potatoes, maple-glazed carrots, and baby spinach. And a sauce made with butter, garlic, thyme, red wine, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Absolutely AMAZING!

It's wild seeing fashion trends circle back around again. Saw two ganguro in Shibuya at lunch, and even some loose socks.

One generous serving of orange loaf. Still warm

two separate incidents in a week of weird guys kitting their cars out with fake police lights, adding some other dumbass crime, then seeking out police. Kinda miss when these headlines invariably started with "Florida man" www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-adv...

Discworld QOTD, from Snuff "You should look for those who can’t believe that the law would ever catch them, who believe that they act out of a right that the rest of us do not have. The job of the officer of the law is to let them know that they are wrong!"

Discworld QOTD, from Lords and Ladies

I just feel sometimes we’d be a better country if more of our Prime Ministers were keen swimmers.

After some searching I attributed to James Cooray Smith the suggestion to maintain a mid-80s vibe while avoiding offence by replacing that one line in Fairytale in New York with 'You've taped over Taggart'.

Liam Lawson Kiwi Legend....🇳🇿

Boy left swimming for life as rescue helicopter call delayed - "The initial gap in timing was due to our crew being advised by the Air Desk, that the lead response agency (Police) had determined a helicopter was not required during the early phase of the incident,"

He’s getting closer #Santa2025 At an impressive 1008 knots, it won’t be long

Have done a lot more walking than my body is happy with but have seen some fun sights.

Just wait til you hear what happened when they combined human DNA with lettuce DNA All they found was human romaines

📡🎅 For just one night a year, we get to switch our radar from "RAIN" to the special "SANTA" function. If we are very lucky, we might catch a quick glimpse of Santa and his reindeer as they head our way. Next stop: New Zealand! Merry Christmas, Meri Kirihimete

People who drive in take just as long reversing out if they're checking it's safe, so wind your neck in, pal! I can’t cope with shoppers reversing into mall carparks at this time of year thespinoff.co.nz/society/23-1...

My work is done, the food for Christmas dinner has arrived, and the tree is up! Just need to have a bash at making my own mince pie ice cream (with actual mince pies) and then I'm ready for Christmas 🎄 Having a rest first - surprisingly knackered after doing the tree.

A coded message to British intelligence agents. London County Council Tramways, 1922. Ref E.752-1922, V & A Museum.

Don't become a bookless statistic this year 😥 #pukapuka

Tomorrow evening it’ll be my annual duty to vaguely shepherd the activity on the #duvetknowitschristmas hashtag and urge people to give small sums to charity. 7.30pm? Something like that?

Disabled h/holds experience higher levels of material hardship because income support and assistance fail to cover the additional costs of disability. My latest Substack makes it clear that change is entirely possible, eminently doable, and well past due: drbex.substack.com/p/disability...

🪬🧿Roslin Glen triskelion #roslin #triskelion #stonecarving #wallacecave #scotland #history #nature #celtic #ancient #heritage #alttext

@jackyan @zaichishka.bsky.social @leighelse TV glitch: Pixelation and audio issues leave shows unwatchable, investigation into cause https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/tv-glitch-pixelation-and-audio-issues-leave-shows-unwatchable-investigation-into-cause/YPTGEMHDAVGYXGQDZJG4TLD6WQ/

On Yousuf Karsh's birthday, my top 10 portraits: Angela Lansbury, 1946