A.J. Ponder
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ponderbooks.com
A.J. Ponder
@ponderbooks.com
2.2K followers 1.7K following 6K posts
Author at https://ponderbooks.com
Poet. Builder of worlds. Player of games.
He, she, they.
Posts Replies Media Videos
ponderbooks.com
Looking for some fantasy reading during the break?

You'll find lots of fun free books on this one, Paul J Bennet's Servants of the Crown, Patty Janson's Dragons and Lore full book compilation, The Secret Child,

books.bookfunnel.com/scififantasy...
🧙‍♂️⚔️ 📚💙 #booksky
FREE Sci-Fi & Fantasy Reads - December 2025
Be the first to discover Fantasy and Sci-Fi’s Rising Stars! New tales, endless horizons—start your new journey here. (Limited-time offer)
books.bookfunnel.com
December 29, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
organiser.bsky.social
Overseeing it with bringing New Zealand into wage parity with Australia within a decade.

Poverty wages in NZ are a political choice. Wealthy business owners can and should pay better, but must be required to do so.

#nzpol
December 27, 2025 at 11:30 PM
ponderbooks.com
The Christmas song every year...
December 26, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
suzirose.bsky.social
This cause is close to my heart - please sign: our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/a-...
A Call for Safe Air and Masking in Healthcare Settings
We, the general public, and the undersigned clinicians, scientists, and health professionals, call for the urgent reinstatement of basic airborne-infection-control measures—clean indoor air and approp...
our.actionstation.org.nz
December 25, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
mandyh.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/mountain...
Jacinda Ardern and James Shaw ultimately effective
Positive leadership and values matters; and the last Greens-Labour combination was more effective than portrayed. Here's one illustration of why.
open.substack.com
December 16, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
cjs.nz
Yesterday I posted about my new web tracker of how often the parliament has gone into Urgency this term. #nzpol seemed to appreciate it and this evening I added a way to see the percentage of bills passed under urgency by each parliament.
The results are interesting!
See for yourself: nzpt.cjs.nz
A screenshot of the NZPT urgency tracker showing that the 52nd Parliament of New Zealand sat for 251 days, 14 of those urgent, meaning 5.5% of sittings were disrupted by urgency. The statistics also show that the 52nd Parliament passed 283 bills, 83 of which were in some part under urgency, meaning 29.33% of bills were under urgency. A screenshot of the NZPT urgency tracker showing that the 53rd Parliament of New Zealand sat for 226 days, 19 of those urgent, meaning 8.41% of sittings were disrupted by urgency. The statistics also show that the 53rd Parliament passed 275 bills, 80 of which were in some part under urgency, meaning 29.09% of bills were under urgency. A screenshot of the NZPT urgency tracker showing that as of 25 December 2025 the 54th Parliament of New Zealand sat for 154 days, 19 of those urgent, meaning 12.34% of sittings were disrupted by urgency. The statistics also show that the 54th Parliament passed 182 bills, 104 of which were in some part under urgency, meaning 54.14% of bills were under urgency.
December 25, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
occasio.bsky.social
Background article paints a sad picture of Aotearoa NZ today. Aidhan has support of 2 GP’s & the kindy he attends - more qualified than Penk. The article reads as though parents have done all they can, all above board, Immigration NZ made mistakes & still this little fellow will be cast out. #nzpol
Minister orders boy’s deportation after autism diagnosis
A neurodivergent Indian boy in Nelson has been refused a visa, despite both his parents being frontline healthcare workers holding residency.
www.thepress.co.nz
December 23, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
kaimataara.bsky.social
My most recent article on how the medical system in NZ is pretty damn awful to Māori and how docs are much like cops open.substack.com/pub/kaimataa...

#nzpol
The health system broke me
Racism and suffering as medical method in Aotearoa New Zealand
open.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
thetasalmon.bsky.social
A clear warning for NZ.

Firewall media from money and power… or lose our Democracy.

NB: The monied and powerful have almost completed their takeover of NZ media.

#nzpol
kattenbarge.bsky.social Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 7d
Bari Weiss is the logical endpoint of corporate media. This is what happens when people who hate journalism are in charge of it. The only way journalism works is when it’s independent from the power it’s supposed to hold to account, which means ownership can’t have anything to do with those in power
December 22, 2025 at 6:37 PM
ponderbooks.com
"The Luxon Government have just changed NZ’s mining rules so that it is easier for mining companies to get approval to dig up and trash wetlands, biodiversity hotspots and the country’s most fertile soils...."

www.instagram.com/p/DSZNszEEbFl/

#nzpol
Login • Instagram
Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.
www.instagram.com
December 22, 2025 at 11:28 AM
ponderbooks.com
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete ki a koe I hope you're looking forward to a lovely break over Christmas. And if you are, think of me, I'm going to be flat out on three projects! Convening New Zealand’s Premier Judged Speculative Fiction Award. Te Pae Tawhiti. NZ authors…
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete ki a koe I hope you're looking forward to a lovely break over Christmas. And if you are, think of me, I'm going to be flat out on three projects! Convening New Zealand’s Premier Judged Speculative Fiction Award. Te Pae Tawhiti. NZ authors be warned, entries close January 9th 2026! Eileen Mueller's Riders of Fire: Dragon Masters 1-3 Luxe Omnibus…
ponderbooks.com
December 22, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
timgummer.bsky.social
This. Here. Now. #housingfirst.
Or just as soon as this psychopapthic austerity-junkie govt is gone.
#nzpol
December 22, 2025 at 4:07 AM
ponderbooks.com
Time to email people. Esp if you're a Wellington city constituent. This open corruption and laissez-faire response is the type that will create even more havoc if it is not quickly dealt with.

Mayoral.Meetings@wcc.govt.nz
info@andrewlittle.nz

#NZpol
December 22, 2025 at 6:41 AM
ponderbooks.com
Baby takahē is so cute!
Hopefully have a wee visit over the holiday break! :)

www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Miracle’ of Zealandia: chick is born to rare takahē pair thought to be infertile
Unexpected arrival is a boon for birdlife in New Zealand, where there are only 500 takahē left
www.theguardian.com
December 22, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
nicrawlencenz.bsky.social
We need to get control of deer numbers (& exotic ungulates) in NZ before widespread forest ecosystem collapse ensues. This piece I wrote for @theconversationnz.bsky.social in 2022 is still very much true today especially with the push for herds of special interest theconversation.com/despite-the-...
December 21, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
lotts.bsky.social
NZ deserves effective policies to rebalance wealth equality.

So far what both The Green’s and Labour are offering are performative efforts, and that’s the best and only that’s on offer. It’s time to demand what works.

#nzpol
#nzelection2026
richardjmurphy.bsky.social Richard Murphy @richardjmurphy.bsky.social · 8d
The push for wealth taxes has been one of the defining economic debates of 2025. The question now is how to create policies that work.

If we are serious about justice, democracy and effective government, this is the path we should take.

youtu.be/iSE8GsNZgBU?...
If we want tax justice in 2026, this is the way to tax wealth
YouTube video by Richard J Murphy
youtu.be
December 21, 2025 at 9:05 AM
ponderbooks.com
Maisie hiding in her blanket cave.
Orange tabby cat with a cream moustache, and big green eyes. The lighting is very dark due to the lack of direct light as she's been caught under the blankets.
December 21, 2025 at 8:02 AM
ponderbooks.com
Herbert posing atop the couch. 🐈‍⬛
Herbert a black and white tuxie cat sitting on the back of a blue couch. He's loafing but you can see a little white paw. And his one eye makes him look a little pensive.
December 21, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
humantransit.bsky.social
One sign of a great leader is when they continue a defeated predecessor’s policy because it was a good policy.

Bad leaders blow up everything just because it isn’t theirs.

New York Mayor-Elect Mamdani will retain a key housing leader from Mayor Adams’s “City of Yes” work.
December 20, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
occasio.bsky.social
Here’s the difference @nzgeo.bsky.social make #nzpol 👆🏼
nzgeo.bsky.social New Zealand Geographic @nzgeo.bsky.social · Nov 11
What would New Zealand be without kiwi? Without Fiordland rainforest, or the haunting call of kōkako? If we run down our ecosystems, and thin out the ocean, is the weight of that loss not greater than the commodity value of the timber or tonnage of fish?
Measuring impact: Here’s the difference NZGeo makes
What would New Zealand be without kiwi? Without Fiordland rainforest, or the haunting call of kōkako? If we run down our ecosystems, and thin out the ocean, is the weight of that loss not greater than...
www.nzgeo.com
December 21, 2025 at 3:22 AM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
drbex.bsky.social
That's a BILLION DOLLARS this government is underspending in health. A BILLION DOLLARS taken out of healthcare!

They have the money, they just don't want to spend it. Not on on hospitals or doctors or nurses or admin staff or regional health care, or anyone of a myriad of needed items.

#nzpol
December 19, 2025 at 7:13 AM
ponderbooks.com
Gary Payinda outlining what's happening (and not happening) in and to our health system

open.substack.com/pub/drgarypa...
my prep notes for a convo with craig renney, economist
talking about healthcare funding
open.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
alans-world.bsky.social
#NZpol

As much any of these articles come out (*not enough*), the *voting majority* of Mainstream NZ sits in front of their TV daily, consumes a half hr of RW-tilted shit and walks away going "So BILLIONS in GOLD vs tHe FuCkiNg GrEeNs? No contest maaaate!"

And that's how consent is manufactured...
December 19, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
tonywelly.bsky.social
Sadly NZ is getting pillaged and we won't even notice.
Government will have a few lunches, some lobster dinners, some bribes.

The only we will notice it when we have to pay for the clean up after they have left NZ.

#nzpol
pete0.bsky.social PeteO @pete0.bsky.social · 11d
These articles always talk about the billions of dollars of gold - but that is effectively the money that is going overseas, leaving kiwis with pennies in the dollar.

In 2024/2025 the NZ Govt received a total of $143 million from all mining, all sources.

#nzpol

www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...
Controversial $8 billion gold mine plan given Fast Track approval
A controversial plan to mine around $8b worth of gold under conservation land in Coromandel has been given the green light under the Government’s Fast Track law.
www.stuff.co.nz
December 19, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Reposted by A.J. Ponder
ciaraarmstrong.bsky.social
Finally!!!
I pushed through lots of pain to finish her. Really need to sell her quickly, & for as much $ as I can possibly get… definitely wanting at least $1500 as she’s very big.
78.5cm x 70cm.
Please share widely, I would greatly appreciate the help.
#CrossStitch #Kikorangi
#nzpol
Cross Stitch portrait of woman with black hair, green eyes, a green knitted jumper & yellow knitted hat. Green background colours. 78.5cm x 70cm
December 15, 2025 at 7:14 AM