The ‘initial’ Greens list for the election is a bit light on Auckland, strong on women and insufficiently regenerative, argues Simon Wilson. Update, May 30: The Greens have published their final list; these are the top 20, with any change from initial list. 1 Metiria Turei 2 James Shaw 3 Marama Davidson +1 4 Julie … Read more
At least 10 people in NZ’s biggest city have reportedly been hospitalised with typhoid, and health officials say we can expect more cases. Siouxsie Wiles explains what typhoid is and the ‘super-shedder’ scenario Typhoid is an infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi, usually abbreviated to Salmonella Typhi or S. Typhi. Humans are this bacteria’s only known host. The bacteria can … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Simon Wilson: Auckland’s transport crisis: how it was made, and why it will only get worse “AT also wants light rail to the airport, and that’s would probably be the same line, extended from the bottom of Dominion Rd. But there’s the problem: the government has confirmed … Read more
The Spinoff Music team review albums from Mount Eerie, Aimee Mann, Bob Dylan, Nelly Furtado, Vallis Alps and Anna Makirere. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Mount Eerie – A Crow Looked at Me One of the saddest albums ever Phil Elverum’s wife died last year. They had a one-year-old daughter. He made a tender and painful … Read more
In their Spinoff debut, Tof Eklund examines the way sex and consent are treated in video games, and highlights a few things big studios could learn from indie developers. I’m not a wowzer, I swear. As an American ex-pat, you might even expect me to hold a “First Amendment” view of government censorship. The US … Read more
Every pregnant person has struggled with unsolicited advice and comments on their body. Spinoff Parents columnist and mum of two Thalia Kehoe Rowden has tips and ways to reply to well-meaning strangers who are overstepping or oversharing. It starts early. You’ve seen two lines on a pregnancy test. Your body is GROWING A PERSON! What … Read more
On his first Trans Visibility Day as a trans man, Felix Desmarais shares his story of coming out and losing his domain name. Today is Transgender Day of Visibility, and it is my first. It just so happens that it coincides with my first man-flu as well. Milestones. My name is Felix and I am … Read more
From his home in Mt Eden, Paul Crowther makes one of the best distortion pedals in the world. Henry Oliver asks him how he does it. The first distortion pedal I ever wanted was a Boss DS-1. But only because I knew that Kurt Cobain used one and I was learning guitar by playing his … Read more
Sometimes New Zealand broadcast television feels like a wasteland, so we set our weekly columnist Tara the tallest, most terrifying task imaginable: recapping The News. The 6 o’clock news bulletin is a time-honoured tradition, like death and taxes and only finding one sock when you definitely need two. The News has always been there, yet who … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today we present an excerpt from the e-notes of Lucrecia the Arm Flapper, dated 2189, third quarter of the holy Stocktake Clearance, as discovered by José Barbosa. “And so, on the fourth day after our sloop was destroyed by the two … Read more
In a community known for murder, gangs and drug abuse, yoga and mindfulness is becoming cool. For her first Spinoff column, Auckland mindfulness educator Kristina Cavit explains what we can learn from the experience of kids in inner-city Baltimore. If you’ve watched The Wire, you’ll know that Baltimore is one of the most dangerous cities … Read more
There is no greater torture than seeing a delicious meal in your favourite TV show and knowing you will never be able to eat it. Here are some that we wish we could try. From the deliciously disturbing dishes of Hannibal to Mr Bean’s botched turkey meal, there are countless fictional dinners that will remain … Read more
The Greens now have a warmer relationship with the NZ First leader, and are ready to work together whatever their disagreements, says co-leader Metiria Turei. She also reveals, in an interview with the Spinoff, how close she came to quitting, and what Greens in government would do if Donald Trump were to visit. With less than six … Read more
The NZ Green Party has been in parliament in its own right since 1999, yet never in government. They hope a pact with Labour and a pledge of financial prudence will change that at last. But there are detractors, some of the most critical among their own membership. Co-leaders Metiria Turei and James Shaw tell … Read more
The best-selling books at the two best bookstores in the English-speaking world. AUCKLAND UNITY 1 Hit and Run: The New Zealand SAS in Afghanistan and the Meaning of Honour by Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson (Potton & Burton, $35) “The New Zealand Defence Force appears to have destroyed the journalistic reputations of Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson”: Ian … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Zac Arnold talks about Psych Fest, a psychedelic music festival in Auckland this weekend. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to Zac Arnold, presenter of bFM’s Freak the Sheep, the best local music radio show … Read more
The UN has declared internet access a basic human right, but at-home internet remains out of reach for many struggling New Zealand families. Madeleine Chapman learns how the Spark Jump programme is attempting to bridge the digital divide. For most of last year, a Belmont family took regular visits to their nearest McDonalds. Not for … Read more
New verse by Starling editor Louise Wallace PLUS BONUS EXTRA essay on attending a poetry festival in Mexico. Mexico! Best actress in a supporting role wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife wife … Read more
Model and activist Andreja Pejić, in Auckland for Four Days of Fashion in the City, talks fashion, politics and trans issues with Brian Ng. My first glimpse of Andreja Pejić was a flash of blonde hair and the back of an ecru Surrealism Trench by Karen Walker. She was off almost instantly, clopping away in … Read more
Alex Casey interviews Doctor Dan Dopps, creator of a new vaginal adhesive that hopes to seal the menstrual product deal … literally. Bleeders, palm off your pads, trash your tampons and shoot your mooncup straight to the moon. There’s a brand new innovation in time-of-the-month technology called Mensez, a lipstick for your other set of … Read more
The actions described in the book Hit & Run could constitute war crimes under the Geneva Convention. The case for an independent inquiry is now becoming overwhelming, writes geopolitical analyst Paul Buchanan. Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson make serious allegations in the book Hit and Run. Among other claims, the authors argue that the New … Read more
Spinoff Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks sinks his cyber teeth into the polarising Mass Effect: Andromeda and finds a game that’s passable – but only just. About 12 hours into Mass Effect: Andromeda I came across a side quest almost out of nowhere. I was wandering around the desert, and a little notification came up on my screen … Read more
School libraries are a sanctuary and safe place for many children. Here Sarah Forster, co-creator of the amazing children’s literature website The Sapling, lists the things all parents should know about school librarians. I spent a LOT of time in school libraries as a kid. Remember the index cards in those fit-for-purpose filing cabinets? Remember … Read more
Over the weekend, legendary film and television writer Aaron Sorkin said some amazingly bewildered things about diversity and representation. Sam Brooks takes him for a gentle walk and talk. “Are you saying that women and minorities have a more difficult time getting their stuff read than white men and you’re also saying that [white men] … Read more
The Spinoff Music critics on Aldous Harding’s new single (and video) ‘Imagining My Man’. Henry Oliver When I first heard Aldous Harding’s ‘Horizon’, I was stopped cold. I’d listened to her album Aldous Harding a few times on its release but hadn’t kept up with her output (the primary medium of which seemed to be YouTube … Read more
Last week we invited you to lob your questions regarding autonomous cars at AUT professor Reinhard Klette, New Zealand’s foremost expert on the subject. Today he responds to a selection of the many questions he received, and explains why driverless cars might not be as close as you think. Professor Reinhard Klette, former professor at … Read more
Can’t wait until the festival starts to get your comedy fix? There’s plenty of live comedy and exciting events on in the lead up to the festival. Spinoff Comedy co-editor Natasha Hoyland picks the cream of the crop. At The Classic: The Classic is Auckland’s non-official home of comedy and produces weekly line ups of … Read more
Last week Otago University tenancy researcher Dr Elinor Chisholm suggested nine things the government should be doing to improve conditions for tenants in New Zealand. We asked the Property Investors Federation to respond, and this is what they told us. While improving people’s living conditions is a great goal, sometimes what looks like an obvious … Read more
The former defence minister says civilian death suggestions are plausible, and that NZ needs to ‘find out what really happened’ in Operation Burnham. Wayne Mapp, the New Zealand defence minister at the time of the Tirgiran Valley raid at the heart of the claims in Hit and Run, has admitted in a blog post at … Read more