Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

It remains the third deadliest shipwreck ever in New Zealand waters: 121 lives were lost in 1894 when the steamer Wairarapa struck Miners Head, the north-west point of Great Barrier Island, 90 km north-east of Auckland. · Despite thick fog, the Wairarapa was travelling at 13 knots (24 kph), nearly full speed, when it slammed into cliffs. Water began to flood in through a hole in the hull, and the Wairarapa listed to one side. Many of those on…

The default position with Shakespeare is to favor bold revisions over the poetic wisdom in the plays themselves. Why not let Shakespeare be what he is? · In a recent piece for the New York Times, Drew Lichtenberg, the artistic producer at the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, laments the closing of the California Shakespeare Theater and the widespread decline in productions of Shakespeare across the country. The reasons, he suggests,…

“It is a fact that New Zealand’s news market is rapidly shrinking if measured by the number of players,” states Dr Merja Myllylahti, co-director of Auckland University of Technology’s Journalism, Media, and Democracy Research Centre. · She writes that New Zealand’s news market is facing a rapid decline in the number of publicly accessible news websites. · In the wake of the recent closure of Newshub.co.nz, Myllylahti says this is a pivotal…

The first Labour Day celebrated the struggle for an eight-hour working day. Parades in the main centres were attended by several thousand trade union members and supporters. · New Zealand workers were among the first in the world to claim the right to an eight-hour day. As early as 1840 the carpenter Samuel Parnell famously won an eight-hour day in Wellington. The provision was soon extended to other centres, but it was a custom, not a legal…

The New Zealand-wide holiday in October each year commemorates efforts by workers to make eight hours the standard working day. · Achieving 'work-life balance' is still an elusive goal for many of us. But one day a year is enshrined in New Zealand law as a time to relax and to reflect on the efforts made by trade unions to get this balance. · Labour Day became a nationwide holiday in 1900, after Parliament passed the Labour Day Act 1899. This…

When it comes to getting a cold or the flu, there is a commonly held belief that men take it harder than women, exaggerating their symptoms and basically acting like big ol' babies. But is this phenomenon of "man sick" a real thing? We investigate. · These days, it seems like I can't get on a transatlantic flight without getting sick. Blanket and pillow? Sure. Headphones? No thanks I have my own. Pretzels? You bet. RSV? COVID? Bronchitis? Well,…

Generative AI systems need to be fed huge amounts of data, with copyrighted materials often on the menu. Musicians may now have a way to fight back with HarmonyCloak, a system that embeds data into songs that can’t be picked up by human ears but will scramble AI trying to reproduce it. · In order to generate Facebook images that trick your Nan into praising a fake kid who made a giant Jesus out of eggs, AI systems first need to be trained on…

The Women Jurors Act provided for women aged between 25 and 60 to have their names placed on the jury list on the same basis as men – if they so desired. · New Zealand’s first female juror was Elaine Kingsford, who sat on a case at the Auckland Supreme Court on 20 October 1943, having been challenged by defence counsel when her name was first drawn the previous day. Interviewed by a National Film Unit crew, she raised the possibility that one…

Until today, the Pacific has stood as the only region globally without an academy of science, a gap that has left it vulnerable to external activities impacting its vast oceans. · Due to its size, isolation and unique geographical, economic and cultural characteristics, the Pacific is particularly susceptible to these challenges. · Today’s launch of the Pacific Academy of Sciences marks a turning point. · As nations on the frontline of climate…

Ultra-fast fashion sites such as Shein and Temu have surged in popularity in New Zealand and across the globe. · New Zealanders are amongst  the world’s biggest fashion consumers and they are increasingly turning to these online retailers and marketplaces, which offer trendy clothing at incredibly low prices, amid the cost-of-living crisis. · These shopping sites have faced widespread criticism for worker exploitation and the use of…