iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Nigel Robertson

In light of the news of Tennessee’s botched execution tonight, revisiting my colleague @laurengill.bsky.social’s piece on witnessing Alabama attempt to experiment with execution methods to kill a man. boltsmag.org/alabama-nitr...

boltsmag.org

“Agony” and “Suffering” as Alabama Experiments with Nitrogen Executions - Bolts

Alabama said Alan Miller’s execution by lethal gas would be “more humane.” He writhed and gasped for air in his final moments.

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Auckland Women's Centre @akwomenscentre.bsky.social · 14h

Scrapping the gender definitions bill is part the Coalition for the Safety of Women & Children's calls to political parties to take 20 steps from violence to freedom (also: reinstating safe community sport guidelines for trans inclusion and closing the gaps in hate speech law) awc.org.nz/20steps/

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David Cormack @davidcormack.bsky.social · 5h

actually i can't justify charging for this when i haven't written shit for months. it's free.

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audioculturenz.bsky.social @audioculturenz.bsky.social · 10h

We've just heard the terribly sad news that Phil Gifford has passed away. Chris Bourke says, "Gifford was a giant in New Zealand journalism for half a century...What is missing from the reports of his unexpected death, on Tuesday, aged 79, is that he was also one of NZ’s best music writers... 🧵

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D Jukic She/her @dejanajuk.bsky.social · 16h

“Māori have long cottoned on to that. Nicky Hager’s latest book helps to join the dots for others who may have wondered how it was iwi became public enemy number one during the Stop Three Waters campaign.” #nzpol www.teaonews.co.nz/2026/09/28/t...

teaonews.co.nz

The powerful have figured out how to work together. Journalists need to catch up

Analysis: It was a set of interviews I did on the Māori delegation to Israel for Te Ao with Moana recently – and the release of the Nicky Hager book Dirty Work – that took me back

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Jennifer @jennifilm.nz · 8h

I've had the real privilege of getting to work with Mathilde and am thrilled to see them making content like this on youtube. Their video about Marcroft's bill, and in particular the impact on intersex people is essential watching - give em a follow! www.youtube.com/watch?v=skYa...

youtube.com

Intersex Loneliness - Definitions Bill (Part One)

YouTube video by Mathilde Redamare

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 10h

I suspect those who been watching me update this chart over the months are not mind-boggled

Oh no, it is the consequence of their actions.

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CindyBax @cindybax.bsky.social · 13h

OMG full page full racist Hobson’s Pledge in The Post today is this even legal? #nzpol

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Newsroom NZ @newsroom.co.nz · 14h

Comment from Auckland University: Vitamin D supplements should be and are being targeted to at-risk groups, not the entire population

newsroom.co.nz

NZ First’s vitamin D review would be an expensive waste of time

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CEO Johnny Cans @oldmatecans.bsky.social · 14h

unexpected allies but welcome ones to be sure

Gimli and Legolas meme

Gimli: I never thought I'd be fighting alongside Fletcher building, silver fern farms and Orion

Legolas: how about alongside people who say "fuck Jenny marcroft and transphobia"?

Gimli: Aye I could do that.

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Sharon Murdoch @domesticanimal.bsky.social · 15h

Guardrails for A.I. My #cartoon today #AI #Trump

Cartoon. Title: “All We Need” Three frames. First frame: President Trump sitting in the Oval Office, addressing the viewer, “The only guardrail A.I. needs…” 2nd frame: Trump tapping his head, saying, “Is a strong and smart (HIGH IQ!!!) President” 3rd frame: Trump has fallen asleep and is dribbling. In the background two people are leaving the room, and one is saying, “Right, you heard the man! We’ve gotta find a strong and smart President!”

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Julie Blommaert @drjulieb.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

We do that. And then instead of joining us, men prefer to tell us that it’s “not all men”

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D Jukic She/her @dejanajuk.bsky.social · 15h

National have f**ked the basics #nzpol “More than 1300 women were overdue for their colposcopy - a test needed to check for cervical cancer - at the end of July, figures obtained by Stuff under the Official Information Act reveal”. #nzpol

stuff.co.nz

'Not good news for women': The internal emails exposing cancer screening harm

Documents and emails shed new light on major issues with the cervical screening programme.

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Dr. Cassandra Mudgway @legallyfeminist.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It doesn't help that MPs are treating her with the most underlying sexism "don't be silly little girl" energy I've seen directed at a leader of the *checks notes* third biggest political party. Ofc then the social media hate train follows ugh!

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judithbolyard.bsky.social @judithbolyard.bsky.social · 16h

If anyone out there needs help...

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PERFECTLY NORMAL @nzpom.com · 30/09/2026

Today's chart after ACT got another $175k The system is rigged #nzpol

National $2,190,954
ACT $2,172,033
Labour $869,896
NZFist $753,000
Opportunistic $491,660
Green $343,194
Te Pāti Māori $114,000

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Matty Angel @mattyangel.com · 30/09/2026

So ... Looking at this, www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic... I noticed that watch on Luxon, It cost 25,000 dollars, www.partridgejewellers.com/speedmaster-... Soooo, is that what he considers basics? Cause he said we need to focus on basics....

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Hourly Cosmos @hourlycosmos.bsky.social · 23h

NASA's MESSENGER Satellite Captures Spectacular Color Mosaic of Mercury - From Goddard Space Flight Center - flic.kr/p/9uD599

NASA image acquired: January 14, 2008

This spectacular color mosaic shows the eastern limb of Mercury as seen by MESSENGER as the spacecraft departed the planet following the mission's first Mercury flyby in January 2008. The colors of this image are not those that would be seen by the human eye but instead convey information about the distribution of different rock types on Mercury's surface. The different rock types result in subtle color variations across all of the 11 WAC narrow-band color filters. The Caloris basin, visible as a large bright yellow circular area in this image due to its infill of volcanic plains, dominates the northern region. A similar image was published in Science magazine in July 2008, but it only covered the northern half of the region shown here. To create this larger color mosaic, MESSENGER Science Team members had to also devise a method to deal with scattered light in the 11 different WAC filters. MESSENGER has obtained color imaging at this resolution only for the portions of Mercury seen on departure from Mercury flybys 1 and 2.

As spectacular as this color image is, it is just a taste of what is yet to come. In 2011, MESSENGER will become the first spacecraft ever to orbit Mercury and begin a year-long observing campaign that includes imaging all of Mercury's surface in color at an average resolution of about 1 kilometer/pixel (0.6 miles/pixel), a resolution that is about a factor of three better than this already impressive image.

Cre...

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craftyprimrose.bsky.social @craftyprimrose.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I'm sorry, this is clearly pre-publicity for a relaunch of Only Fools and Horses "You absolute plonker Rodney!"

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Louise Hutt @saycheeselouise.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It's critical to remember we have NO civics education in New Zealand. Ppl do not necessarily know how MMP works, how a coalition works, or how to best make their vote reflect their values The more you can make talking about politics normal and chill, the more ppl feel they're allowed to be curious

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Ka pū te ruha - Toitū Te Tiriti @kaputeruha.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Nice headline Stuff. How about 'Greens co-leader targeted in personal attack' #nzpol

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Alondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I'm honored to deliver the 2027 Gifford Lectures at Edinburgh. Across 6 lectures, On Science, Technology, and Social Values, I will work through the claim that what we build and how we put it to use carry commitments about who counts and what matters in collective life cahss.ed.ac.uk/news-events/...

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Nigel Robertson @easegill.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

CW - SA The leadership of Cornell University should be hung out to dry

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Reposted by Nigel Robertson

Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand @greens.org.nz · 30/09/2026

Meeting our Paris commitments is written into our Free Trade Agreements with the European Union and the United Kingdom. Farmers and exporters rely on that market access, and they deserve a Foreign Minister who checks what withdrawal would put at risk before he promises it.

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Grumpy @grumpyyetamusin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

*RNZ sack Ferguson and Forbes* "I'm sorry, we're 'refreshing' the menu, so there's no more pancakes and muesli on Saturday Morning. We can offer you a cold shit sandwich instead?" *RNZ put Newstalk ZB boss in charge* "warmed up vomit has been added as a complementary side"

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Ethan Gullery - Alliance Candidate for Christchurch East @ethangulleryeast.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

PREFU says agency budgets are fixed in dollar terms. Each future Budget can add $2.4 billion in new spending, with no adjustment for inflation. Inflation lifts the tax take while those budgets stand still. A fixed budget buys less each year prices rise. The surplus is planned on that gap. #nzpol

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

In its first 6 months on Meta, the Union launched 20 political adverts. In October 2021 alone, when Stop Three Waters began, it launched 309. Across 2021 and 2022, 392 adverts mentioned Three Waters and recorded more than 7.1 million impressions. Huge. This wasn't a side or hobby project. #nzpol

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Reposted by Nigel Robertson

Newsroom NZ @newsroom.co.nz · 29/09/2026

The Government's top law officer warned that if ministers blocked Mike Smith's Fonterra lawsuit, the next case would target the Crown directly. She's been proven right, reports Jonathan Milne.

newsroom.co.nz

Formal complaint that NZ climate backsliding breaches Europe trade deal

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Eddie Clark @dreddieclark.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Ah no. Genuinely sad news. Easily the best Speaker the House has had since Lockwood Smith. A person of huge mana.

nzherald.co.nz

Former Speaker of the House and Labour MP Adrian Rurawhe dies

Rurawhe was Speaker in the last term of Government.

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Reposted by Nigel Robertson

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

“A 1-year-old baby appeared in immigration court without legal representation in Arizona and received an instruction: File an asylum application before the next hearing or face deportation.”

notus.org

Judge to Baby: File an Asylum Application

The 1-year-old is one of the migrant children who advocates say appeared in immigration court without legal representation.

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The Wolfpack @wolfpack11720.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

"Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men." ~ Plato

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Kevin Pluck @kevpluck.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Fifth lowest minimum Arctic sea ice area on record. (Yes, there's a zero on the y-axis)

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samuel mehr @mehr.nz · 29/09/2026

I will soon be interviewing candidates for this ~2-year role (22-23 months, actually, for reasons of grant arithmetic) if you are interested in studying auditory perception and music in adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild-to-moderate dementias, all over new zealand, please apply!

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Ms Hooper @mshooper.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

www.instagram.com/reel/Dd23gOr... #nzpol

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Hannah Vardit @hannahvardit.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

i worry that men think being A Good Guy is dramatically and heroically intervening on behalf of an endangered woman and then being publicly rewarded on a grand scale when actually being A Good Guy is just usually saying, “hey man that’s not funny” or “wow that’s fucked up” and there is no reward

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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🧵US Weekly COVID update: Sep 28, 2026 🔸1 in 92 Actively Infectious 🔸532,000 Daily Infections 🔸3,810,000 Infections In The Past Week 🔸115,000,000 Infections in 2026 🔸191,000 to 760,000 Weekly Long COVID Cases 🔸900 to 1,700 Weekly Excess Deaths Source: pmc19.com

An infographic report titled "COVID-19 Heat Map, Based on CDC Wastewater Data & Standard Levels" by the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative (PMC) Model, dated Sep 28, 2026.
The top half displays a color-coded map of the United States and its territories, showing localized COVID-19 risk levels by county. A color key at the bottom categorizes standard CDC relative levels and PMC prevalence estimates (proportion actively infectious) into five tiers:
• Very Low (Blue, <0.9%)
• Low (Green, 1.2%)
• Moderate (Orange, 2.0%)
• High (Red, 2.9%)
• Very High (Purple, >3.5%)
Large portions of the Southern, Western, and Midwestern U.S. are shaded in dark pink/purple and red, indicating high to very high transmission levels.
Below the map, a text summary states that the US has at least 40 states and territories with COVID outbreaks, matching the previous week's count. It explicitly lists all 40 affected states and territories in alphabetical order, starting with Alabama and ending with Wyoming.

An infographic report titled "National COVID-19 Estimates (U.S.)" by the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative (PMC) Model, dated Sep 28, 2026. The data is broken down into three main sections:
• Infections: States that 1 in 92 people (1.1%) are actively infectious. It estimates 532,000 new daily infections, 3,810,000 infections in the past week, 115,000,000 infections in 2026, and a cumulative 5.43 infections per person.
• Long COVID: Estimates 27,000 to 106,000 Long COVID cases resulting from new daily infections, and 191,000 to 760,000 cases from new weekly infections.
• Excess Deaths: Estimates 130 to 230 excess deaths resulting from new daily infections, and 900 to 1,700 deaths from new weekly infections.

A data table titled "COVID-19 State Prevalence Estimates" by the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative (PMC) Model, dated Sep 28, 2026.
The table lists U.S. states and territories alphabetically from Alabama to Mississippi. For each location, it tracks data across multiple columns:
• Standard CDC Level and Revised CDC Level (noting a downshift in categories).
• PMC Estimate % Actively Infectious: Provides ratios and percentages, such as 1 in 25 (4.0%) for California and 1 in 15 (6.7%) for Hawaii.
• Chances anyone is infectious in a room of 10 to 100 people: Columns show statistical probabilities for room sizes of 10, 25, 50, and 100 people. For example, in Hawaii, there is a 50% chance in a room of 10 and >99% chance in a room of 100.
A footnote states that on August 14, 2026, the CDC revised categorical descriptors downward without notice.

A data table titled "COVID-19 State Prevalence Estimates" by the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative (PMC) Model, dated Sep 28, 2026.
This page continues the alphabetical listing of U.S. states and territories from Missouri to Wyoming. It details:
• CDC Levels: Compares standard levels against a revised, downshifted CDC tier system.
• PMC Estimate % Actively Infectious: Lists current ratios and transmission rates. Highlights include Oregon at 1 in 25 (4.1%), Puerto Rico at 1 in 21 (4.8%), and the U.S. Virgin Islands at 1 in 16 (6.2%).
• Chances anyone is infectious in a room of 10 to 100 people: Shows probabilities for varying group sizes. For example, in Texas, the risk scales from 31% in a room of 10 up to 98% in a room of 100.
Footnotes indicate limited data reporting for some areas and reference a website regarding the CDC's August 2026 downward category revisions.

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Grant Jacobs BioinfoTools/NotJustDNA 🔬🧬🖥️✍️📚🇳🇿 @notjustdna.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

#NZpol Saw this excellent quote-reply to Simeon Brown’s latest attack on Labour. Worth sharing.

David Peez @RebelEkonomista

"The truck driver in Pakuranga helps pay off a lawyer's loan." No, Simeon. He doesn't. Not a cent.

When the government lends a student money, it creates the dollars and credits their account. No tradie's tax was collected and posted to a law degree. When the graduate repays, those dollars are deleted, drained back out like tax. They don't land in the truck driver's pocket either.

So nobody foots the bill. The worker and the graduate aren't on opposite sides of a ledger. Setting them against each other is the trick, and it runs on the same myth as "add it to the tab", that the government is a household counting coins. It issues the currency. The real limits are real resources and inflation, not a truck driver's tax bill.

"Someone always pays." Sure. Just never the person you keep pointing at.

Read more: http://therebeleconomist.substack.com

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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

No explosives were found in the three white vans, Bloomberg reports. The investigation continues.

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Leon Salter @islates.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

A simple Google search tells you that Anya Zohrab was a ministerial advisor to David Seymour as recently as last year, focusing on charter schools. David Farrar is on the board - the remaining members are all part of the economic-political establishment (hardly representing parents widely)

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Emily Gorcenski @emily.gorcen.ski · 28/09/2026

Here’s the most incredible story you’ll read today. A small plane with four people aboard crashes in a field. Another pilot witnesses it. That pilot happens to be flying a bunch of skydivers. They offer to jump to assist, are given permission. The skydivers happen to be EMTs. Everyone survives.

wisn.com

Skydivers alert emergency crews, assist after plane crashes near East Troy airport

Four people were aboard the single-engine plane when it went down in a cornfield near Carvers School Road in East Troy at about 1:30 p.m.

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Nick Baker @nickbaker.digital · 27/09/2026

This is your school holiday assignment. Complete the school lunch quiz by matching the image to the name - a quiz based on the school lunch images sent by @ninjakitty.bsky.social this past school term. There are 15 images in total. forms.gle/et7qDL4VGBJH...

forms.gle

The Aotearoa New Zealand School Lunch Quiz

The images show 15 school lunches delivered to a school in August 2026. Your task is to pick the name that was assigned to each one.

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Barbarella Stormforce @barbarasturmfels.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

A thing to remember about the Green Party's proposed wealth tax is that wealthy people will still be wealthy after they've paid the tax.

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