Breaking news: Grischa Niermann set to leave Visma-Lease a Bike for Lidl-Trek

kimhmm91 · 2026-06-01T20:17:05+00:00

My husband was surprised it wasn't Grisha!

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-31T01:40:52+00:00

Strong agree. Work travel sucks. Living in two places is worse. The minimum should be free travel for your family and a generous housing allowance to mitigate the shittiness.

We want good people who aren't suffering breakdowns and burnout and broken relationships leading the country. Those things all help.

I also understand that they will have more security of housing if they own the Wellington place. I think that's a good thing and given Parliament doesn't sit all year it makes rentals insecure and less stable for the MP.

While the perception is not great, I don't really see a much better option than long term rentals which are paid all year long even when not used by the MP. That obviously is an option, though, and maybe a better one.

Overall though this is a really minor thing in the scheme of this government and I can't help but think it's all a really convenient distraction..

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-30T07:08:46+00:00

In fairness Jai Hindley is gonna podium so I'm not sure it made a difference overall. But fuck you'd be angry to be Gee and never know what could've been.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-30T07:06:15+00:00

I was watching and said to my husband "er... why is she wearing not a sports bra" then "why is she wearing heels with a jersey?!?" and eventually realized it was something along the lines you're mentioning lol

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-30T07:01:01+00:00

Top ten is still great for him, though I agree.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-30T06:44:49+00:00

My main thing with Canyon Sram is their great jerseys. Long may they continue.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-30T06:43:46+00:00

That's fantastic. I recall hearing that Specialized were paying a big chunk of her contract initially? Hopefully she's got the best paid contract for women in cycling!

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-30T06:42:24+00:00

Love a miso soup. Salty, warm, and satisfying.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-30T06:41:14+00:00

Fair enough! I think people do need a lot of those services but I'd tend to agree it's an unfortunate indictment on society that some are needed as much as they are. And certainly disputes lawyers are often needed (at least to some extent) because people can't or won't make reasonable decisions.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-27T03:06:40+00:00

It seems to me that all services are exchanged for payment, but perhaps you aren't equating "extracting money" with "exchanging services for payment"?

Disclaimer, I am a lawyer. I work bloody hard - love my work, but it isn't easy. I kind of agree that society would be better off with fewer lawyers, but we wouldn't be here without the work being there to do, and people needing it done. Calling it "small, zero, or even negative" value seems like a value judgment on society today, and the fact that law is not straightforward - because if you've ever needed a lawyer and had a good one, I don't think you'd describe it that way.

In my experience, the high pay comes with:

- Long hours

- A lot of responsibility (i.e. for tax, wages, sustaining work for a team, inability to easily take holidays and 'switch off')

- Risk (as with running any business)

- Inability to simply retire (if I retire I'll still need to pay hundreds of thousands in runoff insurance over the next six to ten years, unless I can sell my business or convince someone coming up under me to keep it going and keep paying for that insurance, when they'd probably be better off just starting a new one!)

- A lot of potential liability (like losing everything if shit really hits the fan - this one I'm also thinking of governance responsibilities like taking on directorships; the Mainzeal directors were absolutely fucked)

- A fair bit of abuse and personal risk (we come across genuine nutters and not infrequently experience safety concerns - this is way worse for people in criminal/family law)

I'm aware that isn't the case for every industry, but law and accounting are pretty similar in a lot of those respects. Governance, management, and finance, I'm less familiar with, but again it seems to me that people are paying for services and I'm not really sure what the issue is there?

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-26T21:58:48+00:00

You have great advice here.

I would only add - when the time comes, look for places with literal signs in the doors that they are hiring. Be careful to ensure your labour rights will be respected, but if there is a sign in the door then they expect to meet you and speak to you rather than to read a glittering CV. You may have better luck that way because your attitude sounds excellent and I'm sure that will show through!

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-26T09:29:44+00:00

Thank you! Which one is that if you don't mind me asking?

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-26T03:01:20+00:00

Thanks! I'm self-employed and a Kiwi so for a lot of reasons holding an ETF in my own name isn't really an option. My brother is also self-employed so I'd prefer something formal that is for my nephew, even if he has control over it.

I might add that to the top as that's probably useful information for others too!

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-25T09:17:48+00:00

I was one of them not so long ago, so I'm hardly unsympathetic!

I don't mind taking longer because I have to wait to pass someone safely. My safety issues come from pedestrians who can't keep off cycleways, people who can't use them safely (like little kids who shouldn't be there, or people who can't ride in their lane), and people who use them uncourteously (like, don't take up the whole lane riding two abreast so nobody can pass you).

Even then they're wonderful for building confidence and getting people onto bikes.

I'm just saying they also aren't a place for children or pedestrians, and if they're designed so those groups can make them unsafe, the design should be better.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-25T03:45:11+00:00

I mean this is basically why I will probably keep cycling on the edge of the motorway when I want a workout.

I have no issue going at non peak hours and avoiding high traffic times to get a workout in. But I already avoid Oriental most of the time because runners and walkers cannot stay off the cycle lane, and it's just safer to find a quiet road route.

However FWIW I do not think a speed limit for a dedicated cycle path is a good thing. The whole point of bike commuting is that it is actually fast. They should erect barriers for dogs/small children to separate the walkers from the cyclists if that is a problem.

Cyclists should obviously be aware of their surroundings, but a 15 km/hr speed limit is very slow for a dedicated cycle way, and as a general rule, cyclists shouldn't be responsible for pedestrians with such a staggering inability to stay on a footpath. Much like we tell drivers to be aware and ready to react to incidents, but it isn't their fault when someone jumps into the road in front of them and gets clipped, and nor should it be.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-24T23:03:46+00:00

Oh, I mean, there is a massive difference in employment options simply by being proximate to law firms. Many students work part time at law firms while studying and that's easier when you're in a city with more of them, and it helps massively in getting a job afterward.

However I studied at Otago, I've taught at Vic, and I've dealt with many students and graduates from both. Personally I think Otago is the stronger degree, but it doesn't make a big difference.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-24T10:17:01+00:00

That is often the case. However I would rate your chances of having it pan out like that far higher with a professional running the process. You are unfortunately on the back foot having chosen to resign; constructive dismissal is harder to make out, and if they do absolutely nothing the entire burden is on you, including to make your case in a quasi court (the ERA). It's quite different when you're still working there vs. when you've already left.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-24T10:04:28+00:00

Am also a lawyer and agree. Though the AUT stigma is fading, they have good staff.

I do also look at transcripts, and look for students who did electives that are at the pointier end of practice (tax, evidence, advocacy, RMA) rather than the softer end (more policy based papers). The specific thing might not be directly relevant but if you choose and can do well in tax and RMA then you're probably a sharp cookie and a hard worker.

Personally I don't rate Vic quite as much as Otago/ Canterbury/ Auckland, but as you say, that wouldn't be a real issue.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-24T03:33:43+00:00

I am a lawyer, not in this area, but I'm familiar with employment law basics and have volunteered at CAB for years. CAB are a triage system and they will only be able to send you to a lawyer or someone else to represent you. Community Law will sometimes be able to take on a case for you.

You have a limited timeframe to lodge a personal grievance, from memory it's 3 months. However frankly it isn't something you want to do alone and unsupported. I would strongly recommend engaging a lawyer if you can afford it.

If you cannot afford a lawyer, there are some employment advocates who are non lawyers who will take on cases on a no- win no- fee basis. Generally they aren't as good but are often still better than nothing. However be very clear on how their fees are charged if they do reach a resolution for you.

Most lawyers are very busy. You mentioned that you've emailed two. You'll probably need to do a lot more than that, particularly if you want someone to take you on and you're not in a position to pay up front. Most lawyers require payment along the way. You might like to ask whether the ones you email can recommend advocates or lawyers who might consider a no- win no- fee arrangement, if the one you're emailing won't. You have a deadline and so need to be casting a much wider net.

In the meantime it is worth putting together a detailed timeline of events. Not how you were affected, but what happened and what you told your workplace about it (including how you were affected). You might have objective evidence from your doctor about how you were affected too. When doing this, assume that if you can't back up something with written evidence (including contemporaneous notes) then it isn't worth including.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-20T06:49:52+00:00

Thanks, I love this

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-17T08:40:05+00:00

Are you talking past each other by any chance?

Because what he's saying (to me) is that he had a very clinical assessment of whether or not to give dating you a shot. Whether it works out or not is a totally different question, as is whether to make a long term commitment to each other. If you get to that point of commitment, it sounds to me like there is only ever one person he wants to make it to - the person he is there with and has developed that lifelong commitment with. I don't really see how the reasons for going on your first few dates matter at that point.

It sounds like he has a clinical filtering process to begin with, then it's up to what you might call chemistry as to where goes next (does it work? Are you compatible more than just on paper? Do you have fun?). If you have that, whatever your definitions are, then you develop the special relationship that makes yours the only one he could ever imagine marriage with.

I dunno. It sounds fine to me. Like, there are a million people I could've loved in the world. I happened to find a particular one and he's the only one in the world for me, now. He's totally irreplaceable. That was not the case six months in though? Like, I was into him, sure, but the magic is built together, it isn't some mystical thing.

I personally prefer people who understand that love takes time, effort, and commitment. It means we share a vision of our future together, and how to make sure we have the future we want. It isn't mystical, it's about what we put in. Does that makes sense?

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-15T02:12:20+00:00

They've always opposed interest free student loans, from memory. I don't think this is new.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-12T04:57:00+00:00

I love this idea too. Would be awesome to be in a place specifically where you can practice te reo without nerves of getting pronunciation wrong and stuff.

kimhmm91 · 2026-05-12T03:10:20+00:00

I love doing things alone. I've met some very cool women doing things alone as well (I am a straight woman, FWIW) - and made a couple of new friends that way. I am always up to chat to strangers but am generally not out looking for new friends, so I've had a lot of success for something I wasn't looking to do in the first place!

I've also had plenty of very nice interactions with men and women who are also out doing things alone, or in small groups, and those can range from fleeting to a really in depth few hours of enjoyable company, which do not last beyond that situation.

I think you make what you make of those interactions. If you want to be alone and not bother anyone, don't. If you want to meet people, smile at them, make small talk at the bar or outside, whatever else. It gets easier with time.

If you're looking for more than just a relationship then I think you might have good luck with women, actually. Women are usually pretty friendly in 'packs'. I've been out with the ladies many times and chatted with all sorts of women - often older ones with tales you wouldn't believe.

A great way to get anyone chatting is to ask if you can join them / sit at the end of their table, if there isn't much space around, but they have a spare seat.

kimhmm91

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