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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · 1d

A tragedy! Such good stuff happened there.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · 3d

Ōtautahi has elected the last mayor of the 20th century, rather than the first mayor of the 21st.

Erin Harrington @ladyhorrors.bsky.social · 3d

V sad to see a thoughtful woman with a forward looking well evidenced plan for the future outdone by a gruff dude with a truck

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Reposted by Douglas Horrell

dingsbums @binkle.bsky.social · 4d

Ōtautahi / Chch procrastinators, join me in voting in the local body elections before midday tomorrow - drop off locations listed in the link www.newsline.ccc.govt.nz/news/story/t... #kikorangi

Time running out to vote in local elections

Time is running out for the 69 per cent of eligible voters in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula who have yet to complete and return their voting papers for the local elections.

www.newsline.ccc.govt.nz

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Reposted by Douglas Horrell

Mike Dickison @adzebill.bsky.social · 7d

Vote! Vote in your local election! Post your vote by 5pm today! It matters. Hayden explains this more hilariously than I can: thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-...

One hundred and eighty five billion dollars.
That's the estimated bill to repair our terrible water infrastructure and experts think that estimate is too low. Why is it going to cost so much? Mainly because angry people who didn't want to pay rates were the only ones who voted in local elections. They elected other angry people who didn't want to raise rates and those people kept costs down via the foolproof method of "letting the pipes rot in the ground". Just a few years ago, 8,000 people in and around Havelock North got poisoned when sheep poo seeped into some poorly maintained water infrastructure. Four people died! Wellington's streets are now equal parts sewage and concrete. For a while there people in Otago were drinking lead.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · 9d

I'll give my last word on this discomfort to a classic strip by the always excellent First Dog on the Moon: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Vegans! Why won't they leave us alone to consume the flesh of tortured animals in peace? | First Dog on the Moon

I would prefer not to eat meat but I do because it is delicious and I am lazy. But I agree with vegans that it is bad for the planet!

www.theguardian.com

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · 9d

This thread is about discomfort and inaction around diet in the climate movement. Personally, as a vegan of 30 years, I don't think veganism is THE solution. But it's almost certainly one of many, many solutions to the problem of making individual behavioural change stick in a diverse world.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · 9d

Perhaps the stereotyping is the problem? The diversity of people who ride bikes or choose to eat vegan is huge. Why should they be reduced to stereotypical depictions (unless that happens to serve status quo narratives of what is, and what isn't, acceptable behavior/activism)?

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · 9d

Both veganism and cycling function as symbolic acts (as well as just doing the thing that needs to be done). That's why proponents of inaction or delay go after vegans and cyclists so hard. It's easier to denigrate someone who makes them look bad than thank us for actually addressing the problem.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · 11d

It always fascinates me when this kind of stuff is referred to by media as "strategy". It's the exact opposite. Short-term blind power grabs that masquerade as policy. No idea that the future will be different than today.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · 16d

Actually, I know a number of people with Pyroclassic burners and they're great. Lots of heat and very efficient. One friend days she burns half the wood for the same heat as her old non-ULEB burner.

Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · 16d

Can't help, but our burner permit expires 2026 so I'm very interested in the answers! (Unfortunately, we have an inbuilt fire so currently that limits us to only two ULEB fires.)

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · 20d

Exciting! All the best things take time. This week I had a visit from Tiana, a Hawaiian weaver and hale builder, to harvest leaves from palms I grew from seed 20 years ago. So happy to be able to help out.

Tiana Malina Te Rongopatahi Mo’iha looks pleased with a car bootload of palm leaves destined to build a Hawaiian hale for her Macmillan Brown artist residency in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

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Reposted by Douglas Horrell

Kārikiōrangi @sharonm.bsky.social · Sep 13

Fine analysis of the very tight battle for Christchurch Mayor by David Williams.
Read it before you vote - because the next mayor will set the city direction in important ways.
Mauger’s disdain for any method of transport other than cars will screw the city.

newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/12/f...

‘Flip and flop’ mayor gives latest take on asset sales

Council-owned companies remain a contentious issue in the race for Christchurch’s mayoralty between Phil Mauger and Sara Templeton

newsroom.co.nz

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Sep 7

We were going to this but now can't. I'd really appreciate any notes or observations!

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Sep 5

Much appreciated!

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Sep 5

Really sorry to hear that Ange. Take care of yourself.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Sep 5

Very cool! Love how you can drag the audio to identify specific birds.

Screenshot of the Merlin bird app showing a list of birds identified in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Sep 5

Thanks Mike. Had not discovered Merlin before. Riroriro are very much in residence at our place and I'm getting better at spotting them flitting swiftly around the garden.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Aug 26

I'm hoping the Cretaceous period will claim him back shortly.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Aug 23

Very good. Having grown up in a monolingual culture actually makes me more interested in trying to get pronunciation right in other languages. It's annoying enough when someone contracts my name to "Doug" so I can't imagine how heartbreaking it is when people don't care enough to try.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Aug 16

Fave recent encounter while out walking our two greyhounds was a kid who yelled out "MUUUM!!! THAT GUY HAS TWO ALEXS!!!".

(♥️ that in his world, every greyhound is named Alex)

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Aug 15

Done.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Aug 12

Probably overkill, but more people should know that www.shuk.co.nz will cut gaskets to any size you want. Have an obscure brand of 1960s espresso pot that needs new seals but no time machine to buy them from the original company? They have you covered.

Shuk

Shuk is NZ’s leading manufacturer of gaskets. We are also the major distributor of rubber and seals, plumbing, drainage and industrial supplies.

www.shuk.co.nz

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Aug 10

Our Prunus mume flowered weeks ago.

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Douglas Horrell @cleftcraft.bsky.social · Aug 4

📌