Category Archives: Podcasts

AmeriNZ 33 – Religious Right

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Episode 33 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

There was no podcast on Friday because I simply ran out of time. It’s possible that I also won’t have time to record this coming Friday.

Should I keep the twice-weekly schedule, or does the sort of limited scope of this podcast make more sense in weekly doses? What do you think? Obviously I’ll do what makes sense for me, but I’d really like to know what you’d prefer, so vote in the anonymous poll at the top right of this blog.

Today I go over a selection of recent news stories about or affecting New Zealand, all of which have something to do with US influence on New Zealand. That starts at 2:03. Then, I’ll go into more detail about one of those stories on the religious right in New Zealand, my main topic today, at 8:55. Finally, it’s comments at 15:43.

Please leave a comment or send an email to me at amerinz[at}yahoo.com, and be sure to vote in the poll at the top right of this blog.

Links from today’s episode:

About travel rules—Democracy Now! for July 31, new rules for travelling to the US. Immigration changes proposed in New Zealand. Copyright law changes in New Zealand. Low unemployment rate in NZ continues. Slap Upside the Head on the Gay Pride Flag. Incidental music this episode by Nick Murray from the Podsafe Music Network.


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AmeriNZ 33 - Religious Right [ 21:19 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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AmeriNZ 32 – More Expats

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Episode 32 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

After a journey through comments, it’s today’s Tuesday Talk segment. Today’s guests are Dawn and Darren, an American Expat couple in Wellington. We had a lot of Skype problems, but persevered. I tried to fix some of it in the editing.

What made them move to New Zealand? What do they miss about America? What couldn’t they do without from New Zealand? They share some of their observations about New Zealand, Wellington, music, food, rugby and more. Will they stay in New Zealand permanently?

Dawn and Darren’s blog is called Kia Ora…Bitches!

Opening music segment—from the appropriately named song “Moving to New Zealand”—is by Spring Heeled Jacks Original Swinging Jass Band from the Podsafe Music Network. The entire song in on Episode 23.

Leave a comment, or send an email to me at amerinz[at)yahoo.com.


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AmeriNZ 32 - More Expats [ 29:13 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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AmeriNZ 31 – Weather

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Episode 31 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

What’s the weather like in Auckland? Well, it’s way better than Chicago! I tell you what it’s like here, what that means and, well, how much better it is than Chicago. A revelation about how Kiwis are in winter! But what does that mean, practically speaking? Ice scrapers?

Changes are coming for the Tuesday edition of the podcast: Conversations, I hope. Fridays will be as they have been. It’s an adventure!

From there, it’s comments. Then, a look at what I take from download statistics. Or, maybe I shouldn’t—what do you think?

A big shout out (and much love) to Tom the Ramble Redhead.

Please leave a comment or send an email to me at amerinz{at)yahoo.com (anonymous comments are okay, and emails are kept confidential).

Update: I’m one of the participants on this week’s ArcherRadio group show, AR503 Gay Republicans.


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AmeriNZ 31 - Weather [ 32:47 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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AmeriNZ 30 – Tuesday Talk

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Episode 30 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

I begin this episode with a brief look at comments, then it’s on to today’s main segment, a conversation with a listener, Yorky, who is neither a podcaster nor a blogger. He was back in New Zealand briefly so we took advantage of the chance to meet up.

We talk about a lot of things, including how he and his partner, who’s an American, tried to live in the US but had to come up with a creative solution to be together. Yorky also offers a listener’s perspective on podcasts. Special mentions go to Matt Blender’s Okay So Radio and, of course, to Archerr (ArcherRadio). Will Yorky and his partner return to New Zealand some day?

Being new to recording using my digital recorder, I neglected to put in fresh batteries, so quite a bit was lost. Sorry. Are you a listener who’s always wanted to be on a podcast? Send me an email! We can work something out.

Special congratulations to Archerr on 500 episodes of ArcherRadio!

Leave me a comment at or send an email to me at amerinz{at)yahoo.com.


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AmeriNZ 30 - Tuesday Talk [ 27:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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AmeriNZ 29 – Race

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Episode 29 is now available. You can get it here, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it free through the player on the right hand side of my blog, or on my MySpace page.

To understand New Zealand, you need to understand that it’s a bicultural country within a multicultural society. This all comes about because of listener comments, which is where I begin this episode (after introducing probably the most common phrase in Te Reo Maori, Kia Ora). I compare and contrast race relations in New Zealand with those of the US and Australia, and I provide an historical context by reading an excerpt from Americans and Maori during World War 2. I haven’t personally seen the sort of racism in New Zealand that I’ve seen in America, but that certainly doesn’t mean that there aren’t issues to be dealt with here.

A special guest will on the Tuesday episode.

AmeriNZ 29 - Race [ 25:03 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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AmeriNZ 28 – Language

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Episode 28 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

It’s a short episode today. It’s Maori Language Week this week, an annual event celebrating and promoting the Maori language. This year is special, celebrating 20 years since Te Reo Maori was declared an official language of New Zealand, alongside English.

I begin by talking a little bit about the language from my perspective as a Pakeha immigrant, including talking about how relatively easy the language is to pronounce, if you try—and everyone should. The effort, even among tourists, is appreciated. But I don’t go into cultural details because that’s a topic in itself. For more information, you can go to the site of the Maori Language Commission. For even more, see “100 Maori words every New Zealander should know”.

Comments are next, and, of course, I expand on things in earlier podcasts. A new guest will be on my podcast soon, possibly Friday, maybe Tuesday.


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AmeriNZ 28 - Language [ 16:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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AmeriNZ 27 – Nigel Too

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Episode 27 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

Nigel’s back!

Nigel joins me again today. He’s recovering from a cold, one he seems to have shared with me. Please pardon the coughs (I tried to edit some out).

We take listener questions as our starting point, then I ask Nigel’s perspective on other listener questions I’ve already answered. Both provide loads of new information, including especially Nigel’s perspective on my early days in New Zealand.

We end with an email from a listener with a question about New Zealand in the news, then a listener comment from Japan. There’s even a (very) brief appearance from one of Nigel’s sisters.


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AmeriNZ 27 - Nigel Too [ 44:57 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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AmeriNZ 26 – Good and Bad

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Episode 26 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

So far, I’ve talked about good things about New Zealand (and I think there are a lot). So, maybe, out of balance, I should talk about the bad things. Trouble is, to me there really isn’t anything that’s all that bad. Maybe I could mention the negativity among some people. Or maybe news media sloppiness, or the weird crusades of NZ’s biggest newspaper, Auckland’s New Zealand Herald. For me, that’s about it.

New Zealand’s Parliamentary sessions are now streamed on the Internet at www.parliament.govt.nz (or the direct link here).

I catch up on comments from the past two episodes, and tell another new story, this time centred on San Francisco. The final air conditioning update.


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AmeriNZ 26 - Good and Bad [ 35:34 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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AmeriNZ 25 – Clean Up

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Episode 25 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

It’s episode 25 and my first car-cast! I feel like JayT. Actually, it’s the first time I’ve recorded outside of my house. A bit noisy in spots, but these things can be sometimes.

I begin by talking about why I’m, in the car today. Then it’s on to our storm damage (photo on my blog), and dealing with getting it fixed. I talk about returning to the part-time job after being away for three weeks, and the things that have happened since. I also talk about puppy training, including some things that surprised me.

It’s not all about me, though, as I talk a bit about Ponsonby and the value of non-mega bookstores. That goes into a mention of the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car” which I first heard mentioned on the Democracy Now! podcast.

No discussion of comments this week, since I was driving while recording. Special shout-outs this week to Archerr, Arick West of the The Beat SF, CallBox 7 and Kalvin of Hello Waffles.

The ending song is “True Love Waits” by Tom Smith from the Podsafe Music Network.

Leave a comment, or send an email to me at amerinz[at}yahoo.com.


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AmeriNZ 25 - Clean Up [ 32:38 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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AmeriNZ 24 – Stormy

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Episode 24 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

The bad weather is continuing in New Zealand, and today it’s affecting the top of the North Island (and the weather has become worse since I recorded this). Last week’s bad weather in Taranaki was worse than first thought.

Listener comments give me the chance to expand a little on some of last episode’s points, then listener Walt asks some questions that I haven’t answered before, and I spend most of this episode answering them. You’ll learn a bit more about me as an expat, and maybe a bit more about what that feels like to me.

The ending song is by the same group that ended last Friday’s episode. It’s called “A Mini Constellation Remix #1” and it’s by Spring Heeled Jacks Original Swinging Jass Band (their MySpace page is here), part of the Podsafe Music Network.


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AmeriNZ 24 - Stormy [ 32:12 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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