Sign in

Jenny Nicholls

@jenster.bsky.social
1.1K followers 2.5K following 1.4K posts

Absent-minded twit. NZ Listener book reviewer, book designs, former art director/columnist at Metro/N&S. She/her

PostsRepliesMedia
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I only met Phil Gifford once - he was North & South’s music columnist. But he had so many incredible memories and told them so well. We were spellbound. Starstruck, really. And he was no old coot either - I remember how outraged he was at the racism of one celebrity AllBlack
050
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
NZ Transit Buzz @nztransitbuzz.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
#TrainNews: Trains Taranaki is asking the Government to fund a feasibility study to restore passenger train services between New Plymouth and Wellington, including Whanganui. Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/whanganui-ch...
nzherald.co.nz
Calls for Government help to restore New Plymouth to Wellington passenger rail service
The proposed route would connect New Plymouth, Whanganui, Palmerston North and Wellington.
054
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 27/09/2026
Guys I don’t think the president of the United States knows what he’s doing.
15314
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
David Simon @audacityofdespair.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Seconded and posted. Everyone else get aboard and let it fly.
12367187
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
David Roberts @volts.wtf · 26/09/2026
Class solidarity.
hollywoodreporter.com
The Major Social Media Platforms Are All Rejecting Paid Ads for Alex Gibney’s ‘Musk’ (Exclusive)
YouTube, TikTok and Meta have all turned down the trailer for the Oct. 9 doc, citing "political" content. X won't even take Bleecker Street's calls. The distributor is appealing.
642162613
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
RNZ Saturday morning has gone from Kim Hill, Mihi and Susi to someone who says ‘amazing’ so many times we turned off the radio to listen to the rain
170
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Piercing review of Dirty Work from Simon Wilson. "... when Christopher Luxon adopted Three Waters he initially wanted to keep race out of it. Hager also notes that Seymour didn’t seem interested in attacking Māori until after 2020 [when] they recognised attacks on Māori were financially lucrative."
03515
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Charlie Mitchell @comingupcharlie.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
great stuff. really worth everyone's time.
710525
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Mike Dickison @adzebill.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The Wikimedian in Residence at the University of Otago is running a Scarfie Flats competition, starting 1 October. It's to get people to document and upload photos of classic Dunedin flats under an open licence, for Wikipedia and the historical record. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:W...
commons.wikimedia.org
Event:Wiki Loves Scarfie Flats 2026 - Wikimedia Commons
01815
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Saw Colin James CNZM heading in the direction of Paper Plus this morning. Where I had just been. Nicky Hager's book missed the Auckland - Waiheke ferry last night, so we'll just have to wait until this afternoon
170
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Bernard Hickey's morning newsletter (as usual) ranked the news in a more logical order than RNZ did this morning... "The six things to know this morning in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate are:"
thekaka.substack.com
‘Dirty Work’ shows Taxpayers Union pivot to race
Nicky Hager launches ‘Dirty Work,’ detailing how surge of Groundswell donations shifted Taxpayers’ Union focus to race relations from Govt spending; RBNZ’s Covid response criticised
000
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Foxes @foxylustygrover.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
No more Curia TPU polls on RNZ 👆☝️👆 #NZPol
613918
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Funny the Nats are the only party who haven’t fixed their billboards yet after the wind wrecked them. Given the slogan
National Party billboard in tatters. The logo is gone. Remainder declares - ‘Fixing the Basics.
Building the Future’Luxon’s face on the reverse of the broken billboard.
010
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Jolisa Gracewood @nzdodo.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
A "culture pass" given to everyone on their 18th birthday is an instantly effective and productive policy a government could consider, if it wants to boost the arts-based economy. Bonus: greater civic engagement and confidence amongst young people. Story from 2023: www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3500...
Text from the linked story, 8 August 2023 https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350047956/push-introduce-culture-pass-youth-new-zealand 

In November, Germany became the latest European country to roll out the popular scheme for young people, which sees people coming of age given €200 to spend on things like museums, movies, music, theatre and books - a birthday present, of sorts.

In the wake of the pandemic when most live entertainment and art experiences ground to a halt, the move followed countries like France, Italy and Spain, which had their own version of the scheme, and hoped to bolster youth engagement with the arts, encourage creative careers, and remove access barriers to culture.Text from the article linked in the post: 

...Chris Casey of the Point Chevalier Social Enterprise Trust, an Auckland-based advocate for the pass’s local introduction, has been lobbying Government, saying it would help curb youth crime at a time when parties were “outdoing each other” on policies related to youth justice.

The scheme would be simple to implement and could see tens of thousands of young people given the pass on their 18th birthday or similar, Casey said, with credit available to use via an app or website.

Amid a cost of living crisis which had unfairly affected low-paid youth, cultural experiences were often out of financial reach, Casey said.

New Zealand was happy to fund superannuitants but there was a “mismatch” with how young people were creatively supported as they entered adulthood, he said. “It’s lazy politics not to try it ... Small things become the catalyst for bigger things.”
33619
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 21/09/2026
this is a bit of an obsession of mine especially here in charlottesville. the cost of commercial real estate is prohibitive if you want to experiment and the city seems categorically opposed to small lots and small units that could allow people to start businesses without a huge capital investment
1483697470
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
So the government is no longer supporting services for the disabled on Waiheke. Kāinga Ora has not invested on Waiheke for over 30 years. The island had 15 state-owned homes - one block of 14 one-bedroom units and this one, Melanna House.
rnz.co.nz
Waiheke Island's only respite care house for children with disabilities to be sold
Waiheke Island's only respite care house for kids with disabilities will be sold on the open market, ending a crucial 30-year service.
1115
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Mountain Tui @mountaintui.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I think that there's a reason Chlöe Swarbrick tops Nicola Willis on the economy. Counties with the highest central govt. debt include Singapore, UK & Germany. Debt in and of itself isn't an issue, but what it's used for matters, and other factors e.g. demographics & climate are huge. #nzpol
23210
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
My, what a long lens you have
021
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Tze Ming Mok 莫志明 @tzemingdynasty.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Sorry but if you don't know how to get dropped off in the CBD you are not a real Aucklander so good luck with that election babe
46912
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Susan Behrens @susanbehrens.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Trump is openly saying that he won’t allow the Kennedy Center to be renovated unless/until his name is slapped on the building. This is beyond insane.
15411
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Political party positions on tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food policies www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/pol...
phcc.org.nz
Political party positions on tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food policies
A survey of political parties finds strong support from left-leaning parties for policies to strengthen tobacco control, improve alcohol regulation, create healthier food environments and protect the ...
000
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Kārikiōrangi @sharonm.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The science of polls. Very good. newsroom.co.nz/2026/09/14/c...
newsroom.co.nz
Campaign Cut-through: Political polls have a science problem
From Otago University - Comment: Political polls shape election narratives, but opaque panels, hidden funders, and low scientific standards mean their results are rarely reliable, argues Dr Ben Gray.
3124
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
NinjaKitty 忍者キティ🥷🐈‍⬛ @ninjakitty.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
!!! #nzpol
610029
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Schooley @schooley.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Still pretty funny to me that the guy who will die if he doesn't get a ballroom has hosted a grand total of 4 state dinners in 6 years. The fewest of any modern president, by far.
en.wikipedia.org
List of state dinners in the United States - Wikipedia
36699189
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Pete Husky @petehusky.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
It is an indictment of NZ media that we have not had one headline yet of "Green Grocers" #nzpol
213729
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
A.ma.zing I was a 14-year-old German who died of starvation in the Upper Paleolithic
110
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Patricia Zengerle @reuterszengerle.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
So … a few years ago, the architect of the Capitol built a few plastic ramps at the reflecting pool so ducks could get out. Some Republicans objected to the “use of taxpayer dollars” (which was maybe $20). www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/u...
nytimes.com
Duck Ramps Appear at U.S. Capitol, but Not Everyone Is Pleased (Published 2017)
19939228
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Mike Dickison @adzebill.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Some of my colleagues use LLMs to research and summarise publications for them, and I would never do this in a million years.
091
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
samuel mehr @mehr.nz · 01/09/2026
It's like 100x new zealand's yearly budget for science! What a bargain!!! #nzpol
43314
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Capitán Swing @capitanswing.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Inmenso escrache de Gandalfs a Peter Thiel (PALANTIR 😉😉) en su casa de Buenos Aires, donde reside actualmente en beneficio propio y en apoyo a las políticas desreguladoras, turbocapitalistas y sociópatas de Milei.
19577217
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
This heavily Nat-branded signage on Waiheke is proving popular. #nzpol
Heavily National-party branded signage lying in parts on the grass. The funny thing is that it’s advertising a local meeting about ‘law & order, arts & culture’. In Surfdale 1/2A poster has been mysteriously energetically sawn down and is lying on the grass with supports in the air.  In Ostend, Waiheke, 2/2
0100
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Andrew Dickson @andrewdickson13.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Schools are the engine room of a flu season. Holidays alone cut child transmission by 20-29% (Cauchemez et al, Nature). Replicated in Argentina, Hong Kong, the Netherlands. You can watch 2025 Australian case curves drop the day each state's holidays start. 6/
18516
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
My nearly 97-year-old friend reckons she made the first pizza in the South Island. She ran a hostel in Q town in the late 1960s, and when American ski bunnies came to stay, they wanted pizza. She had never heard of it! Me: "Did they like it?" "They didn't like much, the little bastards."
030
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Tze Ming Mok 莫志明 @tzemingdynasty.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
welp I only just twigged that we're only thinking about this as the 'terrible Nepal landslide' because the media can't get any information out of the PRC Tibetan side, including the identities of 260 foreign nationals among at least 558 missing.
rnz.co.nz
Tibet flooding videos surfaced and then disappeared in China
When security camera footage emerged on Wednesday of a wave of ice, mud and water smashing into the Tibet region, people across the world were horrified.
26126
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Mike Dickison @adzebill.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Here’s a piece I wrote for Library Life on crediting photos properly, really hoping the people from Stuff and the Herald read it (RNZ is not too bad). www.wikimedia.nz/wp-content/u...
wikimedia.nz
0113
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
I observed this surveillance duck on my neighbour’s roof at 1500 hours.
Duck on neighbour’s roofDuck on neighbour’s roof - closeup
160
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
TarZangief @tarzangief.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
"Neutral in the culture war"
112155805323
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Mike Dickison @adzebill.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Currently in Australia and this is what I see when I try to access my Bluesky chat history. Welcome to the the world of verifying you’re an adult.
56129
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Two Unvaccinated People Died From Measles in Pennsylvania, Officials Say
nytimes.com
Two Unvaccinated People Died From Measles in Pennsylvania, Officials Say
The deaths were the first in the United States in 2026.
020
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 23/08/2026
Airborne diseases like Covid are so tricky because transmission depends on so many crazy factors. One person with Covid may not have any detectable viruses in their breath. A single swab from another person may pick up 10 billion viruses! Review: paijournal.com/index.php/pa...
A chart showing the enormous variability in factors such as viral load that influence transmission of Covid
210235
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
New Zealand Professional Firefighters' Union @nzpfu.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
HOW SCREWED IS THIS? 😳 A brand-new, NZ-built aerial fire truck for Australia was just seen driving Wellington streets past striking firefighters. Meanwhile, yesterday both Auckland high-reach trucks were broken—forcing Hamilton to cover NZ’s largest city. WE NEED ACTION NOW ✊
38235
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 12/08/2026
Incredible. When E—n M—k & his crew obliterated USAID in a weekend, they deleted a vast trove of publicly-funded knowledge: the Development Experience Clearinghouse. A Canadian high school student (!) happened to have downloaded the entire thing for a project. AidData has now posted it for all.
aiddata.org
Before reimagining development data, remember what we’ve learned
Why we’re publishing a free, searchable, and ungated archive featuring a quarter-century of USAID evaluation reports.
374432809
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Schooley @schooley.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Font freaks get the message. "The Fraktur typefaces remained in use in Nazi Germany, when they were initially represented as true German script; official Nazi documents and letterheads employed the font, and the cover of Hitler's Mein Kampf used a hand-drawn version of it."
12430139
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
In the end, only 28% of the eligible electorate showed up to endorse Farage. #Clacton #Binface #UKpol
theconversation.com
What the battle between Nigel Farage and Count Binface really tells us about Britain’s mood
Farage avoided the count, but will face a re-opened probe into his finances after winning the Clacton byelection.
010
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Sara Gibbs @sararoseg.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
How is everyone not screaming about this
7363111
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
In many ways, the Iran mess is a fitting capstone to Kushner’s career to date.
010
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Ruth @featherflowers.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Someone texted in to morning report claiming to be chippy saying that they supported Luxon 😂
051
Reposted by Jenny Nicholls
Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
You can't predict the turns this sentence takes. Extreme heat is threatening Italy’s “cheese banks,” where hundreds of thousands of Parmigiano-Reggiano wheels are stored as loan collateral. fortune.com/2026/08/10/i...
fortune.com
Italy's $4.7 billion cheese economy is feeling the heat as climate change threatens its cheese banks that hold Parmigiano wheels as loan collateral | Fortune
Extreme heat is straining the vaults that hold Parmigiano wheels as loan collateral, and economists say the damage runs wider than the vault
821963783
Jenny Nicholls @jenster.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The obituary Roger - and Waiheke - deserved. Roger helped my mother move into her house. He could carry big boxes of books two at a time. He was cherished and complex and he died after spending years living in a car on Onetangi Beach.
thespinoff.co.nz
Jolly Roger: Farewell to a Waiheke legend
Roger Reardon, who died earlier this month, represented the last vestiges of Waiheke Island as a sanctuary for hippies, eccentrics and those less fortunate.
1125