John Valentine :tinoflag:
@dunedinmouse.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy
A rather retiring retired bibliophile with a leftward lean
#amreading #nzpol #Otepoti #scifi #historicalfiction #crimefiction #pratchett #yeahnoir
[bridged from https://mastodon.nz/@dunedinmouse on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
#amreading #nzpol #Otepoti #scifi #historicalfiction #crimefiction #pratchett #yeahnoir
[bridged from https://mastodon.nz/@dunedinmouse on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Reposted by John Valentine :tinoflag:
February 17, 2026 at 3:33 AM
It is 2026 and Stuff can still offer a headline like this: One in 100-year rainfall recorded in parts of Waikato. https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360938220/one-100-year-rainfall-recorded-parts-waikato #climatechange #nzpol
Stuff
www.stuff.co.nz
February 13, 2026 at 9:13 PM
It is 2026 and Stuff can still offer a headline like this: One in 100-year rainfall recorded in parts of Waikato. https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360938220/one-100-year-rainfall-recorded-parts-waikato #climatechange #nzpol
[#NZPol hair-oil and socks]
I can't shake Janet Wilson's description of Luxon and Watts exuding Salesman Sam energy, all hair-oil and no socks. https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360947038/slick-sales-job-country-doesnt-need #nzpol
I can't shake Janet Wilson's description of Luxon and Watts exuding Salesman Sam energy, all hair-oil and no socks. https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360947038/slick-sales-job-country-doesnt-need #nzpol
The Post
www.thepost.co.nz
February 13, 2026 at 12:12 AM
[#NZPol hair-oil and socks]
I can't shake Janet Wilson's description of Luxon and Watts exuding Salesman Sam energy, all hair-oil and no socks. https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360947038/slick-sales-job-country-doesnt-need #nzpol
I can't shake Janet Wilson's description of Luxon and Watts exuding Salesman Sam energy, all hair-oil and no socks. https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360947038/slick-sales-job-country-doesnt-need #nzpol
[#NZPol Words mean what Davis sys they do!]
The Government has quietly changed the name of the school lunches programme, dropping the te reo Māori title. The scheme was launched in 2020 with the name “Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches.” Associate Education Minister David Seymour, who is […]
The Government has quietly changed the name of the school lunches programme, dropping the te reo Māori title. The scheme was launched in 2020 with the name “Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches.” Associate Education Minister David Seymour, who is […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
February 12, 2026 at 7:43 PM
[#NZPol Words mean what Davis sys they do!]
The Government has quietly changed the name of the school lunches programme, dropping the te reo Māori title. The scheme was launched in 2020 with the name “Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches.” Associate Education Minister David Seymour, who is […]
The Government has quietly changed the name of the school lunches programme, dropping the te reo Māori title. The scheme was launched in 2020 with the name “Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches.” Associate Education Minister David Seymour, who is […]
Risking another as yet unfinished fantasy series. Adrian Tchaikovsky is a much safer bet than Patrick Rothfuss ever was. Loved the Children of Time series so have high hopes for the Tyrant Philosophers. So far he is building a very dense picture of an occupied […]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
February 11, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Risking another as yet unfinished fantasy series. Adrian Tchaikovsky is a much safer bet than Patrick Rothfuss ever was. Loved the Children of Time series so have high hopes for the Tyrant Philosophers. So far he is building a very dense picture of an occupied […]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
I think the very last detail I remember from the Kingkiller Chronicle has now vanished from my memory. Volume 2 was published in 2011 and the third, The Doors of Stone, has not yet appeared. I am now too old to reread the first two if the last did happen to be […]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
February 10, 2026 at 10:52 PM
I think the very last detail I remember from the Kingkiller Chronicle has now vanished from my memory. Volume 2 was published in 2011 and the third, The Doors of Stone, has not yet appeared. I am now too old to reread the first two if the last did happen to be […]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
"Luxon and his team have been in office now for over two years. That’s eight times longer than the 90 day trial period in which new workers are expected to prove their worth, or be fired. By the standards it expects of others, the coalition government should be held accountable for its failure […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
February 7, 2026 at 1:31 AM
"Luxon and his team have been in office now for over two years. That’s eight times longer than the 90 day trial period in which new workers are expected to prove their worth, or be fired. By the standards it expects of others, the coalition government should be held accountable for its failure […]
Reposted by John Valentine :tinoflag:
February 5, 2026 at 7:56 PM
[#NZPol Winston Peters]
The New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs seriously suggests we should be considering joining this Trump alternative to the United Nations. "The charter says the chairman can be replaced only in case of "voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity", Trump being […]
The New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs seriously suggests we should be considering joining this Trump alternative to the United Nations. "The charter says the chairman can be replaced only in case of "voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity", Trump being […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
January 27, 2026 at 5:47 AM
[#NZPol Winston Peters]
The New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs seriously suggests we should be considering joining this Trump alternative to the United Nations. "The charter says the chairman can be replaced only in case of "voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity", Trump being […]
The New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs seriously suggests we should be considering joining this Trump alternative to the United Nations. "The charter says the chairman can be replaced only in case of "voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity", Trump being […]
Reposted by John Valentine :tinoflag:
This is in the Minnesota Star Tribune today: identifying different types of crowd control munitions, with photos
h/t @stevevladeck.bsky.social
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:tutkpqtfsfdql5rj3j4bygq6/post/3mde2ejy6o22e
#uspol #politics #minnesota #minneapolis #protests #ice #dhs #immigration
h/t @stevevladeck.bsky.social
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:tutkpqtfsfdql5rj3j4bygq6/post/3mde2ejy6o22e
#uspol #politics #minnesota #minneapolis #protests #ice #dhs #immigration
January 26, 2026 at 9:00 PM
This is in the Minnesota Star Tribune today: identifying different types of crowd control munitions, with photos
h/t @stevevladeck.bsky.social
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:tutkpqtfsfdql5rj3j4bygq6/post/3mde2ejy6o22e
#uspol #politics #minnesota #minneapolis #protests #ice #dhs #immigration
h/t @stevevladeck.bsky.social
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:tutkpqtfsfdql5rj3j4bygq6/post/3mde2ejy6o22e
#uspol #politics #minnesota #minneapolis #protests #ice #dhs #immigration
[#NZPol Contains frustration and disillusionment]
Bloody hell: The Post can headline a Tracy Watkins article "Nature’s brutal reminder; the tragedies we don’t see coming" The we in that headline is more inclusive than it should be. Ostriches can't see with their heads in the sand but we are […]
Bloody hell: The Post can headline a Tracy Watkins article "Nature’s brutal reminder; the tragedies we don’t see coming" The we in that headline is more inclusive than it should be. Ostriches can't see with their heads in the sand but we are […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
January 24, 2026 at 10:46 PM
[#NZPol Contains frustration and disillusionment]
Bloody hell: The Post can headline a Tracy Watkins article "Nature’s brutal reminder; the tragedies we don’t see coming" The we in that headline is more inclusive than it should be. Ostriches can't see with their heads in the sand but we are […]
Bloody hell: The Post can headline a Tracy Watkins article "Nature’s brutal reminder; the tragedies we don’t see coming" The we in that headline is more inclusive than it should be. Ostriches can't see with their heads in the sand but we are […]
Enjoying my reread of Terry Pratchett's Thud. The Watch stories have always been my favourite part of the Discworld. Was good to be reminded of the cold Pork Futures Warehouse where pork was hanging in limbo waiting to come into existence. Good fun but always filled with social commentary and […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
January 20, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Enjoying my reread of Terry Pratchett's Thud. The Watch stories have always been my favourite part of the Discworld. Was good to be reminded of the cold Pork Futures Warehouse where pork was hanging in limbo waiting to come into existence. Good fun but always filled with social commentary and […]
[#NZPol Growth Growth Growth]
Food prices up 4% over the past year. More evidence of the laser focus on growth, growth, growth. Some excellent growth on white bread (58.3%). Looks like we are going to have to eat cake while we sharpen our pitchforks. #nzpol #dailyoutrage
Food prices up 4% over the past year. More evidence of the laser focus on growth, growth, growth. Some excellent growth on white bread (58.3%). Looks like we are going to have to eat cake while we sharpen our pitchforks. #nzpol #dailyoutrage
January 15, 2026 at 11:41 PM
[#NZPol Growth Growth Growth]
Food prices up 4% over the past year. More evidence of the laser focus on growth, growth, growth. Some excellent growth on white bread (58.3%). Looks like we are going to have to eat cake while we sharpen our pitchforks. #nzpol #dailyoutrage
Food prices up 4% over the past year. More evidence of the laser focus on growth, growth, growth. Some excellent growth on white bread (58.3%). Looks like we are going to have to eat cake while we sharpen our pitchforks. #nzpol #dailyoutrage
[#NZPol missing person update]
Good news on the search for proof of prime ministerial life: “In a statement to RNZ on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's office said Luxon was aware of concerns about Grok.” He is aware of something. But he is not yet out on the road where Winston […]
Good news on the search for proof of prime ministerial life: “In a statement to RNZ on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's office said Luxon was aware of concerns about Grok.” He is aware of something. But he is not yet out on the road where Winston […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
January 14, 2026 at 10:44 PM
[#NZPol missing person update]
Good news on the search for proof of prime ministerial life: “In a statement to RNZ on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's office said Luxon was aware of concerns about Grok.” He is aware of something. But he is not yet out on the road where Winston […]
Good news on the search for proof of prime ministerial life: “In a statement to RNZ on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's office said Luxon was aware of concerns about Grok.” He is aware of something. But he is not yet out on the road where Winston […]
[#NZPol Just asking questions]
While we are still looking for our absent leader, I am choosing to be annoyed by the local government minister describing major weather events as unexpected and exempt from his rate capping charade. Who in 2026 can not be expecting unexpected weather events? […]
While we are still looking for our absent leader, I am choosing to be annoyed by the local government minister describing major weather events as unexpected and exempt from his rate capping charade. Who in 2026 can not be expecting unexpected weather events? […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
January 14, 2026 at 12:21 AM
[#NZPol Just asking questions]
While we are still looking for our absent leader, I am choosing to be annoyed by the local government minister describing major weather events as unexpected and exempt from his rate capping charade. Who in 2026 can not be expecting unexpected weather events? […]
While we are still looking for our absent leader, I am choosing to be annoyed by the local government minister describing major weather events as unexpected and exempt from his rate capping charade. Who in 2026 can not be expecting unexpected weather events? […]
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/583992/victoria-s-bushfires-more-than-five-times-the-size-of-singapore An addition to the growing list of measurements I find hard to imagine. What does 5 Singapores look like? #measurement
Victoria's bushfires more than five times the size of Singapore
Victoria's bushfires have now burnt across 404,000 hectares.
www.rnz.co.nz
January 13, 2026 at 7:56 PM
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/583992/victoria-s-bushfires-more-than-five-times-the-size-of-singapore An addition to the growing list of measurements I find hard to imagine. What does 5 Singapores look like? #measurement
[#NZPol]
Still looking for the Prime Minister. Presume he has got his head stuck in a book about corporate leadership or is busy choosing which leader to study in 2026. I seem to remember it was Ronald the Raygun last year. #nzpol #dailyoutrage
Still looking for the Prime Minister. Presume he has got his head stuck in a book about corporate leadership or is busy choosing which leader to study in 2026. I seem to remember it was Ronald the Raygun last year. #nzpol #dailyoutrage
January 12, 2026 at 10:38 PM
[#NZPol]
Still looking for the Prime Minister. Presume he has got his head stuck in a book about corporate leadership or is busy choosing which leader to study in 2026. I seem to remember it was Ronald the Raygun last year. #nzpol #dailyoutrage
Still looking for the Prime Minister. Presume he has got his head stuck in a book about corporate leadership or is busy choosing which leader to study in 2026. I seem to remember it was Ronald the Raygun last year. #nzpol #dailyoutrage
[#NZPol]
So where is the Prime Minister? Surely he can find time to give us some bland incoherent assurance that his government is on top of the big issues which have arisen during the summer break. Are they protecting my privacy or international law? A spotify playlist is all very well, but I […]
So where is the Prime Minister? Surely he can find time to give us some bland incoherent assurance that his government is on top of the big issues which have arisen during the summer break. Are they protecting my privacy or international law? A spotify playlist is all very well, but I […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
January 11, 2026 at 11:18 PM
[#NZPol]
So where is the Prime Minister? Surely he can find time to give us some bland incoherent assurance that his government is on top of the big issues which have arisen during the summer break. Are they protecting my privacy or international law? A spotify playlist is all very well, but I […]
So where is the Prime Minister? Surely he can find time to give us some bland incoherent assurance that his government is on top of the big issues which have arisen during the summer break. Are they protecting my privacy or international law? A spotify playlist is all very well, but I […]
[My daily vent at the direction Aotearoa is currently heading]
At the risk of being considered a hopelessly grumpy old man, today's outrage involves learning that some of my fellow kiwi citizens can afford to stay in a Queenstown hotel for up to $50,000 a night while so many are struggling to […]
At the risk of being considered a hopelessly grumpy old man, today's outrage involves learning that some of my fellow kiwi citizens can afford to stay in a Queenstown hotel for up to $50,000 a night while so many are struggling to […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
January 8, 2026 at 11:03 PM
[My daily vent at the direction Aotearoa is currently heading]
At the risk of being considered a hopelessly grumpy old man, today's outrage involves learning that some of my fellow kiwi citizens can afford to stay in a Queenstown hotel for up to $50,000 a night while so many are struggling to […]
At the risk of being considered a hopelessly grumpy old man, today's outrage involves learning that some of my fellow kiwi citizens can afford to stay in a Queenstown hotel for up to $50,000 a night while so many are struggling to […]
Another milestone figure from my life gone. Bullshit and Jellybeans feels like yesterday. Last saw Tim Shadbolt outside Dunedin Hospital protesting about the food contract for hospital patients. And, as so often, he was correct, the food deteriorated. #timshadbolt
January 8, 2026 at 4:17 AM
Another milestone figure from my life gone. Bullshit and Jellybeans feels like yesterday. Last saw Tim Shadbolt outside Dunedin Hospital protesting about the food contract for hospital patients. And, as so often, he was correct, the food deteriorated. #timshadbolt
Today’s outrage sees my spleen venting on the failure of the PM to comment on the gross violation of international law perpetrated by the USA on Venezuela. I had been a little forgiving because I thought he was still on holiday but today I learned he was working from home, bless him. Being […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
January 8, 2026 at 2:22 AM
Today’s outrage sees my spleen venting on the failure of the PM to comment on the gross violation of international law perpetrated by the USA on Venezuela. I had been a little forgiving because I thought he was still on holiday but today I learned he was working from home, bless him. Being […]
I need to keep my irritation with the current government in check so one outrage a day. Today my spleen is vented on the misuse of the international visitors levy. We are not spending it on infrastructure or protecting the environment. Instead it is being used to promote even more tourism […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
January 6, 2026 at 8:48 PM
I need to keep my irritation with the current government in check so one outrage a day. Today my spleen is vented on the misuse of the international visitors levy. We are not spending it on infrastructure or protecting the environment. Instead it is being used to promote even more tourism […]
Once again I arrive late in discovering some high quality science fiction. Met Emma Newman through her podcast with Adrian Tchaikovsky and have since immersed myself in her Planetfall novels. Was hooked by the second, loved the third and now have only Atlas Alone […]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
January 5, 2026 at 11:50 PM
Once again I arrive late in discovering some high quality science fiction. Met Emma Newman through her podcast with Adrian Tchaikovsky and have since immersed myself in her Planetfall novels. Was hooked by the second, loved the third and now have only Atlas Alone […]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]