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If you’ve ridden a mechanized carousel horse, then you’ve felt the nostalgia bygone entertainment can bring. But the carousel isn’t just a souvenir of the age of steam; it carries echoes of medieval war games. Over centuries, combat training shifted from battlefield drills to crowd-pleasing displays, and the carousel eventually sprang from these knightly traditions. · Jousting: From Battle to Sport · The tournaments from which carousel games…

How does your brain wake up from sleep? A study of more than 1,000 arousals from slumber has revealed precisely how the brain bestirs itself during the transition to alertness1 — a finding that might help to manage sleep inertia, the grogginess that many people feel when hitting the snooze button. · Recordings of people as they woke from the dream-laden phase of sleep showed that the first brain regions to rouse are those associated with…

Te Pāti Māori has once more missed its legal deadline under the Electoral Act, missing the 30 June deadline to file audited financial statements. This is despite being formally warned by police last year for the same offence. · The party has also yet to provide an audit report for last year’s overdue financials. The Electoral Commission claims it is following up. · Labour is also late, having submitted its financial statements but not the…

Open Letter To the Hon. Winston Peters, Party Leader and NZ Foreign Minister, and NZ First MPs · Dear Winston Peters and NZ First MPs · I understand the Health Select Committee is due to report on the Gene Technology Bill in the next few days. It appears that there have been vested interests lobbying NZ First to support the Bill. It is entirely premature to vote ‘yes’ to gene technology deregulation prior to the report of the Royal Commission…

New Zealand First has surged past both ACT and the Greens in the latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll, placing Winston Peters’ party just shy of 10 percent and possibly signalling a shift in political leverage within the governing coalition. · The poll, conducted July 2-6, shows NZ First jumping 3.7 points to 9.8 percent. ACT remains stagnant on 9.1 percent, while the Green Party trails slightly at 9.4. · It marks the first time this term that…

I actually like these best the day after they’re made as they ‘set’ a little more, and the flavour seems to develop. Leaving the greaseproof paper to hang over the sides of the tin helps you to lift the brownies out. · INGREDIENTS · - 125g butter, at room temperature, plus 
extra for greasing - 100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces - 275g caster sugar - Zest of 3 unwaxed limes, 
and juice of 1 - 2 large eggs, lightly beaten - 2 tbsp…

The Equal Pay Act (the Act) of 1972 made it a requirement that men and women be paid the same for the same job. No one disputes that this is fair. · Amendments to the Act in 2020 (the “2020 Amendments”) added structure to simplify arguments being made to compare one occupation with alleged discrimination to another occupation. · This was based on lofty ideals, but critics argue that the claims used circular reasoning: women earned less,…

In a routine blood test that turned extraordinary, French scientists have identified the world’s newest and rarest blood group. The sole known carrier is a woman from Guadeloupe whose blood is so unique that doctors couldn’t find a single compatible donor. · The discovery of the 48th recognised blood group, called “Gwada-negative”, began when the woman’s blood plasma reacted against every potential donor sample tested, including those from her…

When it comes to tertiary education, are we becoming an “intellectual desert and a dumbed-down, impoverished economy?” asks academic Grant Duncan. · Short answer: “NZ is already there.” · Duncan says successive governments have gutted tertiary policy while feeding an expanding layer of non-teaching staff. · “For every 10 full-time-equivalent academic staff (who actually teach and research) there are 14 other staff,” he writes. · “Work expands…

The perfect winter warmer, this Lamb, Spinach and Filo Pie is incredibly tasty and a great twist on the classic beef mince pie. Layered lamb mince with a spinach and ricotta filling, the light filo pastry adds a lovely soft crunch. A superb dinner dish. And with the price of a lamb leg, a much cheaper version to enjoy the delicious taste of lamb. · Pies are amazing, especially when the weather is a bit cooler. And this Lamb, Spinach and Filo…