In this week’s advice column: how to deal with losing your job without losing your shit. Dear Ms X I think I might be about to be made redundant and I am basically shitting myself. I am 29 and this would be the second lay off I have been through if it actually happens. I … Read more
What’s it like to want to start a family but not be able to? The second in an occasional series by Kat McKenzie, who writes about the hopes, fears and medical practicalities of trying to be a mother. Part one: Forever hopeful – my life in the parents-in-waiting club It starts in your gut. It’s … Read more
It gives The Spinoff much pleasure to welcome Dear Mamas to our suite of podcasts. Dear Mamas is a “no bullshit, no judgement” look at being a parent, hosted by Holly Walker and Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes. This is Dear Mamas, The Spinoff’s straight-talking parenting podcast with Holly Walker and Emily Writes, brought to … Read more
Our On the Rag podcast team have an emergency meeting to discuss what happened to the world of women this week, how to cope and what to do next. The morning after the US Presidential election, a friend of mine was walking alone through the Auckland suburb of Kingsland, New Zealand when a group of … Read more
Every Friday, ‘The Album Cycle’ reviews a handful of new releases. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Body/Head – No Waves On Wednesday afternoon, as the whole office began shouting the numbers the NYT’s likelihood-of-winning meter was landing on and our faces reddened with the growing realisation that Trump was going to win the presidency, I took a … Read more
How do you talk about the US election with your children when you’re struggling with your own shock, confusion and fear? By embracing love, says Jared Dennis, and trying harder to be the change you want to see in the world. “At least I don’t have kids.” That has been the one thought I keep … Read more
The weekly best-seller chart at Unity stores in Auckland and Wellington, for the week just ended: November 11 WELLINGTON STORE 1 Sellout: A Novel (Oneworld, $28) by Paul Beattie A review copy of the Man Booker award-winning dark satire on American life was despatched to Charlotte Graham on Monday, and she emailed on Wednesday morning to … Read more
New Zealand’s biggest drum n’ bass band tell fellow metalhead David Farrier about their favourite Slayer and Pantera albums, and how playing with Tool inspired their heavier new direction. The release of their new album Stars seemed like a good time to talk to Shapeshifter about their love of drum ‘n’ bass, maybe touching on … Read more
New verse by writer Amanda Kennedy. Write about your father’s father At school, the task today is write about your father’s father. You find it slightly hard to breathe as people at your table tell their stories I mean, if you have ever read School Journals, You will know that grandads aren’t supposed to … Read more
Government by lottery? Why not, says Nicholas Ross Smith – the lesson of Trump is that combating the rise of post-truth politics requires not better politicians, but systemic change. The unbelievable happened: the United States of America elected Donald Trump to be its 45th president despite his many character flaws and obscene ideas. Much like … Read more
Tax cuts and big state spending on infrastructure in pursuit of growth? Donald Trump’s economic promises make him sound a lot like the famed British economist – and Keynesians won’t know whether to laugh or cry, writes Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy. There is a theory in political economy which states that necessary changes must come from the least … Read more
Mathew Codd interviews the art director at Arkane Studios, Sebastien Mitton, about the intensive four year process that went into creating Dishonoured 2 and it’s funky fantasy setting. One of the most memorable things about Dishonored is Dunwall, the city in which it took place. Though heavily inspired by Victorian-era London and Edinburgh, it worked … Read more
Test how much you know about falling out of trees and the state of health in New Zealand, in this week’s quickfire quiz. Having trouble viewing the quiz? Take it here.
Free-to-air New Zealand television coverage of the US election night came down a choice between watching President-elect Donald Trump’s acceptance speech on TV3 or competitive cooking show Masterchef on TVNZ 1. These three people watched the former. Alex Casey I spent a lot of yesterday searching for a person in the televised election coverage who … Read more
New mum Annabelle Marley tells you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the messy, indelicate subject of post-childbirth pooping, but were too terrified to ask. Why are we publishing a post about how to take a shit after birth? Because 1) I vividly remember after both of my births frantically searching for advice on … Read more
The Spinoff was in the room for the MediaWorks 2017 launch today, and was treated to a speech from the “semi-retired” Paul Henry. Despite the recent interview re-exposing his atrocious attitude to women, Henry absolutely tore the swanky Northern Club apart – if only for using the word “squits” about 400 times. Here is his speech, … Read more
Feeling depressed? Angry? Self-righteous? Victorious? Nothing? Just feeling? Henry Oliver presents a playlist for nine emotional responses to yesterday’s election. Born Against – Half Mast “Aaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuugggghhhhhhfuckaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhhhhfuckfuck fuckauughaaaaaaughfuckaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuggghhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuu uuuuuughfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK!!!” Public Enemy – Fight the Power “Don’t mourn, organise! There are only three years, eleven months, three weeks and three days until the next election.” Anohini – … Read more
Tim Murphy analyses the latest GfK radio listenership figures and finds evidence that the NewstalkZB juggernaut is finally starting to slow. Radio ratings out today will have been a bittersweet dessert for the executives of MediaWorks as they launched their television new season at a lunch at the Northern Club. Sweet because their radio division … Read more
We asked a range of clever and interesting people: What just happened? And what now? Jacinda Ardern What happened? The horror. And I feel like explaining it almost excuses it. I understand the idea of ‘sending a message’ and people telling institutions that they feel like they’ve been let down or ignored. But I do … Read more
This Bib edition is a chance to chat to a fellow who is extraordinarily influential internationally around a number of topics that this podcast is all about –innovation and creativity. If we’re going to get past growing trees, cows shitting in rivers and chasing sheep around we’re going to have to think our way out … Read more
All day we’re publishing responses from interesting and informed New Zealanders to two questions: What just happened? And what now? In this installment, the second today from a former prime minister, Jim Bolger gives his predictions. I was not surprised by Donald Trump’s victory as this was a somewhat typical pocket book and identity election. … Read more
All day we’re publishing responses from interesting and informed New Zealanders to last night’s seismic elections. In this installment, American-born journalist Tracey Barnett tries to find light amongst the despair. So, let me put it this way: today was not a particularly good day for any human endowed with a vagina in America. You need … Read more
All day we’re publishing responses from interesting and informed New Zealanders to two questions: What just happened? And what now? In this installment, comedians and podcast hosts Tim Batt and Guy Montgomery. Tim Batt I’m somehow both drunk and hungover. Exhausted and in a state of utter disbelief. What just happened? We witnessed a very … Read more
There’s a revolution underway. Deep within the Auckland Viaduct lurks the beginnings of our own tiny Silicon Valley. At GridAKL, more than 50 startups, in industries as diverse as medicine, robotics and augmented reality, are running the entrepreneurial gauntlet looking to build a high-growth business – or at least a get a second funding round. … Read more
Earlier this year I wrote that a Donald Trump presidency wouldn’t be that bad. Today I’m a whole lot less cheerful, writes Eric Crampton. I expect a lot of kiwis will be tempted to see the Trump phenomenon through an income inequality lens. While rising income inequality is a myth in New Zealand, it isn’t in America. But … Read more
There are benefits to being the working parent, like being able to focus on your career and avoiding much of the messy, back-breaking work of childcare. But as Brannavan Gnanalingam explains, they hardly make up for the overwhelming sense of guilt. I’m very excited about properly meeting Brannavan Gnanalingam on Saturday. I’m lucky enough to … Read more
The presidential election reveals a nation frightened, angry and lacking in confidence. The shockwaves will be felt far and wide, writes former NZ prime minister Geoffrey Palmer. First Brexit. Now Trump. The fault lines in the politics of western countries are becoming deep and profound. People are thinking the political institutions and methods are not … Read more
The exit of Paul Henry and the dumping of Story make for another miserable glut of headlines. But the talent that does remain, Duncan Garner and Guy Williams especially, lends hope that the darkest hour is before the dawn, writes Duncan Greive. Over the past 18 months, there have been a number of disastrous periods … Read more
On the eve of shows in Wellington and Auckland – his first in New Zealand since the death of his long-time musical partner Grant McLennan – songwriter Robert Forster talks to Russell Baillie about life in the Go-Betweens, and his new book, Grant & I. Most rock memoirs peter out at the end. The fun’s … Read more