The Spinoff Weekly: Guyon Espiner gave up booze — but he can’t quit thinking about it
November 8 - 14
Vaccine certificates are coming. Here’s how they’ll work
Late last week, the government provided more details about its vaccine certificate system. For IRL, Dylan Reeve explains how My Vaccine Pass and My Covid Record will work, and why there’s no need to panic about privacy or security.
Guyon Espiner gave up booze — but he can’t quit thinking about it
Guyon Espiner stopped drinking after one too many hangovers. Now he’s on a mission: to find out why he drank so much, for so long, and why others do too.
A message from The Spinoff’s new editor Madeleine Chapman:
Like any good door-to-door salesperson, I’m about to cheerily introduce myself and then, in the very next breath, ask you for money. Hi! I’m Madeleine (or Mad) Chapman, previously an intern at The Spinoff, then a staff writer, senior writer and now editor. It certainly wasn’t the plan to step into this role in the middle of a delta outbreak, nor did I think my first weeks on the job would unfold alongside New Zealand’s largest city slowly coming out of stagnation. But despite the strange and unfortunate circumstances, The Spinoff team has stepped up once again, working tirelessly (and mostly from our bedrooms) to bring you the most important news when you need it, and the lighter moments when things are looking a little bleak. We’ve been able to continue this work because of the ongoing contributions from our members and I can’t thank you enough.
But can I boldly ask that you consider becoming a member if you aren’t one already? If you’ve read something on our site recently that you enjoyed or appreciated, consider it a koha for that alone, because every dollar donated through The Spinoff Members is used to create more of the work you see every day. With Christmas around the corner (which I’m finding genuinely hard to believe), there’s no such thing as shipping delays on a membership of The Spinoff bought for whānau and friends.
Nicky Hager: My message to friends who joined this week’s protest
Are these really the people you want to align yourself with?
Kirihimete gift guide 2021: Supporting Māori and Pasifika businesses and creators
Kirihimete is just around the corner and self-appointed tastemakers Janaye Henry and Leonie Hayden are back with another stellar list of top gift picks.
The real cost of that cheap thing you bought from a Facebook ad
In buying a cheap ring, Shanti Mathias found herself part of the business of dropshipping, a model based on social media ads, instant digital storefronts, and opaque global supply chains. What was she really buying? And who benefitted?
The protest that revealed a new, ugly, dangerous side to our country
However motley and incoherent some of the messages might seem, to laugh it off would be a mistake. The day brought to the surface nasty and violent sentiments that could, unchecked, turn into something awful, writes Toby Manhire.
The challenge: A lockdown clearout that doesn’t feed the landfill beast
Disposing responsibly of unwanted goods and rubbish takes time, effort and often money. Is it worth it?
The Sunday Essay: Radicalised by the Telethon
The 1981 Telethon raised $5 million for New Zealand’s disabled community. But on the night, we were the objects.
Thank you for the abortion, Dr Sparrow
Bestselling novelist Catherine Robertson honours Dame Margaret June Sparrow, who has spent something like 50 years working to secure safe, legal abortions in Aotearoa.
Steve Jurkovich wants to build a Patagonia for banking in Aotearoa
Partner content
The farm boy CE of Kiwibank has embraced the full progressive business agenda. He tells Duncan Greive why they did it – and the profits flowing from it.
