Open mike 10/12/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, December 10th, 2022 - 53 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:


Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

53 comments on “Open mike 10/12/2022 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. lprent 1
    10 December 2022 at 6:45 am

    This appears to be our issue at CloudFlare. Hopefully they will get it fixed sooner rather than later.

    Cloudflare Pages build delays

    Identified – The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented.
    Dec 09, 2022 – 17:23 UTC

    Investigating – Cloudflare is aware of and investigating an issue with Cloudflare Pages build delays which potentially impacts multiple customers. Further detail will be provided as more information becomes available.
    Dec 09, 2022 – 17:09 UTC

    • Red Blooded One 1.1
      10 December 2022 at 8:12 am

      Thanks for all you do. Has been weird in the last couple of days. yes

    • lprent 1.2
      10 December 2022 at 12:56 pm

      A bit of experimentation shows that they have most of the problem solved.

      Reverted to using Cloudflare as the forward cache

    • lprent 1.3
      10 December 2022 at 1:25 pm

      Paused it caching again.

      I keep having issues with different devices and cloudflare caching.

      I suspect that the cloudflare plugin simply isn't working with wordpress 6.1. But I'll check with the local caching system as well.

    • lprent 1.4
      10 December 2022 at 1:40 pm

      Testing again. There was an authentication issue between the internal caching (w3 cache and the cloudflare). The email address was used in the authentication and that go changed this week.

      That was probably it.

    • lprent 1.5
      10 December 2022 at 1:59 pm

      Had to uninstall the Cloudflare plugin and reinstall.

      There may be some cached pages around from the transition. I'll tell everything to purge.

      • lprent 1.5.1
        10 December 2022 at 2:05 pm

        That is a wrap – it is now updating the way that it should. Even on my cell phones firefox – but also on test clients offshore.

        I'll push the caching time up again.

    • lprent 1.6
      10 December 2022 at 2:41 pm

      Wow, I hadn't realised just how fast the site is for people who aren't logged in for current pages. I'm usually logged in, so effectively it is serving up much of the content as a special page just for me.

      If you're not logged in and in NZ, then you're getting the page from cache in Sydney. Overseas readers may get a cached page from another 'local' server.

      If no-one has done a comment that displays, then you're getting a really fast page if it is cached. The page cache time is about 4 hours for pages that are fairly static.

      The side bars on the desktop site are little 'pages' in their own right. So they come in cached as well.

      If you want to see just what a different it makes. Try looking at monthly pages in the archive https://thestandard.org.nz/archivepage/

      Really kind of slow for a page that nothing has scanned for a while (and right now that is most things because I cleared the caches), and if you drill into the old posts even slower. That is because those pages are generated – once.

      But if you go drill into a page that I was just in like https://thestandard.org.nz/2007/09/page/2/ – then it is freaking fast.

  2. pat 2
    10 December 2022 at 8:44 am

    How is the current aviation fuel issue something that can be attributed to the Government?

    "The refinery could have remained a going concern had the government properly recognised what capability was available and made arrangements to secure that – or even just ensured the plant was not demolished and then investigated mothballing it.

    Yet even as improved information about the plants’ capabilities was made available to the Government, and the threat of imminent demolition made clear to it, the Government remained impervious to seeing the plant’s fuller potential, and seemed unable to recalibrate for the rising risks that preservation of the refinery could help to reduce."

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/national-cost-of-marsden-point-closure-highlighted-by-christmas-jet-fuel-shortage

    Ultimately who is responsible for our energy security and ability to function as a society?

    • Peter 2.1
      10 December 2022 at 9:10 am

      Who is responsible for our energy security and ability to function as a society is absolutely a matter of opinion.

      There are those who think those are a matter for 'the state,' a collective government working on behalf of all the people.

      There are those who disdain a collective government. They have it that individuals work for themselves, form advantageous collectives when it suits their purposes. And everything will be sweet.

      Oh, suits their purposes when they aren't advantaged, then they want a government involved. Not for everyone, but to protect them and their financial interests.

      • lprent 2.1.1
        10 December 2022 at 9:18 am

        Coincidentally, I was just writing about that with respect to the electricity 'market'. The major generators have been using borrowed capital to pay off investors with dividends.

      • Ed 2.1.2
        10 December 2022 at 9:50 am

        Since the advent of neoliberalism, 'western' governments around the world have abnegated their responsibility for all forms of security – food security, fuel security, housing security……

        It's all about the market……

      • pat 2.1.3
        10 December 2022 at 9:53 am

        "Ultimately"

        You wish to suggest the role of Government is somehow not to maintain a functioning society?

        • RedLogix 2.1.3.1
          10 December 2022 at 10:14 am

          Well I guess that depends on your definition of 'functioning'.

          • pat 2.1.3.1.1
            10 December 2022 at 10:27 am

            True, it may…however I doubt that anyone could claim an inability to make food available to the population as such.

            We are a tiny market at the very end of an increasingly fraught international supply chain ….and we persist in increasing our exposure to that risk.

            Hardly an example of 'good governance'.

            • RedLogix 2.1.3.1.1.1
              10 December 2022 at 11:30 am

              at the very end of an increasingly fraught international supply chain

              Perhaps we could ask our good friends in the CCP to help out if need be. devil

    • RedLogix 2.2
      10 December 2022 at 9:43 am

      Good article pat.

      It also implicitly highlights the tension between de-carbonising and maintaining a functioning society.

      The quaint notion often heard that a break in oil supplies just means “we are back to horse and cart” is worryingly simplistic.

      Supply chains for food and medicine, essential utilities and emergency services will all remain highly dependent on oil products for quite a few years under any transition plan – just as general transport will. Ditto much of the productive economy, from agriculture to tourism, despite the alarming climate change implications.

      The absence of serious plans for managing those risks through the transition to sustainable onshore fuels is an exposure New Zealand needs to address pronto.

    • Anker 2.3
      10 December 2022 at 10:41 am

      Interesting Pat. A good friend of ours who has worked pretty high up in business expressed his concerned about a strategic asset (Marsden Point) being made inoperable two months ago. And now it has come to pass

    • Incognito 2.4
      10 December 2022 at 11:29 am

      Ultimately who is responsible for our energy security and ability to function as a society?

      Elon?

  3. Peter 3
    10 December 2022 at 11:55 am

    I think a story on Stuff today provides a good public service. It is about a landlord operating in Wellington and serves as a warning to would-be renters.

    The more people who are aware of the landlord the better. Everyone, renters and tradespeople, can make what they will of the information and make decisions accordingly.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130628181/vexatious-landlord-cheryl-scott-the-scion-of-a-property-empire-or-a-fantasist

    • arkie 3.1
      10 December 2022 at 12:59 pm

      Part of the Greens 2020 housing policy included a registration and licensing for property managers and landlords:

      We will also require landlords to be registered with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. We expect that an annual registration fee of $50 (or $1 a week) for landlords would generate enough revenue to cover the costs of administering a simple registration system. Better records of landlords would allow the Tenancy Tribunal and others to keep track of the small number of landlords who engage in repeated poor behaviour, so appropriate enforcement action can be taken.

      This will provide protection for tenants, create more clarity over the role of property managers, and give confidence to landlords and the property management sector that bad practices will be identified and addressed.

  4. Incognito 4
    10 December 2022 at 1:40 pm

    Newsroom has been providing informative and useful articles on the Three Waters reforms (and on a whole load of other important societal issues) and dare I say it, in a non-partisan way.

    Up to 74 rural communities will be allowed to take ownership of water supplies owned by councils, in the final tranche of Three Waters legislation introduced to Parliament last night.

    It is and always has been a fine balancing act but it is now taking place in full (?) public view.

    If the Three Waters reforms were to cost Labour the election, Mahuta would remain confident the reforms were the right thing to do: "Absolutely, because I know that public health and environmental health are important to New Zealanders," she says. "I want our kids to have the assurance of clean drinking water, to go to their local beach or river and be able to swim in it – and sadly that's not the case around many parts of New Zealand."

    Indeed, Labour is prepared to ‘die on this hill’ which sets them apart slightly from the usual political opportunists and pragmatists, at least this time.

    The whole article is worth reading, suffice to say.

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ultimate-three-waters-bills-reveal-impact-on-councils

  6. Ad 6
    10 December 2022 at 3:47 pm

    I have a sneaky feeling that we are at Peak China.

    Global Economic Outlook 2023: China Edition (conference-board.org)

    This is certainly reinforced by a massive weakening of its ally Russia in coming years.

    Impact of sanctions on the Russian economy – Consilium (europa.eu)

    And the weakening of China and Russia is very good for small states like ours, such as Lithuania:

    Tiny Lithuania Could Change How The World Handles China | HuffPost Latest News

    After the disruptions and domestic dissent in Lithuania, and Taiwan's choice to massively invest in chip production in Lithuania, there is good evidence the Lithuania-China crisis will end in a way that reflects well on democratic principles and deters future Chinese bullying. This is a battle won in the broader war that Biden talks about.

    I sure hope Australia's DFAT and New Zealand's MFAT are watching that contest really closely and are rehearsing the scenario.

    But with China peaking and Russia rapidly declining I am a lot more optimistic about 2023's global politics then I have been since Hillary lost.

  7. Barfly 7
    10 December 2022 at 5:12 pm

    Guns N Roses at Eden Park – jeez they will need wetsuits it is pissing down something shocking here

  8. Visubversa 8
    10 December 2022 at 5:31 pm

    I reckon they will need a snorkel as well. we are about 800m away from Eden Park and it is absolutely bucketing down here.

  9. pat 9
    10 December 2022 at 6:01 pm

    Why is democracy more important (now) than ever?

    If we are entering a time of scarce resources (as all the indications are, be it due to climate, geo politics or simply a dearth of) then the requirement for impartiality of access increases in lockstep with lack of availability…..never has the phrase 'we are all in this together' been more pertinent.

    The alternatives do not bear thinking about.

    • arkie 9.1
      10 December 2022 at 7:27 pm

      There is the argument that representative democracy is increasingly managerial and professionalised, this has the effect of alienating the public from engaged participation. Democracy and politics is seen as something separate from society, or something that only occurs once every three years. And to some extent that's correct.

      The principles of democracy as we hold them are generally completely absent from most peoples lives (except in the false democracy of consumer choices), we spend the majority of our time employed, without choice or vote on how the business operates. This is accepted as completely right and proper in our supposedly democratic society.

      What is true is that democracy is already limited, if we are to rejuvenate it then it must begin in the workplace.

      • pat 9.1.1
        10 December 2022 at 7:47 pm

        And that argument can be made….however ultimately it only occurs because we allow it.

        Why have we underinvested in e.g. water infrastructure for decades when 'everyone' claims to desire otherwise?

        If we dsire an outcome we have the potential to force our representatives to comply through the ballot box…..if we dont that is our failure.

        Or perhaps we dont mean what we say?

        It is true we are disconnected from our governors as we are spending most of our energy living day to day and it is only when the likes of 3Waters gains prominence that it draws our attention but those are the times to reaffirm that we subscribe to the needs of the many rather than the desires of the few.

        Rejuvenating dosnt require altering, rather it demands strengthening.

        • arkie 9.1.1.1
          10 December 2022 at 9:04 pm

          If the ballot is all the public gets regarding democracy then it is no surprise that people are disengaging. The issue is systemic and can’t be strengthened by continuing with the status quo.

          Being ‘all in this together’ is at odds with the stratified and individualist economy that we exist in. It must be altered for many reasons, one of those is in order to make democracy stronger and a more present aspect of public life.

          • pat 9.1.1.1.1
            10 December 2022 at 9:14 pm

            And if you dont change it at the ballot box how do you propose it is changed?

            • arkie 9.1.1.1.1.1
              10 December 2022 at 9:42 pm

              By increasing worker participation in the decision-making of industries. Society isn't altered purely by parliamentary politics. Democracy and the collectivism we need to sufficiently address current and future crises is strengthened by acknowledgement and elevation of our shared stuggles, and the workplace is the best place to start.

              • pat …
                10 December 2022 at 9:52 pm

                That may require an Act of Parliament to occur

                • arkie …
                  10 December 2022 at 10:18 pm

                  It may, it may not. Either way, achieving change at the ballot box becomes easier when you have workers already familiar with the importance of solidarity and the power of numbers. The decline in unionism has had many consequences including the legislative focus of successive governments.

      • joe90 9.1.2
        11 December 2022 at 11:46 am

        There is the argument that representative democracy is increasingly managerial and professionalised, this has the effect of alienating the public from engaged participation

        Complacency. It seems to me that other than pol-tragics, most don't give a rats who's running the shop.

        No big ticket items at stake, nothing new, no radical departure from established policies, the consequences of participating or not are neither here nor there for a bored majority living in relative comfort/affluence, so they can't be arsed.

        • arkie 9.1.2.1
          11 December 2022 at 12:11 pm

          I’d agree there’s a decent proportion who are apathetic about ballot box democracy, but plenty of them have strong opinions of what should be done to improve society. Without looking too hard (often because unfamiliarity with parliamentary politics) they have determined that none of the self-interested careerists (as they see them) offer anything for which it is worth voting. It has the same consequences as complacency but doesn’t accompany comfort or affluence, just alienation. It’s also less easy to condemn them as lazy, nor is that condemnation motivating. Getting people involved in worker organising can demonstrate that politics isn’t just voting while hopefully giving them the understanding to feel empowered by their vote.

  10. Belladonna 10
    10 December 2022 at 6:59 pm

    This seems to be a damning indictment of routine Crown Law and police operations.

    It doesn't seem hard to simply follow the disclosure rules (which they all know about) in a timely fashion.

    And, with the current clogging of the courts system – all of those cancelled, deferred, or re-heard trials simply add to the problem. Justice delayed, is justice denied.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/130652066/how-cogs-are-being-tossed-into-the-already-clunky-wheels-of-justice

    Most lawyers were quick to acknowledge the pressure on police. However, some recent cases have also highlighted that sometimes, police aren’t just failing to disclose information because they’re busy, but because they seem to misunderstand their obligations.

    I'd like to see penalties imposed on the prosecuting legal team – fines and/or other penalties – by the Judge.

    I don't agree with dismissing the case – that's profoundly unfair to the victims. But it's equally unfair to the accused, when the prosecution blatantly disregards the law and their legal responsibilities – and face no consequences.

  11. Belladonna 11
    10 December 2022 at 7:43 pm

    This seems to be an outstanding good news story – major solar power operation opening in Tonga.

    Kiwi company Sunergise NZ Ltd worked alongside Tonga Power Ltd to implement the 6 megawatt solar power plant as part of a power purchase agreement, with support form the Asian Development Bank.

    The NZ-based company has implemented over 20 megawatt of solar energy around Aotearoa, Fiji, Tonga and other parts of the South Pacific.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/talanoa/biggest-solar-power-plant-in-south-pacific-opens-in-tonga/PPGRYZEYZRCE5EQTEE5FPH56TI/

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.