Posts from the blog
ArcGIS StoryMap: Storm Daniel’s impact on Derna
I just completed a course in using ESRI ArcGIS for geographic analysis. Wow, this is such a powerful tool… Check out this StoryMap that I created about the 2023 disaster in Derna, Libya. https://arcg.is/yuGeD0
Videos
My YouTube channel:
Migrating Back to WordPress
I’m migrating the site from Drupal 9 back to WordPress. Here’s why…
It’s Hearing Awareness Month!
March is Hearing Awareness Month! Did you know: over 880,000 Kiwis are Deaf or hard of hearing and about 20% of NZ Year 9 students have measurable hearing loss…
It’s World Diabetes Day!
Sunday 14 November is World Diabetes Day, and this year marks 100 years since the discovery of insulin in 1921…
My submission on the Human Rights (Disability Assist Dogs Non-Discrimination) Amendment Bill
Although New Zealand was instrumental in negotiating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Disabled in 2006, even today disabled people can be denied service for using service animal…
I’m shifting to Drupal!
Since 2015 I’ve run this site on WordPress.com as an opportunity to blog my ideas and interests, and showcase my writing. It’s time to shift from WordPress to Drupal, here’s why…
Happy NZ Sign Language Week 2020!
This week is NZSL Week (21 to 27 Sept 2020) which coincides with the International Day of Sign Languages on 23 September…
What you’re feeling is disability
What’s inducing such violent tantrums and angry protests against covid-related public safety measures? The world has become less accessible for everyone…
It’s Disability Pride Week 2019!
You may think “I’ve worked in offices for years, and accessibility in the workplace has never really come up as a serious issue. What’s the problem?” THAT’s the problem…
My submission on the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Bill
In 1987 the New Zealand Government established New Zealand as a nuclear free nation. It’s time to declare New Zealand free of semi-automatic firearms…
This is us
Personal pronouns are complicated in Te Reo Māori (the indigenous language of Aotearoa/New Zealand). For example, the English word “us” can translate into Te Reo in at least three ways…
Accessible toilets (are not so accessible)
I created a video for Changing Places New Zealand, which campaigns for truly accessible public toilets…
Happy Disabilities Day!
Today is the International Day of Disabled Persons! (3 Dec 2018). The UN’s theme for 2018 is “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”…
Changing Places
Today (19 November) is World Toilet Day! Hurray! For quite some time now I’ve been working on a secret project which I had to keep under wraps until the formal press release. As of today…
Jilted (a poem)
A poem for Margo JG’s submission to World of Wearable Art, May 2017…
#BadlyExplainYourProfession
Challenge: badly explain your profession in 25 words or less…
Hate is no joke
The true story of when Salman Rushdie schooled me on the topic of authoritarian hate and intolerance…
Using text variables in Microsoft Word
I created a YouTube video based on some tricks that I learned while taking a course in Advanced Microsoft Word (with over 120k views!)
Putting diversity in the picture
I was preparing a presentation for early tomorrow morning, poaching photos off the internet for my slides, when I noticed a distinct lack of diversity in my search results…
KiwiSaver and cluster bombs
A few days ago I saw an article which really threw me for a loop. Most New Zealand “KiwiSaver” retirement savings schemes (including mine) have shareholdings in…
Two ways to compare documents in Microsoft Word
Check out this two-minute video I made, which demonstrates two handy features in Word…
Professional Design, Amateur Design
The New Zealand flag redesign “process” has been widely criticized and roundly ridiculed, for good reason…
Online learning: first impressions
Two months ago I took the first steps towards a new qualification by starting an online course…
Learn your lessons (or crash and burn)
(this article was first posted at eSocSci.org.nz) On 31 October 2014, the world’s first commercial passenger space ship crashed, killing the co-pilot and seriously injuring the pilot. SpaceShipTwo (also known as ‘VSS Enterprise’) was undergoing tests after…
Being Papa
This is my story of how I learned to be Papa to my kids, one of whom has a severe brain injury.