Lucire at 25: how things have changed

The below was originally posted in Lucire. We have made it to 25 years of age there, and rather than reinvent the wheel, this little piece—as well as the one I uploaded yesterday hours after we turned exactly 25—reflect how I feel upon reaching this milestone.   Olivia Macklin, photographed by Josh Fogel, make-up by […]

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We should challenge monopolists, not do business with them at the exclusion of ethical parties

Search engine Mojeek is doing no wrong in my book. Here’s its CEO Colin Hayhurst being interviewed by The New Era’s Jeffrey Peel, making complete sense, which is not something I can say about anyone speaking for Big Tech. We should be shunning monopolists if we truly value progress and innovation, or even a proper, […]

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Type coverage—in 2012

I’m not sure why I didn’t spot these back in 2012. This was very high praise from Cre8d Design, on ‘What is New Zealand’s iconic font?’ So nice to see JY Décennie in there. Still on type, the fifth Congreso Internacional de Tipografía in Valencia cites yours truly. Como consecuencia de todos estos cambios, surgen […]

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China in 2022: speak Cantonese, get banned from social media

If you think some of us were being uppity about New Zealand Chinese Language Week, how’s this for a real-life report? Speak Cantonese, get banned from a social media platform. That’s what’s happening in China right now. And I had already mentioned schoolchildren being told off for using their reo. The Google Translate translation is […]

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Startpage isn’t what I thought it was—but then Google does the opposite to what you think

Startpage says it licenses Google’s results but gives us privacy. So, if you want Google-level, Google-biased results, but don’t want their tracking, you use Startpage. Um, no. Let’s just take a random search for a screenwriter I once mentioned on this blog:     It’s quite a bit slower than Google, too. The results are […]

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New Zealand Chinese Language Week reviewed—in Cantonese

My friend Bevan was going to make a podcast in Cantonese for New Zealand Chinese Language Week, and I decided I would record a few tidbits—except it wound up being something far longer and a podcast episode in its own right. So here it is, all 13-plus minutes of it. If this isn’t your language, […]

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The Detail on New Zealand Chinese Language Week

Thank you, Alexia Russell and Radio New Zealand, for giving voice to our concerns about New Zealand Chinese Language Week. You can listen to the episode of The Detail here. As they tagged Jo (chair of the NZCLW Trust), I decided I would get in touch via Twitter reply. This also addresses one of the […]

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New Zealand Chinese Language Week: a podcast entry

As we come to the conclusion of New Zealand Chinese Language Week, a review about how inappropriate it was by being the very opposite of inclusive, for those who’d prefer to sit back and listen rather than read one of my blog posts.     You’ll likely catch me on RNZ’s The Detail on Friday, […]

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In one poem: Chris Tse on Chinese Language Week

This is why poet laureate Chris Tse is awesome. Chinese Language Week Exam#NZCLW pic.twitter.com/p2mX09LeuU —Chris Tse (@chrisjtse) September 25, 2022 The Tweets that follow are must-reads, too, including: The organisers have been told and given feedback time and time again to no avail. I was told there aren't enough resources to promote other 'dialects' but […]

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The reality of Chinese Language Week for many Chinese New Zealanders

‘Chinese Language Week’ has rolled around again, and if you look on Twitter, there are plenty of Chinese New Zealanders (myself included) and our allies miffed about this. And we get the usual trolls come by. First up, it’s not Chinese Language Week. It’s Mandarin Language Week. I have no problem with the promotion of […]

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