CityBeat - Te Waha Nui Online

by Matt Samra

What do Jessica Alba, Nicole Scherzinger and Keanu Reeves have in common?

They’re all half-casts. And they’re taking over fashion catwalks around the globe.

Eurasians in particular are becoming highly sought after in the modelling and entertainment world for their good looks and exotic charm. It’s a scientific fact. Read more

by Jane Sissons

“I love you, bubsie wubsie, sugar pie.”

Many would think this was the vocabulary of a two-year-old, but, unfortunately, it’s what many people in relationships call one another.

Why do we need to express our feelings for someone by inventing horrendously childish and embarrassing nicknames? Read more

by Melanie Smith

Saturday nights are considered by many to be the perfect opportunity to get dressed up, have a couple of drinks, catch up with good friends, and party away the troubles of the week.

Last Saturday night was one of those nights.

It had been ages since I’d been out, therefore I was ready to party, let my hair down, and have fun with my friends. Read more

by Vaughan Lovell

I am a smoker.

Yep, a dirty, filthy, reviled creature who lurks in wind-less corners in the winter, puffing on cigarettes which contain more harmful ingredients than a molotov cocktail.

So I tried to quit just recently, and it went absolutely great - that is if you make money from tobacco sales. Read more

by Sam Mickell

It didn’t take long for the publicity hungry vultures to start circling following the death of alleged child abuse victim Nia Glassie.

As the New Zealand Herald’s website spouted the other week, “Film stars, sports people, mayoral aspirants and members of the public Read more

by Dylan Quinnell

Boobs on Bikes. What do I think?

Well, the first question that comes to mind is: why?

Parades usually have a point, ones that happen down Auckland’s main drag at midday, anyway.

The Santa parade is meant to spread a bit of cheer, and quite possibly chuck in a bit of advertising. Read more

by Dylan Quinnell

A few weeks ago I was in vegas, Roto-vegas that is, writing for the Daily Post newspaper.

My three AUT colleagues and I were so busy during our field trip that we never quite realised how lucky we were with the traffic in Rotorua.

The worst traffic jam we encountered was a four car queue Read more

by Niko Kloeten

As my dad so succinctly put it when the Tall Blacks were lagging begind the Australian Boomers by about 20 points, “They just have better players than us.”

This is an obvious problem.

The solution would be to get some better players. Read more

by André Hueber

The devastating bridge collapse in Minneapolis has many Aucklanders wondering whether the same thing might happen here.

All vehicles heavier than 4.5 tonnes were banned from driving on the Auckland Harbour Bridge clip-ons in May after fractures were found.

Although Transit warned in 2003 that the bridge’s two clip-ons might have to be replaced in less than 20 years Read more

by Carmen Stella

You often see them touting for business in shopping malls, or pleading for your cash on television.

And how do we respond? Most of us give them a wide birth or switch the channel.

World Vision, Oxfam, Save The Children, UNICEF - the list of humanitarian organisations is endless, but so is the suffering, and I don’t think it should be ignored.

Every day there are entire communities that cannot escape pain and suffering Read more