It’s so lovely waking up to a Webworm, David, especially one that mirrors my personal #1 pet peeve: what to do with f%#ing billionaires who destroy our planet? If I was Queen Empress Lord Cthulhu for a day, I’d decree that no one’s allowed to be worth more than a couple of million (incl assets, which are taxed), and everyone who is would have their money & assets liquidated and used to make up for wherever their ill-gotten gains came from: decolonisation, reparations, cleaning up their environmental mess, child slaves etc. And any politician who ever took money from billionaires would immediately be banned for life from running for office ever again. They should also be branded with “I’m a greedy planet killer”, but a girl can only dream... look forward to your next podcast!
Billionaires. Yeah. Some are better than others. But their existence is an issue.
Also - if Zuru does starts defamation proceedings in NZ - more bad (all the reviews etc!) will come out in court. I honestly doubt they will do it. It was all a game.
A game to shut down whistleblowers because no one got the cash to fight a disgruntled billionaire in court (except for twitter).
Serious question: do you think anyone can make (or inherit) a billion dollars that’s not destroyed some community, minority group or at least the environment somewhere? Cause the way capitalism works, when you make that much money from something, someone else would have had to suffer for it. So I still say, down with all billionaires. Some nice ones may even be happier once their moral debt has been repaid to those they harmed 🤷♀️
Why the deuce is Ali Williams needing 2 flights a day in and out of HIS FUCKING HOUSE? Is he taking the chopper to New World? Some kid needs to track it like they do Elon Musk’s private jet.
Edit: I was just reading some more into this and found the most perfect anti-bougie statement from the locals who are objecting to the consent -
“The proposed number of daily flights appears to endorse the idea that helicopters are a suitable form of commuter transportation for an inner-city residential property located on an efficient bus route and within a few kilometres of Hauraki Gulf ferries and the Mechanics Bay Heliport,"
The way we praise ex-sports stars in NZ always makes me a bit uneasy - especially when you see what so many get up to and how they live their lives. Not all, but many.
I'd like to share something positive, a rare win for the planet against the big guys. It's taken tens of thousands of dollars of public donations and countless hours of hard work by volunteers but shows we can make a difference. We don't know what their next move will be but we're celebrating for now the fact that Christchurch people have ownership of this water again not some big corporate shipping it offshore in plastic bottles.
Karen - thank you. I need to be reminded of the good stuff. I had some issues with that link, so for anyone curious:
"The Court of Appeal challenge by Aotearoa Water Action (AWA), against water bottling consents granted by Canterbury Regional Council to Cloud Ocean Water Limited and Rapaki Natural Resources Limited, has been successful. The judgement concluded that the consents were not lawfully granted and the High Court decision, along with the Council’s decisions granting consents, should be set aside. This means that Cloud Ocean Water Limited and Rapaki Natural Resources Limited no longer have the consents to carry on their bottling operation.
AWA spokesperson Peter Richardson says the decision is testament to the relentless support of the public and AWA would like to thank them. He says it has been a long wait for the public who have strongly backed the group’s legal challenge and donated funds to help the court case proceed. March to Save Our Water, held in March 2019, saw thousands of people march through Christchurch reflecting the huge public concern. The court action has also been assisted by a $50,000 grant from Christchurch City Council.
AWA is considering how this decision may affect other situations and consents involving the taking and use of groundwater, particularly in Canterbury. Richardson says that the court case is extremely important for the future of water security in Aotearoa."
I missed this news! Thanks for sharing - I couldn’t believe we were letting big companies take our water for what- free??? And create billions of plastic bottles and sell it off...just couldn’t believe it.
You know, the best way for individuals to help slow down the climate catastrophe - apart from eating a lot fewer animal products - is simply to stop buying new stuff. Just say No!
My mum and dad earned much less money in real terms, than people do today, but rarely struggled and they owned their own home (well, had a mortgage, which people seeme to think means the same thing!). The reason? There was so much less stuff to buy and when you bought something, you kept it until it wore out. A "radiogram" lasted 20 years or so. No computers or smartphones of course. My dad was a really keen photographer, but his camera was second hand and he had it for decades. They couldn't afford to take us away on holiday very often and those we had were in Britain (where I was brought up). They hardly ever ate out and my mum cooked our meals. As children, we had toys, but not that many and played with them for years. They didn't require batteries - imagination was the power behind how we played with them. We didn't have many clothes and it was a bit of an event to buy something new. Nowadays we are deluged with incitements to spend our hard-earned money on stuff we certainly don't need and probably, in truth, don't really want.
My own rule is to resist buying anything new at all. Secondhand is best. But even better, don't buy something when you see it, or think about it. Put off the purchase for a week or two and see how you get on without it. Not only will you be saving the planet, but you will be saving money, which you can spend in ways that don't damage the environment - or send Webworm a donation.
I was brought up with hand me downs and op shop clothes.
I definitely did get caught up with consumerism as a teenager and in my 20s but I've now come full circle again and am loving op shopping again and primarily get things and clothing from there for my toddler.
Thank God for you David, this sort of newsletter is a breath of fresh air. I walk around every day with a very quiet, almost imperceptible simmering rage over these things I can't quite put into words and then I wake up and see you found the words for me. And with humour! Ka pai, keep it up.
As a daily Guardian reader, this made me laugh. But I came here to comment because I felt David's anguish. I post fiction online (for free) and the lack of engagement is just The Worst. I know my stuff's being read, I can see the analytics, it really makes my day when somebody takes ten seconds to send me a one-line comment, but less than one in a thousand do. On average maybe one in three to five thousand. On the other hand, the experience has made me much more diligent about communicating with those whose content I appreciate.
I was unaware of Zuru until now. This story got me to Google their toys (which look like the usual cheap, plastic shit - I’m unclear on what’s so innovative here), and the first thing that pops up on their website is “Bunch O’ Balloons.” All I can think of is the old SNL skit, “Bag O’ Glass.” Candice Bergen accuses Dan Aykroyd of creating dangerous toys for profit. It’s sort of hysterical that we’ve got to the point where dangerous toys now means burning the planet, and a bag of glass would actually be better in that at least it’s upcycled and recyclable.
Your previous Zuru article got me to sign up to the newsletter, and your stat about 2/150,000 people paying for it got me to pay for it too. I've loved your work since the Tickled crowd fund, and only just discovered Webworm. Thanks for being wonderful.
If anything the whole exercise really does make Zuru look exponentially worse than a few bad reviews on a website that you kind of need to be looking for specifically to find. Especially since it made into mainstream media news sites. It makes them look epically petty at the very least.
And it actually should be downright illegal now to make the kind of crap they are selling. Obviously people are buying it, but thats where nanny states could actually improve things by limiting plastic crap and packaging.
I would love to be a imports inspector at the Ports just sending back plastic toys to the point of origin or piling them up in Zuru’s factories or on helipads. Isn’t it time to start legislation against stuff we actually don’t need at all & will end up in the sea or at the 2 dollar shop?
Your comment to Nick made me laugh out loud bc I was thinking that too. He’s most likely pissed that not everyone thinks the sun shines out of his bottom. Also that his response seems very loud for something that’s not true: “it wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!!!” My kids (as toddlers) behaved like that when they knew they were busted. One time came straight to mind when I asked “who ate the cat food” and my son said the above with cat food all over his face.
So now I just think of Nick as a toddler billionaire with cat food all over his face.
Cuz tbh if it wasn’t true, you’d probably just laugh your arse off and forget all about it bc you’re a BILLIONAIRE!! …and they are just salty.
It’s so lovely waking up to a Webworm, David, especially one that mirrors my personal #1 pet peeve: what to do with f%#ing billionaires who destroy our planet? If I was Queen Empress Lord Cthulhu for a day, I’d decree that no one’s allowed to be worth more than a couple of million (incl assets, which are taxed), and everyone who is would have their money & assets liquidated and used to make up for wherever their ill-gotten gains came from: decolonisation, reparations, cleaning up their environmental mess, child slaves etc. And any politician who ever took money from billionaires would immediately be banned for life from running for office ever again. They should also be branded with “I’m a greedy planet killer”, but a girl can only dream... look forward to your next podcast!
Billionaires. Yeah. Some are better than others. But their existence is an issue.
Also - if Zuru does starts defamation proceedings in NZ - more bad (all the reviews etc!) will come out in court. I honestly doubt they will do it. It was all a game.
Power and wealth is the true test of character. What type of person are you when you are at the top of the food chain?
Some billionaire's save lives by pushing their wealth into health initiatives for undeveloped nations that save millions of lives.
Others, bully former employees and DGAF about dotterels.
A game to shut down whistleblowers because no one got the cash to fight a disgruntled billionaire in court (except for twitter).
Serious question: do you think anyone can make (or inherit) a billion dollars that’s not destroyed some community, minority group or at least the environment somewhere? Cause the way capitalism works, when you make that much money from something, someone else would have had to suffer for it. So I still say, down with all billionaires. Some nice ones may even be happier once their moral debt has been repaid to those they harmed 🤷♀️
Why the deuce is Ali Williams needing 2 flights a day in and out of HIS FUCKING HOUSE? Is he taking the chopper to New World? Some kid needs to track it like they do Elon Musk’s private jet.
Edit: I was just reading some more into this and found the most perfect anti-bougie statement from the locals who are objecting to the consent -
“The proposed number of daily flights appears to endorse the idea that helicopters are a suitable form of commuter transportation for an inner-city residential property located on an efficient bus route and within a few kilometres of Hauraki Gulf ferries and the Mechanics Bay Heliport,"
Take the bus instead you snobby wankers!
The way we praise ex-sports stars in NZ always makes me a bit uneasy - especially when you see what so many get up to and how they live their lives. Not all, but many.
Helicopters show up on the flight tracker websites don’t they? Someone must be able to create a Twitter bot or something that reports each flight
Yes they do appear. Great idea!
I wish I had the skills to make it happen!
I love that this wonderful newsletter has curated the calmest, cleverest and most eloquent comment section on the internet hellscape.
I still can't get over how cool this comments section is. Even when there is a disagreement it's sane and kind, and so welcomed.
I'd like to share something positive, a rare win for the planet against the big guys. It's taken tens of thousands of dollars of public donations and countless hours of hard work by volunteers but shows we can make a difference. We don't know what their next move will be but we're celebrating for now the fact that Christchurch people have ownership of this water again not some big corporate shipping it offshore in plastic bottles.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2207/S00118/aotearoa-water-action-wins-legal-battle-to-overturn-water-bottling-consents.htm
Karen - thank you. I need to be reminded of the good stuff. I had some issues with that link, so for anyone curious:
"The Court of Appeal challenge by Aotearoa Water Action (AWA), against water bottling consents granted by Canterbury Regional Council to Cloud Ocean Water Limited and Rapaki Natural Resources Limited, has been successful. The judgement concluded that the consents were not lawfully granted and the High Court decision, along with the Council’s decisions granting consents, should be set aside. This means that Cloud Ocean Water Limited and Rapaki Natural Resources Limited no longer have the consents to carry on their bottling operation.
AWA spokesperson Peter Richardson says the decision is testament to the relentless support of the public and AWA would like to thank them. He says it has been a long wait for the public who have strongly backed the group’s legal challenge and donated funds to help the court case proceed. March to Save Our Water, held in March 2019, saw thousands of people march through Christchurch reflecting the huge public concern. The court action has also been assisted by a $50,000 grant from Christchurch City Council.
AWA is considering how this decision may affect other situations and consents involving the taking and use of groundwater, particularly in Canterbury. Richardson says that the court case is extremely important for the future of water security in Aotearoa."
I missed this news! Thanks for sharing - I couldn’t believe we were letting big companies take our water for what- free??? And create billions of plastic bottles and sell it off...just couldn’t believe it.
In a sea of never ending shite on the news this story made my day you all deserve a massive thank you well done
You know, the best way for individuals to help slow down the climate catastrophe - apart from eating a lot fewer animal products - is simply to stop buying new stuff. Just say No!
My mum and dad earned much less money in real terms, than people do today, but rarely struggled and they owned their own home (well, had a mortgage, which people seeme to think means the same thing!). The reason? There was so much less stuff to buy and when you bought something, you kept it until it wore out. A "radiogram" lasted 20 years or so. No computers or smartphones of course. My dad was a really keen photographer, but his camera was second hand and he had it for decades. They couldn't afford to take us away on holiday very often and those we had were in Britain (where I was brought up). They hardly ever ate out and my mum cooked our meals. As children, we had toys, but not that many and played with them for years. They didn't require batteries - imagination was the power behind how we played with them. We didn't have many clothes and it was a bit of an event to buy something new. Nowadays we are deluged with incitements to spend our hard-earned money on stuff we certainly don't need and probably, in truth, don't really want.
My own rule is to resist buying anything new at all. Secondhand is best. But even better, don't buy something when you see it, or think about it. Put off the purchase for a week or two and see how you get on without it. Not only will you be saving the planet, but you will be saving money, which you can spend in ways that don't damage the environment - or send Webworm a donation.
The amount of new plastic stuff humans turf out en masse - just to be disposed or washed into the ocean - makes me blood boil.
For Zuru to be celebrated in other media - I will never understand it.
I was brought up with hand me downs and op shop clothes.
I definitely did get caught up with consumerism as a teenager and in my 20s but I've now come full circle again and am loving op shopping again and primarily get things and clothing from there for my toddler.
Thank God for you David, this sort of newsletter is a breath of fresh air. I walk around every day with a very quiet, almost imperceptible simmering rage over these things I can't quite put into words and then I wake up and see you found the words for me. And with humour! Ka pai, keep it up.
Kray, this means so much. I feel the rage simmer too, and this newsletter is kinda my way of coping. In making sense of it all, a little.
Nice. 2/150k is probably a better conversion rate than The Guardian.
Ha! Lordy!
As a daily Guardian reader, this made me laugh. But I came here to comment because I felt David's anguish. I post fiction online (for free) and the lack of engagement is just The Worst. I know my stuff's being read, I can see the analytics, it really makes my day when somebody takes ten seconds to send me a one-line comment, but less than one in a thousand do. On average maybe one in three to five thousand. On the other hand, the experience has made me much more diligent about communicating with those whose content I appreciate.
I was unaware of Zuru until now. This story got me to Google their toys (which look like the usual cheap, plastic shit - I’m unclear on what’s so innovative here), and the first thing that pops up on their website is “Bunch O’ Balloons.” All I can think of is the old SNL skit, “Bag O’ Glass.” Candice Bergen accuses Dan Aykroyd of creating dangerous toys for profit. It’s sort of hysterical that we’ve got to the point where dangerous toys now means burning the planet, and a bag of glass would actually be better in that at least it’s upcycled and recyclable.
https://youtu.be/veMiNQifZcM
Your previous Zuru article got me to sign up to the newsletter, and your stat about 2/150,000 people paying for it got me to pay for it too. I've loved your work since the Tickled crowd fund, and only just discovered Webworm. Thanks for being wonderful.
Davy - great name.
Davy - thanks.
Thanks for helping Tickled. The newsletter I just sent out (after this one) has a Tickled flashback in it. No film without you, literally. Thank you.
And glad you dig Webworm. Means a lot.
Trust me - you won't regret it! Best community on the interwebs :)
I love that track by the two Liams of Night Lunch. Good to see the Dunedin scene is still alive and well.
More dotterels. Fewer helicopters. That would help the planet.
Thanks for all your work David.
If anything the whole exercise really does make Zuru look exponentially worse than a few bad reviews on a website that you kind of need to be looking for specifically to find. Especially since it made into mainstream media news sites. It makes them look epically petty at the very least.
And it actually should be downright illegal now to make the kind of crap they are selling. Obviously people are buying it, but thats where nanny states could actually improve things by limiting plastic crap and packaging.
Keep up the good work.
I would love to be a imports inspector at the Ports just sending back plastic toys to the point of origin or piling them up in Zuru’s factories or on helipads. Isn’t it time to start legislation against stuff we actually don’t need at all & will end up in the sea or at the 2 dollar shop?
Not only is it "reviews" but it's also "important".
Ok I'm a stickler 😈
I was so hung up on rEvEiwZ I missed that one.
Your comment to Nick made me laugh out loud bc I was thinking that too. He’s most likely pissed that not everyone thinks the sun shines out of his bottom. Also that his response seems very loud for something that’s not true: “it wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!!!” My kids (as toddlers) behaved like that when they knew they were busted. One time came straight to mind when I asked “who ate the cat food” and my son said the above with cat food all over his face.
So now I just think of Nick as a toddler billionaire with cat food all over his face.
Cuz tbh if it wasn’t true, you’d probably just laugh your arse off and forget all about it bc you’re a BILLIONAIRE!! …and they are just salty.
I still can't get over the quote marks, and the multiple spelling mistakes.
Yeah, why are they so exceptionally petty?!!
Really enjoy your writing , thoughts and the interesting feedback you receive .