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After NZ First leapfrogged Act last month in a Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll — which led to much media excitement about the party’s rising fortunes — it seemed odd for Winston Peters to be quite so tetchy with journalists seeking his opinion on David Seymour’s views on karakia, traditional Māori prayers or incantations used to open or bless events, buildings, or gatherings. · Asked about the Act leader’s criticism of the use of karakia in “the…

Microplastics break off from a wide range of plastic objects in the home with day-to-day use, as well as from synthetic materials in our cars · Research out of the University of Toulouse, France, has revealed that we're probably harming our lungs a lot more than we knew. Every day, we're inhaling teeny tiny bits of plastic that are smaller than a speck of dust without even leaving the house – and the findings show the amount is 100 times…

All great literature, in poetry and prose, is part of the great conversation which has animated Western civilization for almost three thousand years. Anything purporting to be literature which owes nothing to this great conversation is rootless and meaningless. It is not worth reading because it was not worth writing. It has nothing to say. · Joseph, thank you for accepting my invitation to talk about literature. I would like to start with…

The Racist Division of NZ · Only fifty years ago NZ was a democratic country where we had pretty much learned to live as a multi-cultural country where everyone regardless of race, colour or creed, had the rights that were applicable to citizens of NZ. · We had just begun to acknowledge that there were grievances around the actions of some of our predecessors and we were starting to take action to settle these grievances through the use of…

Golden milk – the ultimate Ayurvedic drink made with turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon and other spices – is caffeine-free, warming and delicious. I’ve used the same flavours in this recipe, which makes the perfect weekend treat. You can make the golden milk mixture up to three days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Fresh raspberries work well instead of figs. · INGREDIENTS · For the golden milk · - 1 x 400ml tin…

The dream of the ancient alchemists may come true as Marathon Fusion announces that its tokamak fusion reactor technology can turn common mercury into gold as a byproduct of fusion operations in quantities that would make Auric Goldfinger blush. · Since the days of the ancient Greeks, practitioners of alchemy pursued the goal of learning how to make the fabled Philosopher's Stone that would allow them to turn base metals like lead, tin, iron,…

In a country that exports 98 percent of its dairy, New Zealanders are paying $8.60 for a 500g block of butter. That’s nearly double the price just 14 months ago, and three times what it cost in 2015. · Economists say the price hike is due to surging global demand and shrinking supply. · Butter prices on Fonterra’s Global Dairy Trade platform rose 74 percent between August 2023 and May 2025. Droughts, regulation, high energy costs, and even a…

Across civilizations, few ancient statues survive the passage of time unscathed. Some sculptures lose their arms and others their head, yet a surprising number are missing just a nose. While this defacement is sometimes due to accidental damage, it’s more often the result of natural processes or deliberate destruction. · Why would people deliberately remove statues’ noses? · In many ancient cultures, statues weren’t just art—they held spiritual…

This is a must-try dessert. It is beautifully spiced and the filling has a velvety texture that melts in your mouth. · It is lighter yet creamier than its pumpkin cousin, with a heavy dose of vanilla and subtle spices. Beyond tasting better, sweet potato pie is easier to bake. It doesn’t require cooking the filling, as the sweet potatoes are fully baked in advance, and the pie crust doesn’t require blind baking.  · Additionally, the…

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) & Waikato Regional Council's, Circus! · First they’re in then they’re out then they’re back in again, all in the space of a month! · It’s the Waikato Regional Council and their membership of LGNZ that I’m talking about. · The council met and voted to withdraw from LGNZ by a majority vote of seven for and six against, to stop spending more than $122,000, each year of ratepayer money on membership of  LGNZ…