Flagging Grok’s popularity in New Zealand is a dangerous distraction from stark reality: this surge is driven by tool's weaponisation to nudify women, & create CSAM. Celebrating moral failures that prioritise engagement over safety is so emblematic of Twitter/X. @legallyfeminist.bsky.social #nzpol

This is so incredibly harmful and it's time that our govt had a plan to address it. Women politicians of all colours have been clear about the need to stop online harm and their male counterparts have said they agree. Well, now it's time for action, and fast.

He can’t give holiday recommendations when he’s working hard throughout the break!

"With housing, more density means more community" A mum at one of the many kids parties I went to today told me she'd read an article a few years ago and this really stood out to her. It's cos a parent not from Oxford asked me how we managed to have such a brilliant load of local shops (1/3)

This is going to grow much more when the new Kawerau to Cromwell trail opens. Also I’ve been to Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains. There was something like 600 tracks there used for biking. Biking in Ski areas is over taking skiing as business driver. We should learn from there too.

“Some European officials suspect this is the real aim of the hardline MAGA faction around Trump. Since Congress wouldn’t let Trump exit Nato, occupying Greenland could force the Europeans to abandon Nato. If Trump wants to end Nato, this might be the most convenient way to do it.” As Putin wants.

Didn’t start well with a broken lift to the office. 🙃

So much positivity! 10% of visitor spend in Queenstown is due to the bike trails. Otago is really booming with bikes! 🚲 Also in Dunedin lots to celebrate this month; the start of construction for the Albany st cycleway and the start of the car-free section in the town belt. 🎉

So not ready to get back to work tomorrow.

German bundestag all getting verified today

A New Year’s appeal to Bluesky urbanists. A key reason I first joined that other site was to follow urbanists from around the world posting about interesting things in their cities. Public art. Public spaces. Architecture. Whatever. I’d love to see more of that here. Cities inspiring other cities!

Today I was reminded that in Milan they call the tall and thin bollards "le parigine", i.e. the parisians

“Wednesday, 21st January will see the first scheduled passenger train arriving in Waihopai/ Invercargill since the demise of the Southerner in 2002. This will be a Mainlander train from Ōtepoti/ Dunedin returning to Dunedin the following day.” 🎉🥳

The smoke from the fires in Australia has reached the south island east coast in the last few minutes, the light has changed and it's eerie.

Should have probably included this comparison of the wage share of the pie in previous 🧵 A stark reminder of just how much Roger and Ruth destroyed the bargaining power of workers as they set about creating a high profit / low wage, private debt fuelled, ecocidal, directionless economy.

Just hope this extreme weather doesn’t come to Ōtepoti. Luckily it doesn’t get as cold here as in the Netherlands. If we did experience severe ice and snow, salting the roads would be our only real option. Without it, the city would grind to a halt.

How great is the new South Dunedin Library! 📚 😇 But would be great to get some more bike parking along here. 😁

some Native Americans would like a word

Or does Climate Change mean more extreme weather? Didn’t remember growing up having snow for such a long time eg. 1-2. days max.

As someone who had a business and spends a heap of time in Christchurch city, walk ways, protected cycle ways (we need more!) and 30km speed limits are great and make the city so much more liveable, and so much safer

Wild how not only do they cost billions of dollars the build quality is shit too www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/wellingto...

Hochul and Mamdani to unveil free child care plan in New York City

Why do cycle bridges matter? Cycle bridges create safe, direct routes for people on bikes, especially across busy roads, railways, or waterways. They remove conflict points with motor traffic, reducing the risk of collisions and making cycling more enjoyable for everyone.

Christchurch is the most bicycle friendly city in Oceania & Asia, and ranks at #38 globally www.newsline.ccc.govt.nz/news/story/c...

Ōtepoti / Dunedin looking beautiful this afternoon on a warm, sunny, summer day.

I miss John fucking Campbell's joie de vivre

The Netherlands has been dealing with a lots of snow the last few days, which means lots of salting/brushing of roads and bike lanes so people can still safely ride or drive to school or work.

I like this idea. Over due electrek.co/2026/01/06/b...

The famous Bubble roof at Utrecht Central Station is caving under the snow. For now the station square is open again. More snow has fallen in the Netherlands than has been seen in the last 15-20 years. #climatechange www.rtvutrecht.nl/nieuws/39895...

Standing still in traffic in Queenstown yesterday. Including a bus that just doesn’t go anywhere. A bus lane is so obvious. 40 bus riders means 40 cars off the road and with that slip lane and wide lanes, there seems to be space.

😎

Happy to be back in Ōtepoti. 😇

This doesn't *entirely* fix the engineered hazard (see below), but it's smart and sensible to see a problem that affects thousands of people every day (it's NYC's busiest cycle bridge), bring in some asphalt and immediately make it better.

Things Auckland bike riders can only dream off….

‘It all flows’: commuters celebrate as new Sydney Harbour Bridge bike ramp opens

After the Queenstown Lakes District Council decided it could no longer fund its maintenance and repairs, it will now cost $40 for a car, truck or motorcycle ($100 annual pass for Queenstown-Lakes residents) to access the narrow, 15km four-wheel-drive track from Arrowtown to Macetown.

It is both believable and inevitable that America seizes control of New Zealand now

The thinly-veiled signalling of the Christchurch terrorist's violent extremism in the latest Voices for Freedom email, amongst the other things noted, is an indication of what to expect this year. @paulapenfold.bsky.social's 'Fire & Fury' is worth rewatching. interactives.stuff.co.nz/2022/08/circ...

A little pit stop before heading back to Ōtepoti Dunedin. 28 degrees in Clyde. 🥵

Today in the New York Times: "One year after the start of congestion pricing, traffic jams are less severe, streets are safer, and commute times are improving for travelers from well beyond Manhattan."

🌄

The magical effect of snow: it liberates kids from being taken to school by car. Instead of the constant stream of cars dropping off kids, most of them are now walking to school!

Is this all you got Queenstown? A 4-storey rooftop bar? Definitely not competing with Auckland at all. 🙃 They need to get some towers in this town with these stunning views

NZ is facing a moment of reckoning in its foreign policy, writes Professor Robert Patman in The Conversation: theconversation.com/as-trump-rew...

The New Zealand Labour Party condemns the US attack on Venezuela including kidnapping its president as a blatant violation of international law.

The worst place.

Despite two days of snow in Utrecht NL and people are still biking. Paths haven't been cleared over the weekend, but wide lanes, clear signals, and well-controlled car drivers make biking possible.

+ we salt our roads, cycleways and footpaths. Which makes it safe to actually move around in the city when there is snow.

New Zealand grants name suppression to defendants hundreds of times more per year than an Australian state where secrecy is “out of control”. Are high rates of suppression undermining confidence in our justice system? See more on thepress.co.nz

It’s great to see also Queenstown is way busier with bikes compared to a few years ago. Really feel momentum is building for bikes in the regions here in Otago.