Forza Horizon 3 is a gambling addict’s dream disguised as a high quality racing game, writes Don Rowe. Forza haunts my dreams, whispering in the night, winking at me from beside the TV. ‘One more spin’, it says. Points for crashing, points for not crashing, extra points for getting points. It’s rats and cocaine water all over … Read more
This Throwback Thursday, Alex Casey recalls a television scandal combining both home renovation and face-lifts that made the internet explode. Recently, swept up by the same nauseating force of nostalgia that once saw me fork out $30 for a rusty Chupa Chups Spice Girls tin, I Googled ‘Bob the Builder’ just to see what me friendly … Read more
By day, Newshub’s Angus Gillies is a mild-mannered, smoothie-guzzling news producer. But his alter ego is as the author of violent and hard-boiled crime fiction. His short novels Just Breathe and Boom and Bust reveal Auckland’s underbelly, as does his latest book, Good Cop, Bad Cop. Where does a part-time, wannabe crime writer look for … Read more
For Tessa Prebble, whose own daughter was born with congenital issues, the story of Aria evokes only sadness – and anger at a medical system that let a struggling family down. Tessa Prebble is a force. She writes with great courage and she’s changing the world. Here she shares her views on a heartbreaking story … Read more
With the domestic sale of electronic cigarettes set for legalisation, the Ministry of Health is deciding on regulations to govern where, how and to whom they’re sold. The NZ Initiative’s Jenesa Jeram makes the argument for a light hand. Condoms are not 100 percent effective, but there are few who would advise that it means … Read more
Steve Braunias reviews a peculiar new book by a living legend of American journalism. This is the way the publishing career ends for one of the great innovators of literary journalism: not with a whimper, but a bang, the story blowing up in his face. American writer Gay Talese’s latest book – and maybe his … Read more
In this week’s episode of #realpod, Jane, Duncan and Alex discuss life drawing, Rescue Remedy pastilles during childbirth and Angie Stone the marshmallow woman. The team assembled this week to discuss episode eight of The Real Housewives of Auckland, a week that saw Angela Stone peel back her marshmallow layers to reveal… more marshmallow. Taken by her emotional … Read more
Local government is crucial and too often ignored. Our proposed constitution starts by recognising they need greater autonomy, explain Geoffrey Palmer and Andrew Butler. The local government elections for New Zealand conclude this week. We hope the voter turnout is high, although we worry it will not be. Local government is very important. But because … Read more
Dance Dance is the second Wiggles album of 2016 and one of their laziest ever, says self-declared Wiggles-head Chris Ingham. Chris is hilarious. I hand-picked him to be our resident pop-culture-pain expert, because there’s no way in hell I want to watch the latest Peppa Pig DVD. Here Chris gives his verdict on the much-(not)-anticipated … Read more
Further reading and links to the data used in this comic can be found here.
This is Auckland, where new money meets old. Alex Casey is going to try and laugh at The Real Housewives of Auckland through her weekly power rankings – because if we can’t laugh then all we have is the void. Click here for previous instalments. 1) Angela Stone Hell has frozen over, the pigs are flying through the air … Read more
We’re launching our new media section with the first in a series looking at the state of US media by Yasmine Ryan, who is visiting newsrooms across the US under the auspices of the World Press Institute Media Fellowship. To kick off, a visit to Washington DC and the offices of The Washington Post and … Read more
This month planet Earth will shake as the League of Legends World Championships thunder across the globe. It’s the esports Superbowl and for the teams taking part there’s big cheddar to be made. Our LoL correspondent Eugenia Woo is covering the event all month with weekly round ups and standings, but first here’s a in-depth … Read more
Our LoL correspondent Eugenia Woo lists her teams to look out for after the first week of competition. If you’re new to the esport, have a look at her beginner’s guide to League of Legends. My standings are mostly based on the results from Week 1, but like any other sports fan I’ve got my … Read more
Two of the best young election candidates in Auckland join Hayden Donnell to talk cycle helmets, our terrible voting system, and election intrigue on the North Shore. Argh! Crap! Oh no! The election voting deadline is nearly upon us and pretty much no-one in Auckland has voted. Chlöe Swarbrick and Richard Hills join Hayden Donnell … Read more
Wonder Woman is the latest and biggest star of Marvel and DC’s quest to appear as diverse as possible in an attempt at drawing in readers. But as Ethan Sills discusses, their superficial efforts leave a lot to be desired. We all know that, when it comes to comic books, no one really dies. People … Read more
Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal makes elite home cuisine look possible with little more than an old mushroom and an iron. But how achievable are his recipes? Tara Ward watches How to Cook Like Heston to find out. For those of you who think being adventurous in the kitchen means using a non-stick frypan, How to Cook … Read more
Josh Drummond should be delighting at the former Conservative Party leader being hoist by his own legal petard, he writes. But instead he just feels disgust Colin Craig! The one-time leader of the Conservative party is in the news again, this time after a court found that he had defamed Jordan Williams, to the tune … Read more
Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be introducing you to contributors to The Spinoff Parents, our new parenting blog edited by Emily Writes and made possible by Flick Electric Co. Today we welcome Nichole Brown, who will be writing about single parenting – and much more. I’m so pleased to have Nichole on board … Read more
Every month host Alex Casey is joined by comedian/writer Michele A’Court and Mana magazine editor Leonie Hayden to discuss what happened in the world of women over the preceding four weeks. The three raggers reflect on what Trump says about gender politics, how baking soda can solve almost anything and why New Zealand definitely doesn’t need a Minister for … Read more
Hayden Donnell pays tribute to the brave men and women who sat through four awful weeks of the Colin Craig defamation trial. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” – Edmund Burke “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – Jesus “Welcome to the black parade” … Read more
Are we a nation of binge drinkers? This week’s charts from Figure.NZ shed some light. The Losi Filipo case has brought renewed attention to New Zealand’s chronic problem with binge drinking and alcohol-fuelled assault. Three Figure.NZ charts take a look at our heaviest drinkers. Want to know more about our drinking habits? Check out … Read more
The government has formal yardsticks and ‘ambitious targets’ coming out its ears. But not on child poverty. “It sounds airy-fairy but it’s the advice we get.” That was the prime minister this morning on RNZ Morning Report, in response to questions from Guyon Espiner over the government refusal to set a target for reducing child … Read more
Tara Ward brings you her rankings for Shortland Street last week, including Bella’s massage, Warner tears and Kate with the good hair. 1) Rachel has left the building Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again? That’s exactly how Rachel McKenna felt as she was ushered from the building … Read more
TVNZ has been the doughy dinosaur in the media room for years now, content to defend the biggest, oldest and least mobile audience in the country. Last Thursday though, they suddenly showed their teeth at a very different new season launch. Duncan Greive was there to watch. Kevin Kenrick is on stage, looking oddly like … Read more
What happened that morning in Parihaka on November 5, 1881? Te Whiti O Rongomai by Danny Keenan sets the scene for the armed invasion. The morning was cold for late spring, with moist air clinging to the sleeping villagers gathered together. Some were stirring, huddled under sodden blankets, listening for the sound of the troops. … Read more
Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be introducing you to contributors to The Spinoff Parents, our new parenting blog edited by Emily Writes and made possible by Flick Electric Co. Today Kiki Van-Newton explains how her rock ‘n roll lifestyle was turned upside down by the birth of her first child. Kiki Van-Newton is … Read more
Christchurch local Moata Tamaira looks into the greatest sitcom map-related mystery of the 21st century: why was the New Zealand city chosen as a mappelganger for Parks and Recreation’s Pawnee? This post was published in October 2016. Once upon a time the best you could hope for in terms of pop culture references to Christchurch … Read more
Compiling the best reading of the week from your friendly local website. Deborah Mahuta-Coyle: ‘You’ll never undo the hurt.’ A Māori woman’s open letter to Don Brash “You see, Don, when you talk about Māori privilege, you say you’re referring to the Treaty, or to water rights, or to all these “special privileges” that Māori … Read more