On bad ankle pain days, like the ones I’m having lately, I’m reminded that my ebike makes the difference for me between getting out of the house, greeting folks on the trail, patronizing a local business and just not doing anything of those things. Ebikes are mobility aids!

“On how consuming a cultural touchpoint for your own, and then regurgitating it and missing the point, lessens the thing.” Completely unimportant in the big scheme of things, given everything going on, but OMG this describes Halloween in New Zealand.

The Kaufmann Lady Cycle Troupe ca. 1905

Ōtautahi! Do you like riding bikes? Do you like coffee (or other drinks)? Do you want to ride your bike with others then have coffee outside? Join @spokescanterbury.bsky.social for this Ride with GPS #coffeeoutside event. Great for bike-loving, covid conscious folks like me. See you there!

But but but. Schools and govts say it’s poor attendance causing those things. What do the scientists know?!?! 🤯

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I SAID THIS.

These two bones were definitely NOT where they were meant to be. Bleurghhhhh, I feel funny....🥴

What’s she twisting here? This makes no sense. “Stanford said just 251 Year 12 students and 543 Year 13 students *achieved NCEA* in the subject last year, which was an average of one child per school. However, NZQA figures show 783 students took it at Year 12 and 1,026 students took it at Year 13.”

WOW look what Paul did!

Badly dislocated toe. Miserable recovery. Nice stickers on her splint though!

This interview is so illuminating. Phil hedges and bluffs but Sara has all the details nailed down to cut through his waffling. It’s Sara Templeton’s time, Ōtautahi! #nzpol

Sigh. The pain relief has worn off and she won’t take the chill-out tablets hidden in a pill-hiding-treat. Maybe *I* should take the chill-out tablets. 😫

It is indeed weird sunlight here in Ōtautahi this morning from the solar eclipse. So many things are awful in the world but, as with the aurora, nature gives us something neat as a little treat. For morale.

I discovered #coffeeneuring too late last year, so am definitely in this year! Who else in the southern hemisphere is coffeeneuring this Spring? Starts October 11!

Spokes Canterbury Local Board Elections 2025 See below our rating for the candidates. Note that those with a *asterisk* next to their name did not respond to the survey and were ranked based on their voting record. Remember if you haven't registered it's not too late! Visit vote.nz for info!

It’s me mournfully looking at Pearl’s toe, which is not pointing in the correct direction. 😩

Last week Pearl injured her front leg zooming in our yard. A couple days & nights of limping & yelping. My brain went right to bone cancer. 🙄 Thankfully it came right. Well, the joint is arthritic still but she stopped limping. If you’ve never heard a greyhound yelp lemme tell you it is AWFUL.

New Zealand desperately needs good health workers and if you're a doctor/NP/nurse who gets a job in the public health system, you can get residency straightaway. If you're an American looking to leave, it's a good option. Happy to chat further, drop me a DM

Just your regular reminder that Chris Bishop is both chair of the National Party Campaign Committee, dependent on donations from businesses for a successful campaign, and the Infrastructure Minister, who decides if businesses get to access the RMA fast track process.

OMG Ōtautahi if you want a taste of Canadian-style donuts, get yourself to Grumpy’s Donuts ASAP. So good it almost brought a tear to my Canadian eyes. 🍩 Located in the “Sydenham Underpass” building, corner of Sandyford and Durham.

Open Letter to Hon. Erica Stanford, Minister of Education: Why Art History Matters #nzpol www.aucklandartgallery.com/page/open-le...

Luxon himself handed me the Prime Minister's science prize last year. Let me say this in plain English: he's an idiot for running a govt who budgeted more for AI than for the Marsden fund. any journo reading this can quote me on it #nzpol

This is the last thing I’m going to say on the attendance policy atm. Maybe. #nzpol open.substack.com/pub/andrewdi...

NOW DO ART HISTORY

Silly Jimmy Kimmel. He should have just called for all homeless people to be killed and he’d still have a job.

OPINION: Like the Bats out of hell: the artists leaving Spotify Local musicians are pulling their music from a platform that increasingly devalues the relationship between artist and audience ⬇️

OOF!! Poor ol’ Brett’s going to need some harekeke gel for that kā. 🔥 #TeWikiOTeReoMaori

"A primary teachers strike will cause disruption to parents and students at a time when they need stability, Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche says." Well fuck you, and pay them big bags of cash

This is SO COOL!

Suddenly "hate speech" is bad. Suddenly "dehumanizing" people is bad. Suddenly "cancel culture" is good. Suddenly words have consequences. The modern American right in 2025, folks.

Our eldest is involved with Radio 1 at Otago Uni so husband was especially keen to read this book from @christchurchlib.bsky.social And whose name jumped out at me in the acknowledgments? @silkehartung.bsky.social !! Really looking forward to reading this.

This is EGREGIOUS. FFS! Yoo hoo, NZ media!!! How about spending some time on this??

Here’s my vote for 2025 Bird of the Year, the Kōtuku! Our whānau always loved spying a few on the outskirts of Hokitika and have taken the really fabulous White Heron Sanctuary tour out of Whataroa to visit the sole breeding colony. A must-do for nature lovers when visiting the West Coast. #BOTY

As someone who has been a victim of far-right doxxing, I'd second this guide. I'd add *join your union* you need that protection when they start coming for you at your workplace

Hey if you missed out on your size, I’ve restocked all sizes!

My kids in Yr 12 are getting a much-needed longer sleep this morning and they’ll spend the day working hard on multiple assessments they have due this week. The line that “learning is affected” is nonsense; students miss days for ALL KINDS of reasons without it being a problem. Like the 2 overseas

Today I gave away 23 bicycle tube patch kits at the hands-on "fix-a-flat" class at the local library "How-To" festival. I hauled everything there with my cargo bike! Common Cycle and Sally Caron have designed a great how-to guide.

In which I beg archaeologists to sign up for the fall semester of Skype a Scientist, because we're getting buried in requests for your area of expertise. Sign up here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Oh, what’s that?? The - checks notes - AIRLINES are furious about a covid outbreak, are they??? Cry me a river. Airlines demanding removal and reduction of protections are a big reason why the world is still in this f’ing mess.

Looking forward to strong commentary from David Seymour and Winston Peters on the difference between free speech & violence and the need to protect democracy regarding the resignation of an MP who received death threats following politically motivated targeting amplified by members of the NZ Govt.🦗

When you see David Seymour hand-wringing about political violence today, don't forget he called an opposition MP "a menace to freedom" and she received so many threats afterwards that she was provided with an extra security detail share.google/oNArcLhdfgbM...

Holy crap the wind has just gone ballistic in Ōtautahi!!

Radical urbanism in a children’s picture book

This is horrendous, and totally preventable. I hope they will be ok. We noted that in the tenancy agreement for the Dunedin student flat that our teen is about to sign, there is a clause specifically prohibiting tenants from getting up on the roof. It obviously happens a lot. 😖

As a kid who spent 6ish years in the family court system, who had a restraining order against one parent for a period of time, and there were absolutely fears of him doing a Tom Phillips - there's a lot of hot takes floating round atm not centering those kids

Thinking some thoughts about how people can spend more effort sympathising with a man who *might* have lost *some* access to his kids than with a woman who actually did have her kids stolen for four entire years

Remember that unless you live with someone, you genuinely don't know what all is going on with them.

Do you live in Cashmere (or Waihoro community board area?) The organisers are looking for questions for a meet the candidates event this coming Tuesday, September the 9th, 7pm - 9pm at Saint Marks Church, 5 Somerfield Street. You can send your question in using the google form linked in the comment.

I should have said of course that if you’ve got HEPA filters at home, turn em on! Likewise, an N95 respirator will help against the pollen.