Damon Colbert
@mrdcolbert.bsky.social
Science can be testing (he/him)
Reposted by Damon Colbert
Absolute gold thespinoff.co.nz/politics/21-...
How to have a ‘mature conversation’ about asset sales
Christopher Luxon wants 'a more mature conversation' about selling public assets. Big daddy Spinoff is here to explain the birds and the bees of privatisation.
thespinoff.co.nz
November 22, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Absolute gold thespinoff.co.nz/politics/21-...
Committing that workplace sin of heating fish in the microwave. I had no choice.
September 24, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Committing that workplace sin of heating fish in the microwave. I had no choice.
My 5 simple pleasures to beat doomscrolling
1. The ritual, aroma & flavor of morning coffee
2. Rolling dice & performing imaginary heroic deeds with friends
3. The glassy ocean surface on the perfect day for diving
4. Trusting the process & nailing a miniature paint job
5. Brewing a good beer
1. The ritual, aroma & flavor of morning coffee
2. Rolling dice & performing imaginary heroic deeds with friends
3. The glassy ocean surface on the perfect day for diving
4. Trusting the process & nailing a miniature paint job
5. Brewing a good beer
Battle doomscrolling by posting 5 small pleasures in life:
1. Walking on the beach and dipping my toes in the Pacific Ocean
2. Riding down a mountain with a snowboard under my feet
3. Drinking whisky with friends
4. Being a good husband, father, and friend (or trying)
5. Making beer at home
1. Walking on the beach and dipping my toes in the Pacific Ocean
2. Riding down a mountain with a snowboard under my feet
3. Drinking whisky with friends
4. Being a good husband, father, and friend (or trying)
5. Making beer at home
Battle doomscrolling by posting 5 small pleasures in life:
1. Riding bicycle through places that have good coastal California smells
2. Thumping the small chonky dog like a watermelon
3. Making chicken noises
5. Listening to KEXP
6. Eating a burrito the size of a newborn infant
1. Riding bicycle through places that have good coastal California smells
2. Thumping the small chonky dog like a watermelon
3. Making chicken noises
5. Listening to KEXP
6. Eating a burrito the size of a newborn infant
September 18, 2025 at 3:34 AM
My 5 simple pleasures to beat doomscrolling
1. The ritual, aroma & flavor of morning coffee
2. Rolling dice & performing imaginary heroic deeds with friends
3. The glassy ocean surface on the perfect day for diving
4. Trusting the process & nailing a miniature paint job
5. Brewing a good beer
1. The ritual, aroma & flavor of morning coffee
2. Rolling dice & performing imaginary heroic deeds with friends
3. The glassy ocean surface on the perfect day for diving
4. Trusting the process & nailing a miniature paint job
5. Brewing a good beer
Reposted by Damon Colbert
An interview with AT’s chief executive, on the eve of his corporate execution
An interview with AT’s chief executive, on the eve of his corporate execution
Dean Kimpton thought he was turning Auckland Transport around. Then his political bosses spent a week telling everyone how much it sucks....
thespinoff.co.nz
September 14, 2025 at 7:30 PM
An interview with AT’s chief executive, on the eve of his corporate execution
Reposted by Damon Colbert
Can you unshrink your clothes after a washing disaster?
Why do some clothes shrink in the wash? A textile scientist explains how to ‘unshrink’ them
When your favourite dress or shirt shrinks in the wash, it can be devastating, especially if you followed the instructions closely. Unfortunately, some fabrics just seem to be more prone to shrinking than others – but why?
www.rnz.co.nz
August 5, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Can you unshrink your clothes after a washing disaster?
Reposted by Damon Colbert
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/... Majority of Government’s $231m spend on Advanced Technology Institute funded through planned research funding cuts
Majority of Govt's $231m tech institute funded through research funding cuts
'It will be a cornerstone of our plan to grow a high-tech, high-value economy.'
www.nzherald.co.nz
August 5, 2025 at 6:38 PM
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/... Majority of Government’s $231m spend on Advanced Technology Institute funded through planned research funding cuts
Reposted by Damon Colbert
Personally I love it when the government works very hard to keep massive law changes a secret and then retrospectively releases all the information about it at 8.34pm on a Thursday www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Project 10: How the government kept the pay equity law change secret
Documents reveal how the government worked to keep sweeping pay equity changes hidden until the last minute.
www.rnz.co.nz
July 31, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Personally I love it when the government works very hard to keep massive law changes a secret and then retrospectively releases all the information about it at 8.34pm on a Thursday www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Reposted by Damon Colbert
This is such an important read. Thank you @haydendonnell.bsky.social thespinoff.co.nz/politics/15-...
Weird men are driving people out of politics
Their smear campaigns are ham-fisted and grotesque. They’re also working.
thespinoff.co.nz
July 14, 2025 at 11:24 PM
This is such an important read. Thank you @haydendonnell.bsky.social thespinoff.co.nz/politics/15-...
Reposted by Damon Colbert
A must read, Aotearoa New Zealand: "In many ways, the campaign launched and fronted by the Deputy Prime Minister is lame, even laughable. At the same time, it is an abuse of high office. "
#kiwi
#newzealand
#kiwi
#newzealand
Anne Salmond: Victim of the Day
Dame Anne Salmond on a lame but personally intimidating campaign launched by Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour against academic critics of his Regulatory Standards Bill
newsroom.co.nz
June 22, 2025 at 10:55 PM
A must read, Aotearoa New Zealand: "In many ways, the campaign launched and fronted by the Deputy Prime Minister is lame, even laughable. At the same time, it is an abuse of high office. "
#kiwi
#newzealand
#kiwi
#newzealand
The best thing is when there's a long weekend and your fortnightly Saturday D&D game has a bonus session, on top of the scheduled monthly Sunday game you run.
a man with glasses and a mustache is wearing a white shirt and says yes .
ALT: a man with glasses and a mustache is wearing a white shirt and says yes .
media.tenor.com
June 18, 2025 at 11:04 PM
The best thing is when there's a long weekend and your fortnightly Saturday D&D game has a bonus session, on top of the scheduled monthly Sunday game you run.
Reposted by Damon Colbert
* we didn't turn on her, the media gave voice to the most insane misogynist fringes of society *
Outside New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern is regarded as a liberal paragon among world leaders. Why did her own country turn on her?
Why Did New Zealand Turn on Jacinda Ardern?
A new memoir by the former Prime Minister revisits her time in office but doesn’t explain the confounding transformation the country underwent during COVID.
www.newyorker.com
June 5, 2025 at 11:48 PM
* we didn't turn on her, the media gave voice to the most insane misogynist fringes of society *
How To Get Away With Laundering, coming to a lecture theatre near you.
May 27, 2025 at 12:33 AM
How To Get Away With Laundering, coming to a lecture theatre near you.
Reposted by Damon Colbert
I like this one
May 1, 2025 at 6:35 AM
I like this one
Reposted by Damon Colbert
Safety message: Make your coffee before assisting others with their coffee.
May 1, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Safety message: Make your coffee before assisting others with their coffee.
Reposted by Damon Colbert
Just to be clear, this is a violation of the fundamental ethical principle in clinical trial design called "equipoise."
Equipoise means that no-one is exposed to excess risk just to test the therapy. That's specifically *why* vaccine trials don't use placebo arms.
Ethical violation as POLICY.
Equipoise means that no-one is exposed to excess risk just to test the therapy. That's specifically *why* vaccine trials don't use placebo arms.
Ethical violation as POLICY.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr will require all new vaccines to undergo placebo testing, WaPo reports
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr intends to shift the way vaccines are tested, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing a spokesperson from the HHS.
www.reuters.com
May 1, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Just to be clear, this is a violation of the fundamental ethical principle in clinical trial design called "equipoise."
Equipoise means that no-one is exposed to excess risk just to test the therapy. That's specifically *why* vaccine trials don't use placebo arms.
Ethical violation as POLICY.
Equipoise means that no-one is exposed to excess risk just to test the therapy. That's specifically *why* vaccine trials don't use placebo arms.
Ethical violation as POLICY.
Serving us as well after we're gone at it does now 😅
@smbccomics.bsky.social
@smbccomics.bsky.social
May 1, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Serving us as well after we're gone at it does now 😅
@smbccomics.bsky.social
@smbccomics.bsky.social
Reposted by Damon Colbert
Knew they'd be going after unions sooner or later.
Of course we know it's really about freeing up employers to treat workers as chaff, not about individual rights.
Join your unions folks, and get involved!
Of course we know it's really about freeing up employers to treat workers as chaff, not about individual rights.
Join your unions folks, and get involved!
Do you really want the Party who negotiated the new school lunch program negotiating your work rights? #NZPol
April 15, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Knew they'd be going after unions sooner or later.
Of course we know it's really about freeing up employers to treat workers as chaff, not about individual rights.
Join your unions folks, and get involved!
Of course we know it's really about freeing up employers to treat workers as chaff, not about individual rights.
Join your unions folks, and get involved!
Well who saw this coming? 🙋
Apparently the health & well-being of small business employees don't matter as much. Exceptionally gakaxy-brained move to get rid of pesky notification of *critical* incidents.
www.1news.co.nz/2025/03/31/g...
Apparently the health & well-being of small business employees don't matter as much. Exceptionally gakaxy-brained move to get rid of pesky notification of *critical* incidents.
www.1news.co.nz/2025/03/31/g...
Govt to reduce health and safety requirements for smaller businesses
One of the measures is devised to tackle the "sea of road cones" that the Government believes is stifling businesses.
www.1news.co.nz
April 1, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Well who saw this coming? 🙋
Apparently the health & well-being of small business employees don't matter as much. Exceptionally gakaxy-brained move to get rid of pesky notification of *critical* incidents.
www.1news.co.nz/2025/03/31/g...
Apparently the health & well-being of small business employees don't matter as much. Exceptionally gakaxy-brained move to get rid of pesky notification of *critical* incidents.
www.1news.co.nz/2025/03/31/g...
Reposted by Damon Colbert
powerful detailed account of ICE captivity
"To put things into perspective: I had a Canadian passport, lawyers, resources, media attention, friends, family and even politicians advocating for me...Imagine what this system is like for every other person in there"
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
"To put things into perspective: I had a Canadian passport, lawyers, resources, media attention, friends, family and even politicians advocating for me...Imagine what this system is like for every other person in there"
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped
I was stuck in a freezing cell without explanation despite eventually having lawyers and media attention. Yet, compared with others, I was lucky
www.theguardian.com
March 19, 2025 at 11:46 AM
powerful detailed account of ICE captivity
"To put things into perspective: I had a Canadian passport, lawyers, resources, media attention, friends, family and even politicians advocating for me...Imagine what this system is like for every other person in there"
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
"To put things into perspective: I had a Canadian passport, lawyers, resources, media attention, friends, family and even politicians advocating for me...Imagine what this system is like for every other person in there"
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Damon Colbert
Dress Code Drama at the Oval Office
zezvaz.com/cartoons
zezvaz.com/cartoons
March 2, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Dress Code Drama at the Oval Office
zezvaz.com/cartoons
zezvaz.com/cartoons
Reposted by Damon Colbert
Here’s how Aotearoa NZ’s education system was captured by a right-wing think tank in late 2023 and early 2024.
(Reposting for all the new followers)
(Reposting for all the new followers)
How a special interest group took over the refresh of the New Zealand curriculum
This is a scandal. I have spent the last week diving into the documents released through an OIA request made by the New Zealand Association for Teachers of English. Attached is my write up. Please …
bevanholloway.com
November 30, 2024 at 7:11 PM
Here’s how Aotearoa NZ’s education system was captured by a right-wing think tank in late 2023 and early 2024.
(Reposting for all the new followers)
(Reposting for all the new followers)
Starting 2025 as I have ever - with a loudly expressed fart at a completely inappropriate opportunity.
January 10, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Starting 2025 as I have ever - with a loudly expressed fart at a completely inappropriate opportunity.
Seasons Greetings adventurers!
I dungeonified our sad little fake seasonal tree this year, with some 3D printed and painted monster ornaments.
I dungeonified our sad little fake seasonal tree this year, with some 3D printed and painted monster ornaments.
December 25, 2024 at 2:35 AM
Seasons Greetings adventurers!
I dungeonified our sad little fake seasonal tree this year, with some 3D printed and painted monster ornaments.
I dungeonified our sad little fake seasonal tree this year, with some 3D printed and painted monster ornaments.