The boss of a government agency which hired a disgraced former teacher in a senior role has known his whanau for years, but had no involvement in him getting the job, the agency says. However, Te Puni Kokiri (TPK) Maori development secretary Dave Samuels acknowledges his relationship to Taurapa has
The word for today is… delve (verb): 1: to dig or labour with or as if with a spade 2a: to make a careful or detailed search for information b: to examine a subject in detail archaic : excavate Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The verb traces to the early Old English
Sir Bob Jones nopunchespulled.com Early last year Stuff journo Andrea Vance wrote an article describing how a number of New Zealand (or to her, Aotearoa) university anthropologists were deeply concerned about protecting the remaining moriori tree carvings on the Chatham Islands. I was sorely tempted to contact her but
Russell Crowe has debuted a bold new look – and you might not recognise him. After five years of sporting a slick silver beard, the 59-year-old actor has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal he has completely shaved off his luscious beard locks, instead opting for a clean-
The word for today is… piquant (adjective): 1: engagingly provocative also : having a lively arch charm 2: agreeably stimulating to the taste Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Piquant flavors “sting” the tongue and piquant words “prick” the intellect, arousing interest. These varying senses reflect the etymology of the word piquant, which
Ming sojournal.co.nz “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” PSALM 139:13 It is not a controversial fact that life begins at fertilization.1 For instance, a Princeton University webpage lists fifteen academic sources that support this point. One of
Green MP Efeso Collins, 49, has died after collapsing at a charity event this morning. Emergency services rushed to treat the first-term MP after he collapsed. He was participating in a charity event for ChildFund in Auckland’s Britomart when the incident occurred. Staff at the scene were visibly
The word for today is… ululate (verb): : to utter a loud, usually protracted, high-pitched, rhythmical sound especially as an expression of sorrow, joy, celebration, or reverence : howl Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : “When other birds are still, the screech owls take up the strain, like mourning women their ancient u-
“We do not want Israel to enter into a Rafah. We don’t think that’s appropriate is going to cause massive civilian pain and suffering.” Luxon said he reached out to Trudeau and Albanese to make sure “we sent a very strong signal to Israel in particular that we
The word for today is… aplomb (noun): : complete and confident composure or self-assurance : poise Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If you do something with aplomb, you do it with composure and self-assurance—you do it with poise. This English noun aplomb was borrowed directly from French, where it carries
One-thousand pairs of former President Donald Trump’s limited edition high-top gold-colored sneakers have sold out in presale, according to the brand’s website, hours after the former president launched the latest round of merchandise. The “never surrender” high-top gold-colored sneakers were limited to 1,
The word for today is… genial (adjective): 1a: marked by or freely expressing sympathy or friendliness b: favorable to growth or comfort : mild 2: displaying or marked by genius 3 obsolete : of or relating to marriage or generation 4 obsolete : inborn, native 5 : of or relating to the chin Source
The word for today is… exhort (verb): : to incite by argument or advice : urge strongly Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Exhort arrived in the 15th century from the Anglo-French word exorter, exhort traces back further to the Latin verb hortari, meaning “to incite to action, urge on, or encourage.” Latin
One thing I like doing is visiting business websites, particularly those that claim to be inclusive, rainbow-ticked, etc. For example, one particular company that boasts about being inclusive is, according to its website, “Australasia’s largest homegrown tech company”. The first thing I see is a photo of a
Vaughan Collier asked his 16-year-old daughter to turn around on SH1 so he could help at a breakdown on the side of the road. The rest unfolded: “Dad was lying on his left side under the van and his breathing went really raspy and he started gurgling,” [Nicole
The word for today is… mentor (noun, verb): noun 1 capitalized : a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus’ son Telemachus 2a: a trusted counselor or guide b: tutor, coach verb : to serve as a mentor for : tutor Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Mentor is pretty ubiquitous in today’
