BREAKING: Standards commissioner finds Nigel Farage committed 17 breaches of the rules on registering financial interests within 28 days.

More NZers support urban cycleways than oppose them. Plus: an age gap, with older ppl more likely to be against them. Choices today will shape how young ppl move through their cities for decades. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/public-support-investing-urban-cycleways-outweighs-opposition-national-survey

Green MP Julie Ann Genter: "For a city like Wellington it just make sense to have trains to the planes."

please refer to your Davos phrasebook www.ft.com/content/ab4f...

*Sighs once again*. Consultations are not referendums. We have a system of representative democracy. Those elected enact policy and consult on *how* it is enacted, not if. There are many, many good reasons why this is the case.

“Donald Shoup deserves to be remembered for ever and his mana will endure through this excellent book.” In today’s post, @georgeweeks2014.bsky.social reviews an anthology that pays tribute to the man who nailed parking reform as the key to better cities. 🅿️ www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/01/21/b...

It has been plainly evident for decades that the gravest threat to future "security" is the people who just want to go on making money in the good old-fashioned polluting way, and yelling "Look, a foreigner!" when anyone suggests there's an issue.

Mark Carney's speech really is terrific: full text is here and very much worth your time.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨 The UK Govt has quietly published - without announcement - the Joint Intelligence Committee/DEFRA report it suppressed last October. They tried to sneak it out in the midst of crisis. Read and share: “Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse & National Security.” (link below)

Auckland at a crossroads...literally. Great North Road, the site of Auckland's most talked-about street redesign, finally has....A CYCLEWAY!!! 🚲 🚴‍♀️ 🧵 @bikeauckland.bsky.social

Six years ago, any business could be "ahead of the curve" by saying it used Blockchain. No-one knee what it was but it was Going To Change The World. Now Blockchain has a role in cryptocurrency but that is pretty much it. I foresee the same for a lot of AI. It does some things very well. Not all.

Police attending a car crash at the junction of Park Road and Carlton Gore Road yesterday evening. I can't say I am remotely surprised. Drivers here treat the traffic lights as advisory at best. They are always driving through red lights. The police clear up the mess, but I never see enforcement.

🐳 83 countries have signed the High Seas Treaty. 🐋 This could protect of 30% of the High Seas by 2030. A vital lifeline to marine ecosystems. 💚 Finally some real hope in an otherwise bleak world. www.independent.co.uk/climate-chan...

We don't need Greenland. We need healthcare. We need living wages. We need democracy. We need equality and a real justice system. We need freedom from Russian influence. We need a president who isn't a felon rapist determined to watch his opponents burn.

Surely if a road is "too narrow" for cycle lanes, then it is too narrow for buses and trucks. And parking too. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A real shame if this photo went viral again today.

How do LTNs reduce road danger 🤔 Stopping rat runs vastly reduces huge volumes of traffic making turns across uncontrolled junctions and heavily used active travel routes. Such as the continuous footways and cycle route shown here on Dalmore Rd / A205. Let's reduce road danger and save lives 💚

I have enjoyed reading 'Out of the Crisis' by W. Edwards Deming (1982). It was written during the malaise era of American industry, when RCA and Chrysler were losing ground to Sony and Honda 🇯🇵 Deming's 14 points of management come into play, plus the importance of a genuinely motivated workforce.

SNL Carrey Family Reunion Jeff Daniel’s cameo was the best part.

Newmarket is a part of Auckland that I like, but which could be so much better. It is a mainstay of minimum standards, not least the station square. This austere architecture could, with a bit of imagination, have turned out like Berlin's Hakeshe Höfe. ▪︎ attractive ▪︎ connected ▪︎ distinctive

There is an excellent free-to-read obituary of Dr Renfrew Christie at @dailymaverick.co.za www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025... Incredible life...with time for fun things: "He loved his fleet of old clunkers, too, long versions of ancient Mercedes-Benz S classes, & a Volvo built like a tank."

IMPORTANT: The Dutch invested €595 million annually on urban biking, resulting in €19 BILLION saved in public health care costs alone. That’s how smart governments do the math on investing in better mobility. Let’s be clear— it wastes public money to NOT do it. #CityMakingMath HT @modacitylife.com

Housing designed to combat loneliness wins top architecture award www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... This is a lovely story, but it made me think how much we're waiting for others to make change happen. We could just focus on connecting our communities without needing permission or instruction.

Obsolete Sony is a great account. It's as enjoyable as reading the best bits of the Argos catalogue. As a fan of old technology, I recommend it. See also Technology Connections on YouTube, presented by an articulate and engaging nerd called Alex. youtube.com/@technologyc...

Minidisc was arguably the most stylish piece of personal tech ever created.

"Tom Watson recently announced to colleagues that he has a new singular political mission: putting Britain back at the heart of Europe." A must-read from @ethangcroft.bsky.social on how Labour's EU Ultras in parliament are organising magazine.newstatesman.com/2026/01/17/l...

#Horror365Challenge 23/365 #NW #Saturday #creaturefeature The Spider aka Earth vs The Spider (1958) Director Bert I Gordon wrote, directed, and produced many of our B-movie favorites including The Amazing Colossal Man and The Cyclops.

One of my favourite buildings in central Auckland is the Postmodern Chinese pagoda-style tower called Choice Plaza, by Ron Sang. It's a nice pices of eighties architecture but is looking a bit tired these days. I hope that someone has a plan for a decent restoration. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Sang

This is great to see...though bikes should come with lights as standard. It's so weird that such a basic function of year-round usability is (in the UK and Ireland) an "optional extra". See also: Mudguards.

it was more like Amsterdam. It really proves the build it and they will come theory.” Showing why we need coherent networks of safe cycle tracks/paths if we are to attract more bike user commuters out of cars & making Dublin less of a nightmare for a certain judge.

I love Wikipedia. If you do too, send them some money 💰

wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! "good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory" - old wiki adage

Our survey of 1000+ New Zealanders found that more people support increasing investment in urban cycleways than oppose it (41% vs 35%), but that 24% were “neutral”. Results indicate significantly higher support amongst younger people, Māori, and those in the highest income bracket. #ActiveTravel

DID YOU KNOW? 🇫🇷🎨 In 1855, the French painter Victor Navlet painted Paris from a hot air balloon with an impressive level of detail. This work can be seen at the Musée d'Orsay Paris France 🇫🇷 #Travel #Art

Do you like such “sad horse”？ Sold in China's Yiwu, or the "world's supermarket", the plushy toy has become unexpectedly popular because of its pitiful expression that has a soothing effect. But originally, it is a stitching mistake. What a wonderful mistake. #EconSky

I am delighted that the frontman of my favourite band (the Pixies) is himself a fan of Savoy Truffle, one of the tastiest Beatles songs.

🚨🇪🇺 Brexit WOW moment 🇪🇺🚨 The Brexitgraph Telegraph published a full-blown obituary for Brexit: 📉 GDP down 8% 📉 Investment down 18% 📉 Productivity down 4% 📉 Employment down 4% ❌ No trade benefits ❌ No regulatory freedom ❌ No upside whatsoever Do you agree it’s time to end Brexit?

“The President of the United States is a criminal. He’s not just a convicted criminal. He should have been convicted for the crimes he led on January 6th. He is running the government like a mob operation.“

A good discussion examining the nuances of car-centricsm vs car-as-a-hobby. #Motornomativity #ClassicCars

The DfT is doing some consultation on the new Manual for Streets with professional bodies and others (I don't know the full list). As I understand it, there will be three sections and section A was released just before Xmas with a response deadline just after.

For clarity, this government has so far: - cancelled HS2 north of Birmingham (previous government hadn't actually done that formally) - cancelled electrification of the Midland Main Line - cancelled West Yorkshire mass transit - cancelled the trans-Pennine high speed line

This afternoon’s meme…

Motornormativity reflected in statement by representative of the Irish judiciary. #CarBrain #Motornormative

Cheesy joke thread 🧀 😁

I see two of my favourite rock bands, L7 and Amyl and the Sniffers are playing together this year. Hurrah! jenniferfinch.com/2025/12/12/l... It's in Toronto, which is rather a long way from Auckland. If you live in Eastern Canada and want a seriously good evening of rocking out, go! 🎶 #rock

SeLf DrIviNg VeHiCLeS ArE mUcH sAfEr

Happy 60th anniversary to America's finest superhero television programme...and the most catchy, memorable theme tune in the history of entertainment 📺 Dinna-dinna-dinna-dinna BATMAN! 🎵

THEORY: People who say: "Stack the dishwasher" are methodical and precise. People who say: "Stuff the dishwasher" are impulsive and hurried. Thoughts?!