Three ideas for next Olympics – Two Big Macs a day – Theia on FIRST
...and other recs this week!
Kia ora, welcome to this week’s newsletter.
Like many people I have spent the last two weeks watching nothing but Olympics. After starting the games with absolutely zero enthusiasm, this ended up being the most into an Olympics I’ve got since Atlanta ‘96. It’s time to move on with our lives now, but before we do I’d like to share a few notes on events I think should be added in future, in the hope that this somehow manifests them into reality.
1. Beep test. There may be ethical and safety concerns to consider but I’d love to see more last-man-standing events in the Olympics. The elimination race in the cycling omnium – where the last-placed rider every second lap gets kicked out until it’s a one-on-one sprint – was a real highlight for me. I think a competitive version of the beep test everyone had to do in school would be a really good addition to the athletics programme.
2. Tug of war. They used to have this event in the early Olympics and I think they should bring it back. If I have one gripe about the Olympics it’s that the final day is always kind of an anticlimax – holding the tug of war just before the closing ceremony would solve that. Each country’s team is made up of 10 or 20 athletes from other sports who’ve already competed at the games.
3. Flying. Haven’t quite figured out the nuts and bolts of this one but… aeroplane races? A modern day Dastardly and Muttley type situation? Would be very cool.
What events would you add?
–Cal
This week’s new podcasts
On The Fold [Apple | Spotify], Duncan Greive caught up with Jon Wild, the man who’s produced and directed some of NZ’s best reality TV – including The Apprentice Aotearoa.
On When the Facts Change [Apple | Spotify], Bernard Hickey looked at the temporary visa limbo thousands in this country are stuck in right now, and what should be done to address it.
On Business is Boring [Apple | Spotify], Simon Pound talked to business titan Theresa Gattung about burnout and the need for more women business leaders.
Dietary Requirements [Apple | Spotify] went on a trip to Kingi to learn how to cook a delicious flounder with chef Tom Hishon.
The Real Pod [Apple | Spotify] talked squeegeeing the shower and struggled through hallway week(?) on The Block NZ.
And Remember When… [Apple | Spotify] looked back on two things that were sure to make your day better: Cobb & Co and the PlayStation 1.
Subscribe and listen now wherever you get your podcasts!
FIRST
This week on FIRST we’ve got the extremely talented Em Walker who performs and releases music under the names Theia and TE KAAHU. She tells us about songwriting in te reo, being really into Neopets and the 2003 movie soundtrack that provided her with a complete pop music education.
Extremely Online: We need to talk about Neuralink
Pager is a monkey who can play Pong better than you or I ever could, and he does it using only his thoughts. He has a chip in his brain called The Link – a creation of Elon Musk’s company Neuralink, which has the ultimate goal of connecting humans and computers. Keen? Find out more in this week’s episode of Extremely Online from Shit You Should Care About, made with the support of NZ On Air.
Dietary Requirements live in Wellington
Alice says: “I recommend heading along to the Parrotdog Bar in Lyall Bay, Wellington, this Sunday afternoon. Not only can you sample some fine beers and delicious food in a delightful setting, you’ll also have the pleasure of being in the audience for a live session of The Spinoff’s award-winning food podcast Dietary Requirements. We (that’s Simon Day, Sophie Gilmour and yours truly) will be talking to the Parrotdog crew about 10 years in the business, as well as a couple of Wellington hospitality legends about the future of the industry. Come join us from 3pm.”
Conversations That Count – Ngā Kōrero Whai Take
The final episode of the second season of Conversations that Count – Ngā Kōrero Whai Take examines the practices and processes that govern our modern food systems, from paddock to plate (and often, to the world). Julian Heyes of Massey University and Veronica Shale of Fair Food NZ join host Stacey Morrison for a kōrero spanning everything from how produce exports became our primary sector’s bread and butter (and the perhaps-surprisingly small footprint of Aotearoa in the broader international market) to the reasons for – and potential solutions to – the skyrocketing rates of food insecurity that we’ve seen locally.
Guinness World Records Instagram
I recently started following Guinness World Records on Instagram and I think it might be the best account on the whole platform. Last week they published this unexpectedly charming short video about a man who’s eaten over 30,000 Big Macs – at least two a day since the 1970s – and collected every box and every receipt as proof. He used to go to Maccas every day, but now he goes twice a week and buys in bulk to save on petrol.
ALOK on Man Enough
Eli says: “I cannot rec this episode of Man Enough enough! As host Jamey Heath says near the end of the interview, “When brilliant people speak, you wanna hear brilliant people speak.” Alok Vaid-Menon (they/them) is an acclaimed gender non-conforming writer, performer and speaker, and in this episode they discuss the overpowering need for compassion vs comprehension. It’s beautiful, educational and incredibly powerful – you’ll find yourself saying ‘Amen’ and ‘Halleloo’ throughout.”
Tinashe – 333
Sam says: “Though she was framed as an R&B pop star after her rightful smash ‘2On’, Tinashe has since gone down a weirder, windier and altogether much better path, and her new album 333 boasts some of her best work yet. I’m in deep love with ‘Bouncin’' (a chill, uplifting, smash) and ‘The Chase’ (a sexysad Stargate-produced tune) especially. Listening to this is guaranteed to make your week better.”
Janaye Henry – Literally Obsessed
Sophie says: “Janaye Henry is bringing her stand-up show Literally Obsessed to Auckland next month and you should definitely get a ticket. Her comedy is fresh, smart and unapologetic, and she didn’t get to bring the show to Tāmaki Makaurau during the Comedy Festival so this is your chance! Honestly, that hat should be all the convincing you need.”
Kevin Hart and Snoop Dogg’s Olympics
Justin says: “Missing the olympics but can’t bring yourself to resubscribe to Sky for endless highlights? No worries, because Kevin Hart and Snoop Dogg commentating on random sports is everything you’d hope and more. (Warning: the language is as colourful as you’d expect.)”
That’s all for this week! Please reply to get in touch and share with anyone else who might like to subscribe too. See you next Wednesday 👋
