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Richard Easther

@rjme.bsky.social

3.3K followers 350 following 2.7K posts

Father, husband, scientist, Kiwi diaspora returnee, prof @aucklanduni.bsky.social‬ - opinions mine. He/Him Science: https://cosmology.auckland.ac.nz Blog: https://excursionset.com Newsletter: https://buttondown.com/excursionset

cosmology.auckland.ac.nz

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 11h

It's a strange world where butt-chugging coffee is "natural".

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 11h

Doing rails.

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 12h

Beautiful

Guy Body @bodycartoon.bsky.social · 12h

Retrospective #6: 2008 - the death of Hillary

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 12h

My dad used to pretend to take "date Russian women" spam seriously - we'd get emails saying things like "I hope you can learn a little Russian to greet you new mummy when she arrives" followed by another saying "just joking".

He stayed sharp to the end but even that was stressful.

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 13h

If you are a steam train enthusiast, "stoked" is presumably about as good as it gets...

‘We’re stoked’: 150-year-old lost train rediscovered in deep sand

“Skunk” the locomotive was found by contractors who were doing excavation work near the Whanganui River mouth.

www.stuff.co.nz

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 22h

Indeed.

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Reposted by Richard Easther

Jolisa Gracewood @nzdodo.bsky.social · 1d

“I really want people to know that no one is immune to this, anyone can get long Covid. I didn't think it would happen to me.” Read it and weep:
www.1news.co.nz/2025/10/10/o...

Offered rest home care at 24: the lonely plight of young Kiwis with long Covid

A group of young Kiwis prove what international studies show: that long Covid has a particularly debilitating effect on young people. But how much medical support is there for them?

www.1news.co.nz

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Reposted by Richard Easther

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 2d

Young Boomers and senior Gen-Xers, probably not a bad time to check the settings on your retirement accounts...

www.nzherald.co.nz/business/ban...

Bank's stark warning hints at global fallout

Kristalina Georgieva warned inflated prices could mask deeper economic fragility.

www.nzherald.co.nz

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 1d

Providence, Brown student radio. Did some nice calculations with this playing...

(Which is odd, I suppose, because the song itself would not be high on most people's list of inspo tracks)

Blaise Ulysse Bernard Collins @wittywebhandle.bsky.social · 1d

I would like to just take a moment to invite you to enjoy Cake's 1996 mega-hit 'The Distance'.

It's likely that you know this song, perhaps even love it. But just take a moment to revel in the utter masterpiece that it is.

Surrender yourself to it.

You deserve it.

Reposted by Richard Easther

Long Covid Support Aotearoa @lcsupportaotearoa.bsky.social · 1d

We're new to Bluesky.

We are a New Zealand support group bringing forward the lived experience of our community with Long Covid and advocating for awareness, treatment, supports, and prevention.

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 2d

Probably depends on your city. A lot of 45 minute car commutes here can balloon out to an hour+ in bad traffic in Auckland -- but less so in Chch I am guessing.

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 2d

Young Boomers and senior Gen-Xers, probably not a bad time to check the settings on your retirement accounts...

www.nzherald.co.nz/business/ban...

Bank's stark warning hints at global fallout

Kristalina Georgieva warned inflated prices could mask deeper economic fragility.

www.nzherald.co.nz

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 2d

Does have a bit of an "eat out to help out" vibe

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 2d

These are cool :-)

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 2d

Just saw someone tipping Pynchon for the literature prize. But if a biologist can go off-grid for hours and committee can't find him, just imagine how tough that phone call is going to be.

Never mind getting him to the ceremony.

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 2d

What did you do in the Second Civil War Daddy?

Son, when you're older I'll tell you. It was ugly, though, I'll say that. Close quarters urban combat with a ruthless foe. Nothing quite prepares you for the reality of it.

Danny K @dannykpolitics.bsky.social · 5d

WATCH: ‘Portland Frog’ pepper balled by ICE agents

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 2d

Frogman, innit. Buy them used from the DGSE.

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 2d

Citations.

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 2d

Best kind, I guess.... (In the docs for a WordPress plugin)

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 3d

Also.... www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojUL...

Baha Men - Who Let The Dogs Out (Official Video)

YouTube video by Baha Men

www.youtube.com

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 3d

Pretty sure the Bard was not talking about calling the dogs off here, but rather about letting them loose...

www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 3d

I know a story along those lines but it's too easily identifiable so can't tell it here. But it's like the joke "how do you get get 99 little old ladies to say "fuck" at the same time?" "Get one of them to say "BINGO". Except for dudes in their 60s and a phone call from Stockholm.

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 3d

Ironically, my most surprising experience was a friend's father winning it - but not for physics. Reading the news and was like "holy crap, I think that's (Friend's) Dad." She was like "yeah, he was sort of expecting it". Absolutely lovey man, FWIW.

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 3d

And it seems that one of them was indeed on the list.

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Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 3d

Excellent spot. Would lunch again.