Jenny Nicholls
@jenster.bsky.social
Absent-minded twit. NZ Listener book reviewer, book designs, former art director/columnist at Metro/N&S. She/her
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
The Spinoff does some great stuff, but I’m getting sick of their politics podcast Gone By Lunchtime, which is great on the ramifications of by-elections in marginal Māori seats, but has no real clue about climate, tech, science, transport, or the environment.
February 16, 2026 at 6:16 PM
The Spinoff does some great stuff, but I’m getting sick of their politics podcast Gone By Lunchtime, which is great on the ramifications of by-elections in marginal Māori seats, but has no real clue about climate, tech, science, transport, or the environment.
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Great piece from @dsquareddigest.bsky.social, which touches on one of the big theories for why English-speaking countries do especially badly at housebuilding:
Adversarial and litigious common law systems (Anglo) vs judge-led civil law systems elsewhere.
samf.substack.com/p/build-the-...
Adversarial and litigious common law systems (Anglo) vs judge-led civil law systems elsewhere.
samf.substack.com/p/build-the-...
February 16, 2026 at 12:14 PM
Great piece from @dsquareddigest.bsky.social, which touches on one of the big theories for why English-speaking countries do especially badly at housebuilding:
Adversarial and litigious common law systems (Anglo) vs judge-led civil law systems elsewhere.
samf.substack.com/p/build-the-...
Adversarial and litigious common law systems (Anglo) vs judge-led civil law systems elsewhere.
samf.substack.com/p/build-the-...
My brother-in-law in his driveway in the Wairarapa. Big trees down, power out. Luckily they are a three-chainsaw-household.
February 15, 2026 at 10:30 PM
My brother-in-law in his driveway in the Wairarapa. Big trees down, power out. Luckily they are a three-chainsaw-household.
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
In other words, we have a state of emergency when it comes to states of emergency.
See @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social’s thread for more charts showing the state of it (the emergency of emergencies) ⤵️
See @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social’s thread for more charts showing the state of it (the emergency of emergencies) ⤵️
Here is another way of approaching it - for the 0.1% (318) most rainy known hours at Auckland Airport (in north of country, has long run of data), when were those hours distributed through time.
February 15, 2026 at 12:01 AM
In other words, we have a state of emergency when it comes to states of emergency.
See @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social’s thread for more charts showing the state of it (the emergency of emergencies) ⤵️
See @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social’s thread for more charts showing the state of it (the emergency of emergencies) ⤵️
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
It really is amazing how much of political punditry, *especially* elite outfits in NYC and Washington, still embrace this bizarre idea that rural spaces represent the "Real America" while metropolitan areas, where most (presumably real) Americans actually live, should be held in contempt.
Just going to point out again that our arbitrary political rules permit Republicans to attack urban areas with impunity but strictly forbid the faintest whiff of condescension toward rural areas by Democrats
“The first thing I thought was, ‘What is she talking about?’” said Bryan Fish, the vice mayor of Culver City, whom everyone calls Bubba but doesn’t look like someone whom everyone calls Bubba. “The only crime here,” he added, “is like the $18 strawberry at Erewhon.”
culver city, crime haven! lmaooo
culver city, crime haven! lmaooo
February 14, 2026 at 10:41 PM
It really is amazing how much of political punditry, *especially* elite outfits in NYC and Washington, still embrace this bizarre idea that rural spaces represent the "Real America" while metropolitan areas, where most (presumably real) Americans actually live, should be held in contempt.
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
A leading American research lab is slated to lose its critical supercomputing facility, according to a letter released by the National Science Foundation.https://cnn.it/3MoF7zU
February 14, 2026 at 3:01 AM
A leading American research lab is slated to lose its critical supercomputing facility, according to a letter released by the National Science Foundation.https://cnn.it/3MoF7zU
A doozy from Bluesky’s free article feed - Noem’s ‘close friend’ Corey Lewandowski "fired a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after [Kristi] Noem's blanket was left behind on a plane" — a decision that was reversed when they realized they needed someone to take them home.
February 13, 2026 at 7:10 PM
A doozy from Bluesky’s free article feed - Noem’s ‘close friend’ Corey Lewandowski "fired a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after [Kristi] Noem's blanket was left behind on a plane" — a decision that was reversed when they realized they needed someone to take them home.
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Happy birthday to one of my favourite haters, Charles Darwin
February 12, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Happy birthday to one of my favourite haters, Charles Darwin
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Wikipedia editors trying to fend off the onslaught of AI crap have crowdsourced some telltale signs of LLM-generated writing; it might be handy for editors and proofreaders generally. Thanks to @ellenrykers.com for pointing me to it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...
Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
August 31, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Wikipedia editors trying to fend off the onslaught of AI crap have crowdsourced some telltale signs of LLM-generated writing; it might be handy for editors and proofreaders generally. Thanks to @ellenrykers.com for pointing me to it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Taking responsibility for your actions is a tool of Western Imperialist hegemony
Noam Chomsky's wife says he was 'ensnared' and 'manipulated' by Epstein - https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/noam-chomskys-wife-says-he-was-ensnared-and-manipulated-epstein
Noam Chomsky's wife says he was 'ensnared' and 'manipulated' by Epstein
The veteran left-wing intellectual met and corresponded extensively with Epstein, newly released files reveal
www.middleeasteye.net
February 9, 2026 at 1:13 AM
Taking responsibility for your actions is a tool of Western Imperialist hegemony
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Not sure if "in record numbers" means "not as high as in 2018, 2019, or 2020". This whole story reads like sponsored content for Crimson Education. It also confuses undergrad study (NZ$50–100K/year, CE's market) and postgrad study (usually free)—utterly different cases.
February 8, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Not sure if "in record numbers" means "not as high as in 2018, 2019, or 2020". This whole story reads like sponsored content for Crimson Education. It also confuses undergrad study (NZ$50–100K/year, CE's market) and postgrad study (usually free)—utterly different cases.
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Helen Petousis-Harris's piece on how the WHO is vital for New Zealand just nails it. While I am here, can I also just say that @helenp-h.bsky.social is a national treasure. theconversation.com/who-membersh...
WHO membership doesn’t threaten NZ’s sovereignty – walking away from it would
The World Health Organization is a global body, but decisions affecting New Zealand are made in Wellington, not in Geneva.
theconversation.com
February 8, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Helen Petousis-Harris's piece on how the WHO is vital for New Zealand just nails it. While I am here, can I also just say that @helenp-h.bsky.social is a national treasure. theconversation.com/who-membersh...
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Thread:
So on this day when one of the oligarchs of our digitized and dystopic world is emptying one of America's greatest newsrooms of trained and committed journalists, I thought I would regale you all with a wonderful little anecdote about our world to come. It involves two of the finest...
So on this day when one of the oligarchs of our digitized and dystopic world is emptying one of America's greatest newsrooms of trained and committed journalists, I thought I would regale you all with a wonderful little anecdote about our world to come. It involves two of the finest...
February 5, 2026 at 2:28 AM
Thread:
So on this day when one of the oligarchs of our digitized and dystopic world is emptying one of America's greatest newsrooms of trained and committed journalists, I thought I would regale you all with a wonderful little anecdote about our world to come. It involves two of the finest...
So on this day when one of the oligarchs of our digitized and dystopic world is emptying one of America's greatest newsrooms of trained and committed journalists, I thought I would regale you all with a wonderful little anecdote about our world to come. It involves two of the finest...
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
i say this with love because everyone starts somewhere, but it's just that, sometimes you see someone with a massive platform and they're like "it kind of seems like republicans favor the rich?"
February 4, 2026 at 10:11 PM
i say this with love because everyone starts somewhere, but it's just that, sometimes you see someone with a massive platform and they're like "it kind of seems like republicans favor the rich?"
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
"Nouriel Roubini thinks the writing is on the wall for the crypto industry, one that has offered no use cases beyond crime and corruption" www.interest.co.nz/business/137... Hard to disagree...
The coming crypto apocalypse
Nouriel Roubini thinks the writing is on the wall for the crypto industry, one that has offered no use cases beyond crime and corruption
www.interest.co.nz
February 4, 2026 at 8:08 PM
"Nouriel Roubini thinks the writing is on the wall for the crypto industry, one that has offered no use cases beyond crime and corruption" www.interest.co.nz/business/137... Hard to disagree...
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
A publisher who lays off a reporter whose pen is freezing because she's covering a frigid war zone while dodging missiles is not an editor you want to work for, in a more perfect world
February 4, 2026 at 5:07 PM
A publisher who lays off a reporter whose pen is freezing because she's covering a frigid war zone while dodging missiles is not an editor you want to work for, in a more perfect world
Everything about this piece - about the WH's doctoring of a photo of a pastor arrested for protesting ICE - is so disturbing.
“If you are so seamlessly intermixing real and fake, why should I believe anything you do?”
The latest in a long history of brazen racialized propaganda
“If you are so seamlessly intermixing real and fake, why should I believe anything you do?”
The latest in a long history of brazen racialized propaganda
‘They Couldn’t Break Me’: A Protester, the White House and a Doctored Photo
www.nytimes.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:19 PM
Everything about this piece - about the WH's doctoring of a photo of a pastor arrested for protesting ICE - is so disturbing.
“If you are so seamlessly intermixing real and fake, why should I believe anything you do?”
The latest in a long history of brazen racialized propaganda
“If you are so seamlessly intermixing real and fake, why should I believe anything you do?”
The latest in a long history of brazen racialized propaganda
This whole thread is brilliant. And molten. Go Judge Reyes
Judge Reyes starts with a comparison: George Washington versus Kristi Noem.
February 3, 2026 at 6:08 PM
This whole thread is brilliant. And molten. Go Judge Reyes
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
1/4
Rep. Kelly Morrison, is a practicing M.D. Her description of conditions in the Whipple detention facility are horrifying.
Here is a rough transcript of the video she just posted. @kellymorrisonmn.bsky.social
Rep. Kelly Morrison, is a practicing M.D. Her description of conditions in the Whipple detention facility are horrifying.
Here is a rough transcript of the video she just posted. @kellymorrisonmn.bsky.social
February 1, 2026 at 11:22 PM
1/4
Rep. Kelly Morrison, is a practicing M.D. Her description of conditions in the Whipple detention facility are horrifying.
Here is a rough transcript of the video she just posted. @kellymorrisonmn.bsky.social
Rep. Kelly Morrison, is a practicing M.D. Her description of conditions in the Whipple detention facility are horrifying.
Here is a rough transcript of the video she just posted. @kellymorrisonmn.bsky.social
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
The billions to DHS have built the for-profit panopticon surveillance state they were unable to fully push through after 9/11 because people fought back.
It took 25 years but they have it now.
This cannot be reformed. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/t...
It took 25 years but they have it now.
This cannot be reformed. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/t...
How ICE Already Knows Who Minneapolis Protesters Are
www.nytimes.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:10 PM
The billions to DHS have built the for-profit panopticon surveillance state they were unable to fully push through after 9/11 because people fought back.
It took 25 years but they have it now.
This cannot be reformed. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/t...
It took 25 years but they have it now.
This cannot be reformed. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/t...
Waiheke survived the deluge with no loss of life - but it was close. An Onetangi man disappeared up to his hat in the flood while trying to keep his pet Pipi getting sucked into a culvert. This is the face of a dog who got sucked into a culvert, escaped and is now a massive newspaper hero.
January 29, 2026 at 11:09 PM
Waiheke survived the deluge with no loss of life - but it was close. An Onetangi man disappeared up to his hat in the flood while trying to keep his pet Pipi getting sucked into a culvert. This is the face of a dog who got sucked into a culvert, escaped and is now a massive newspaper hero.
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
NEW: The Israeli military today accepted the Gaza Health Ministry's estimate of 70,000+ killed.
But in 2024, 62 Dems joined 207 Republicans to ban the State Dept. from citing the Ministry's stats.
Now, even Israel accepts them — perhaps because they realize what is feared: the toll is even higher.
But in 2024, 62 Dems joined 207 Republicans to ban the State Dept. from citing the Ministry's stats.
Now, even Israel accepts them — perhaps because they realize what is feared: the toll is even higher.
January 29, 2026 at 4:19 PM
NEW: The Israeli military today accepted the Gaza Health Ministry's estimate of 70,000+ killed.
But in 2024, 62 Dems joined 207 Republicans to ban the State Dept. from citing the Ministry's stats.
Now, even Israel accepts them — perhaps because they realize what is feared: the toll is even higher.
But in 2024, 62 Dems joined 207 Republicans to ban the State Dept. from citing the Ministry's stats.
Now, even Israel accepts them — perhaps because they realize what is feared: the toll is even higher.
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
NZ has fallen into a 'crisis and response' pattern on climate disaster, experts say. Billions have been spent on storm recovery since 2023, while key climate adaptation funding and planning tools have been cut.
My story looking at last week’s storms
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
My story looking at last week’s storms
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
January 29, 2026 at 6:10 PM
NZ has fallen into a 'crisis and response' pattern on climate disaster, experts say. Billions have been spent on storm recovery since 2023, while key climate adaptation funding and planning tools have been cut.
My story looking at last week’s storms
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
My story looking at last week’s storms
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Trump’s fundraisers are now using the threat of dispatching ICE against citizens as an email engagement tactic.
January 28, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Trump’s fundraisers are now using the threat of dispatching ICE against citizens as an email engagement tactic.
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
BILLY BRAGG - CITY OF HEROES
YouTube video by Billy Bragg
www.youtube.com
January 26, 2026 at 10:42 PM