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Time for a takahē to top the tree
With the flood of grim environmental news — especially the quickening pace of climate change — it is worth pausing to celebrate two genuine conservation successes.
Passing Notes
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Dog of an Act needs replacing
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Dog of an Act needs replacing
Sometimes, it’s obvious action is needed, yet nothing effective happens.
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Can’t have a casual view of corruption
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Can’t have a casual view of corruption
We have been naive in New Zealand. Our ‘‘she’ll be right’’ and ‘‘no worries’’ attitudes help corruption to take root.
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How to be the hero of an appalling, sordid tale
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How to be the hero of an appalling, sordid tale
Civis wonders how on earth support for President Donald Trump remains solid in the United States.
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Slivers send shivers up cost-cutting councillors
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Slivers send shivers up cost-cutting councillors
What does the "Town Belt Active Trail Trial" reveal about Dunedin City councillors’ attitudes to spending?
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When will they ever learn about fad drugs?
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When will they ever learn about fad drugs?
"When will they ever learn?"
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Outraged by horrific killing in Minneapolis
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Outraged by horrific killing in Minneapolis
Our eyes or, more accurately, our brains easily deceive us.
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Making our New Year’s resolutions achievable
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Making our New Year’s resolutions achievable
How many New Year’s resolutions have already fallen over?
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Adding up stray Xmas pounds and pennies
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Adding up stray Xmas pounds and pennies
It is easy to overlook a few stray dollars amid the seasonal splurge on Christmas gifts and Boxing Day sales.
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Comments from Uni NZ deserve an E, maybe D
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Comments from Uni NZ deserve an E, maybe D
It's absurd enough to make you splutter into your muesli.
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Which way is up, actually?
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Which way is up, actually?
September's geographic anomalies column drew a strongly worded email from one reader.
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Long and short of skimping
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Long and short of skimping
As regular readers may have noticed, Civis has a chip on the shoulder about consumer exploitation.
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Varied price of southern product questioned
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Varied price of southern product questioned
When a "disgusted" shopper highlighted what appeared to be an excessive supermarket markup, Civis decided to investigate.
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Don’t know exactly how it works but it does
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Don’t know exactly how it works but it does
Every local government vote is a stitch in the fabric of our future.
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Free speech battling to survive the culture wars
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Free speech battling to survive the culture wars
Several years ago, Civis watched with dismay as a senior executive at a Californian tech company was forced out because of his conservative views.
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East is east west is west vote for best
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East is east west is west vote for best
Rates, roads and rubbish.
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Great dame a force of nature and education
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Great dame a force of nature and education
Civis feels compelled to add to the tributes for Dame Pat Harrison.
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The national broadcaster and facing hard truths
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The national broadcaster and facing hard truths
RNZ staff may rightly feel a little hard done by over the hard time RNZ has faced of late.
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Whatever you call it, it’s warm and woolly
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Whatever you call it, it’s warm and woolly
Civis won’t pull the wool over your eyes with this winter query: are those knitted upper-body garments called jerseys, pullovers, jumpers or sweaters?
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Swinging to and fro on vexing road cones
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Swinging to and fro on vexing road cones
What is it about the pendulum effect?