Open mike 17/09/2024
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6:00 am, September 17th, 2024 - 55 comments
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- NZ’s lack of a capital gains tax means the richest here pay vastly less than elsewhere
The lack of a capital gains tax means the richest Kiwis are sitting pretty compared to taxpayers overseas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 19:New Zealand’s richest ...2 hours ago - Verrall to Levy: “Health NZ NDAs are North Korean – Get rid of it.”
Open article. Note the video of the Health Select Committee excerpts starts at 1:22 In watching the Health Select Committee yesterday, it became clear to me why Margie Apa remains Health NZ CEO.During Levy’s testimony, Apa sat like a rock next to her boss. She nodded supportively, scribbled notes to ...2 hours ago - The Show Must Go On
Empty spaces, what are we living for?Abandoned places, I guess we know the score, on and onDoes anybody know what we are looking for?Another hero, another mindless crimeBehind the curtain, in the pantomimeHold the lineDoes anybody want to take it anymore?The show must go onSongwriters: Brian May / Freddie Mercury ...3 hours ago - Managing on-street parking for local benefit
This guest post by Malcolm McCracken originally appeared on his blog Better Things Are Possible, and is republished here by kind permission. The case for Parking Benefit Districts: managing on-street parking for local benefit Parking is often the centre of debate in our cities; particularly on-street car parks, who gets ...4 hours ago - Too much haste & waste in Simeon Brown’s need for speed
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong story short, the Government’s myopia of only choosing transport policies that reduce travel times means we’re missing out on the health benefits of more cycling and walking, along with the health cost savings from fewer accidents, less pollution and mentally healthier ways of getting ...5 hours ago
- What seemed so simple is now so complex
The Health NZ rescue that seemed so simple back in July was presented to a Select Committee yesterday as a complex challenge that could take some years to sort out. In July, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Health NZ was on track to record a deficit of $1.4 billion for ...7 hours ago
- The utterances of Shane Jones
Let us consider the utterances of Shane Jones.Let us consider the derogatory terms of abuseNow is not the time for Green Wombles, it's black and white decision making.We will stand with the energy industry and ensure they are not monstered by Green Termites nibbling away at our economic capital.The Green ...19 hours ago - Ukrainian militia receives defective shipment of pagers that just send and receive messages
There’s been a major setback for one Ukrainian-backed militia on the Russian border, after the group ordered a large shipment of pagers to use as improvised explosive devices. The plan was to litter the pagers throughout abandoned homes and buildings in hopes of wounding Russian soldiers. But upon arrival of ...20 hours ago - A constitutional shitshow
Last month, we learned that the government was half-arsing its anti-gang legislation, adding a significant, pre-planned, BORA-abusing amendment at the committee stage, avoiding all the usual scrutiny processes. But it gets worse. Because having done it once, they're now planning to recall the bill in order to add another such ...21 hours ago - Political Round Up
Note: An earlier version of this article noted Levy was a “party time Health NZ commissioner” - this has been updated - forgive my Freudian slip.Dr Lester Levy is charging $320,000 a year to be a part time Health NZ commissioner. Rachel Thomas reports that Levy is still teaching 2 ...1 day ago - Postcard from Sydney: Southwest and City Metro extension
This is a guest post from Sydney reader Nik Clement After 2 years in Auckland I moved back to Sydney just over a year ago. While in Auckland, I went to the opening of Puhinui station and used it a fair bit, living in Manukau Central and being able ...1 day ago
- Tolling revolt brewing in National heartland
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 18:Locals gathered in Woodville last night to protest at the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s decision to toll the new road linking the Manawatu and Hawkes Bay, saying ...1 day ago - Government directs Te Puni Kōkiri to conduct Māori Language Week in English
The coalition government has issued a directive to Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Māori Development, instructing them that – in the interests of clear communication – they are to conduct this year’s Māori Language Week primarily or exclusively in English. The directive is in line with the Government’s policy ...2 days ago - Government celebrates fact that New Zealand’s healthcare is so good people are queuing up for it a...
At yesterday’s post-cabinet press conference, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, flanked by his Health Minister Shane Reti and someone we can’t independently verify was a real sign language interpreter, announced that he had some positive news for the country. “Alright team, I’m just going to hand over to uh, Dr. Shane, ...2 days ago - Heartwarming: Thoughtful driver uses indicator to tell you what they’ve just done
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I arrived home with a head full of fresh ideas about mindfulness and curbing impulsive aspects in my character.On the second night home I grabbed a piece of ginger and began swiftly slicing it on our industrial strength mandolin, the one I have learned through painful experience to treat with ...2 days ago - More Notes From Stinky Town
Good morning, folks. Another wee note from a chilly Rotorua morning that looks much clearer than yesterday. As I write, the pink glow in the east is slowly growing, and soon, the palest of blue skies should become a bit more royal.A couple of people mentioned yesterday that I should ...2 days ago - Make it make sense: why axe valuable local projects?
Last week, Matt looked at how the government wants to pour a huge chunk of civic infrastructure funding for a generation into one mega-road up North, at huge cost and huge opportunity cost. A smaller but no less important feature of the National Land Transport Plan devised by Minister of Transport ...2 days ago
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An open letter by experts about plans to raise speed limits warns the “tragic consequence will be more New Zealanders losing their lives or suffering severe injury, along with a substantial burden on the nation's healthcare and rehabilitation services”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s ...2 days ago - 2024’s unusually persistent warmth
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Open for allYesterday, Luxon congratulated his government on a job well done with emergency housing numbers, but advocates have been saying it‘s likely many are on the streets and sleeping in cars.Q&A featured some of the folks this weekend - homeless and in cars. Yes.The government’s also confirmed they stopped ...2 days ago
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Hi,On most days I try to go on a walk through nature to clear my head from the horrors of life. Because as much as I like people, I also think it’s incredibly important to get very far away from them. To be reminded that there are also birds, lizards, ...2 days ago - Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Politicians need to lift their game
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Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says that New Zealand’s police force will no longer respond to bomb threats, in an attempt to cut costs and redirect police resources to less boring activities. Coster said that threat response and bomb disposal was a “fairly obvious” area for downsizing, as bomb threats are ...3 days ago - A dysfunctional watchdog
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1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...6 days ago - Dangerous ground
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- ACC wants to administer inflation at more than double the RBNZ’s target rate
ACC levies are set to rise at more than double the inflation rate targeted by the RBNZ. Photo: Lynn GrievesonKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 12:The state-owned monopoly for accident insurance wants ...1 week ago - Harris vs Trump
1 week ago - Treaty Bill “a political stunt”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have given ACT Leader David Seymour more than he has been admitting in the proposals to go forward with a Treaty Principles Bill.All along, Luxon has maintained that the Government is proceeding with the Bill to honour the coalition agreement.But that is quite specific.It ...1 week ago
- An average 219 NZers migrated each day in July
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 11:Annual migration of New Zealanders rose to a record-high 80,963 in the year to the end of July, which is more than double its pre-Covid levels.Two ...1 week ago - What you’re wanting to win more than anything is The Narrative
Hubris is sitting down on election day 2016 to watch that pig Trump get his ass handed to him, and watching the New York Times needle hover for a while over Hillary and then move across to Trump where it remains all night to your gathering horror and dismay. You're ...1 week ago - National’s automated lie machine
The government has a problem: lots of people want information from it all the time. Information about benefits, about superannuation, ACC coverage and healthcare, taxes, jury service, immigration - and that's just the routine stuff. Responding to all of those queries takes a lot of time and costs a lot ...1 week ago
- Christopher Luxon: A Man of “Faith” and “Compassion” Speaks on the Treaty Pr...
Synopsis: Today - we explore two different realities. One where National lost. And another - which is the one we are living with here. Note: the footnote on increased fees/taxes may be of interest to some readers.Article open.Subscribe nowIt’s an alternate timeline.Yesterday as news broke that the central North Island ...1 week ago - Member’s Day
Today is a Member's Day. First up is the third reading of Dan Bidois' Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the committee stage of Deborah Russell's Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill. This will be followed by the second readings of Katie ...1 week ago
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New climate projections from NIWA underscore how urgently climate action is needed. ...21 hours ago - Release: More job losses as Government fails on manufacturing
The Government is failing the manufacturing sector with no plan for its future. ...21 hours ago - Tāmaki-Makaurau MP Urges Immediate Support for Families Impacted by Mill Closure
Te Pāti Māori Member of Parliament for Tāmaki Makaurau is urging a full wraparound of services to intervene quickly with families affected by today's announced closure of the Penrose Mill. Seventy-five people are set to lose their jobs right on the eve of Christmas. "I want to extend my thoughts ...22 hours ago
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Sentencing policy announced by Minister Paul Goldsmith today is anything but new, merely window dressing to make up for backwards violent crime statistics under the National Government. ...2 days ago
- Release: Seymour’s Ministry of Double Standards
David Seymour doesn’t stick to his own standards of good regulation despite having a multimillion-dollar vanity ministry set up to do so. ...2 days ago
- Release: Labour Leader to travel to UK
Labour Leader Chris Hipkins will travel to the United Kingdom this week to attend the annual UK Labour Party conference in Liverpool and meet with members of the new Labour Government. ...2 days ago
- Govt Warned – Increasing Snapper Quota Breaches Fisheries Settlement
An imminent decision to increase the total allowable commercial catch (TACC) for snapper would be a direct violation of the first-ever Treaty Settlement and inevitably breach Te Tiriti o Waitangi, says Te Pāti Māori. Te Ohu Kaimoana has sought a High Court declaration to prevent the Minister of Oceans and ...3 days ago
- Govt attacks workers’ rights once again
Today’s announcement from the Minister of Workplace Relations emphasises how deep in the pocket of big business this Government really is. ...4 days ago
- Release: Māori business not a priority for this Govt
Scrapping the Progressive Procurement programme designed to support and grow Māori businesses is a missed opportunity. ...4 days ago
- Release: March 15 inquiry grants cut by Government
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has cut grants helping overseas family of victims to attend the next phase of the Coronial Inquiry into the 15 March 2019 Christchurch Masjidain Attack. ...4 days ago
- Minister of Injustice seeks to Entrench largest land confiscation in History
The Waitangi Tribunal has released an Urgent Report on the Government’s proposed amendments to the Takutai Moana Act 2011. The report calls out Paul Goldsmith’s proposal for what it is: a “gross breach of the Treaty” and an “illegitimate exercise of kāwanatanga”. The Tribunal is recommending the Crown step down ...6 days ago
- Takutai Moana changes another assault on Te Tiriti
The Government must abandon its Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act interventions after the Waitangi Tribunal found it was committing gross breaches of the Treaty. ...6 days ago
- Greens call on Govt to leave Te Reo in schools alone
As Te Wiki o te Reo Māori approaches, the Government is considering deprioritising teaching Te Reo Māori in our schools. ...6 days ago
- Govt cannot ignore racism
The Government’s directive to the public service to ignore race is nothing more than a dog whistle and distraction from the structural racism we need to address. ...6 days ago
- Release: Lemauga Lydia Sosene to take medical leave
Labour’s Mangere MP Lemauga Lydia Sosene has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will shortly take medical leave. ...6 days ago
- Potential intelligence sharing with Israel must be investigated
Concerns have been raised that our spy arrangements may mean that intelligence is being shared between Aotearoa and Israel. An urgent inquiry must be launched in response to this. ...7 days ago
- Release: Charter schools undermine our education system
The Government is taking a wrecking ball to our public education system by reinstating charter schools. ...7 days ago
- Youngest MP to travel to Canada to accept Politician of the Year Award
Aotearoa’s Youngest Member of Parliament, and Te Pāti Māori MP, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, will travel to Montreal to accept the One Young World Politician of the Year Award next week. The One Young World Politician of the Year Award was created in 2018 to recognise the most promising young politicians between ...7 days ago
- Greens celebrate huge step forward for ADHD community
The Greens welcome today’s long-coming announcement by Pharmac of consultation to remove the special authority renewal criteria for methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and modafinil and to fund lisdexamfetamine. ...1 week ago
- Release: Millions to be spent dividing NZ for no reason
The National Party is wasting millions of dollars allowing David Seymour’s Treaty Principals Bill to be drafted and go to Select Committee. ...1 week ago
- Release: New Zealanders departing our shores at a record rate
The Migration figures released by Stats NZ today show National is continuing to drive Kiwis away from New Zealand in record numbers. ...1 week ago
- Te Tai Tokerau MP Slams Govt Overreach in Scrapping Māori Wards
Mema Paremata for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, has reflected on the decisions made by the councils of the North amidst the government’s push to remove Māori Wards and weaken mana whenua representation. “Actions taken by the Kaipara District Council to remove Māori Wards are the embodiment of the eradication ...1 week ago
- Govt already seeking advice on Treaty referendum
On one hand, the Prime Minister has assured Aotearoa that his party will not support the Treaty Principles Bill beyond first reading, but on the other, his Government has already sought advice on holding a referendum on our founding document. ...1 week ago
- Release: Aged care will be worse off if redesign rushed
New Zealanders needing aged care support and the people who care for them will be worse off if the Government pushes through a flawed and rushed redesign of dementia and aged care. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt fails hundreds of workers as mills close
Labour is devastated at news hundreds of workers are set to lose their jobs following the closure of Winstone Pulp mills. ...1 week ago
- Job losses from mill closures consequence of Govt inaction
Hundreds of jobs lost as a result of pulp mill closures in the Ruapehu District are a consequence of government inaction in addressing the shortfalls of our electricity network. ...1 week ago
- Ngarewa-Packer devastated for Ruapehu following WPI closure
Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader and MP for Te Tai Hauāuru is devastated for the Ruapehu community following today’s decision to close two Winstone Pulp mills. “My heart goes out to all the workers, their whānau, and the wider Ruapehu community affected by the closure of Winstone Pulp International,” said Ngarewa-Packer. ...1 week ago
- Release: Cabinet should stop the Treaty Principles Bill
National Party Ministers have a majority in Cabinet and can stop David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, which even the Prime Minister has described as “divisive and unhelpful.” ...1 week ago
- Release: Staff gagged to keep fast track list secret
The National Government is so determined to hide the list of potential projects that will avoid environmental scrutiny it has gagged Ministry for the Environment staff from talking about it. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour challenges Te Whatu Ora gag orders
Labour has complained to the Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission about the high number of non-disclosure agreements that have effectively gagged staff at Te Whatu Ora Health NZ from talking about anything relating to their work. ...1 week ago
- Greens call on Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned after letter from Christian leaders
The Green Party is once again urging the Prime Minister to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill as a letter from more than 400 Christian leaders calls for the proposed legislation to be dropped. ...1 week ago
- Sign the petition: Keep military-style firearms off our streets
Help us tell the Government that reintroducing military-style firearms should not be up for debate. ...2 weeks ago
- Vast majority of councils support Māori wards
Councils across the country have now decided where they stand regarding Māori wards, with a resounding majority in favour of keeping them in what is a significant setback for the Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Government on the wrong side of Māori wards
The National-led government has been given a clear message from the local government sector, as almost all councils reject the Government’s bid to treat Māori wards different to other wards. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki
The Labour Party congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki on being crowned as the eighth Te Ariki Nui – head of Te Kiingitanga. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party welcomes new Maaori Kuiini
The Green Party welcomes the coronation of the new Maaori Kuiini, Te Arikinui Nga Wai Hono i te Po, today in Turangawaewae. ...2 weeks ago
- ECE teachers deserve better than this Government
The Green Party is unsurprised but disappointed by today’s announcement from the Government that will see our Early Childhood Centre teachers undermined and pay parity pushed further out of reach. ...2 weeks ago
- Urgent intervention needed on supermarkets
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Labour backs the call from The Rainbow Support Collective members for mental health funding specifically earmarked for grassroots and peer led community organisations to be set up in a way that they are able to access. ...2 weeks ago
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As expected, the National Land Transport Programme lacks ambition for our cities and our country’s rail network and puts the majority of investment into roads. ...2 weeks ago
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The Government is investing $16.8 million over the next four years to extend the Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) Longitudinal Study. GUiNZ is New Zealand’s largest longitudinal study of child health and wellbeing and has followed the lives of more than 6000 children born in 2009 and 2010, and ...2 hours ago
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The first quarterly report on progress against the nine public service targets show promising results in some areas and the scale of the challenge in others, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “Our Government reinstated targets to focus our public sector on driving better results for New Zealanders in health, education, ...3 days ago
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Thank you for the introduction and the invitation to speak to you here today. I am honoured to be here in my capacity as Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, and Minister for Children. Thank you for creating a space where we can all listen and learn, ...3 days ago
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Cross-government action to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in Auckland is getting traction, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “Our central cities should be great places to live and work, but in recent years they have become hot spots for crime and anti-social behaviour. In Auckland, businesses and residents suffered as ...4 days ago
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Finally cracked my way through the issues fixing the search system. Problem was that I was too good at hacking the system to add comments to the search system back in 2010 .
I did it without actually understanding the fundamentals of how the search, templates, and callbacks operated. It costed me at this end of time.
Fast forward to 2024 and a plugin that was discontinued in 2007 didn't survive the transition from PHP 7.4 to PHP 8.3. There was a a feature that was deprecated in PHP 7.0 which was turned off between 8.2 and 8.3, and the original code and my updates depended far too heavily on it. Plus the language had moved on, and I wanted to rewrite in the current tip syntax of PHP.
It has been a fast learning curve in PHP, and in a new programming editor – Jetbrains rather nice PhpStorm.
Have some tidy up work to do. But I should be able to slide the new plugin into the main site this evening when most of you are asleep.
Don't know about anyone else. But I have been missing the search especially when wanting to look up comments by a another commenter or even myself. I have resorted to doing SQL queries on the database.
That leaves the plugin replacement for the Feeds on the right column. I have long finished the server code for that in c++ and protobuf.
But I still have to finish the translator to make it look like a set of posts to wordpress code framework. Same structural issues as the search plugin so this should be a lot easier..
Then I can rebuild the server with a clean install of ubuntu 24.04 because this boot system started with 16.04 back in 2016. It has been upgraded every two years since. But now had a lot of accumulated rubbish that could do with a spring clean.
Then I will hand the server over to its new operator and organisation, and it should be stable for another decade. I will probably be handing some of the technical side. But hopefully after I push these wordpress plugins to wordpress.org, it should be easy to hand to most programmers.
Then I can start concentrating on writing posts.
BTW the site is now at
29,705 published Posts (and 1503 draft posts – time to clean again).
1,895,383 published Comments
and
14 published Pages
I envy your skills and work ethic both are without peer IMO
Sounds more challenging than reaching in trough a bearing ewe and extracting twin lambs, 😁
Done that before. Both on my parents hobby farm of 88 acres in steep hill county above Puhio in the 70s and 80s and on the lambing beats at bloody enormous Kinloch station in Taupo in 77.
But I was a lot younger then. I went to the army training for territorials and university after that having figured out that while farming was fun, it wasn't particularly profitable.
I think that writing code is easier physically provided you keep the weight down. But definitely more stressful while you're fighting against your own inability to figure out a problem. Ewes birth assists are relatively mentally benign by comparison, but way more physical and messy.
Especially as the hired help!
One must celebrate the wins when doing a lambing beat as ,there's plenty of rough moments.
Bravo and ditto re: envying your skills. Thanks for the work lprent and look forward to your contributions. Happy to have fortuitously met you lot here.
Glad to hear you are going to write more posts. Unlike some, I love your caustic approach – calling a spade a spade. Warms the cockles of me heart. 😉
Ditto.
Actually usually more acerbic than that.
I have a post I'm writing right now. But it will have to wait until I catch up on bit of sleep (started working about 0500 this morning). I need a clearer head for reviewing it. I may need to smooth it out with nastier burrs and find the correct words in our wonderfully expressive English language…
Or not. I at least need to find a couple of links.
There's the hastily arranged press conference on Sunday afternoon by Luxon and Mitchell around the claimed drop in crime rates. It transpired the only part of the country which has seen a drop is Auckland's CBD and we all know that is unlikely to be sustained. The rest of Auckland rose 7% and the rest of the country also rose around the same margin – give or take a few percentages either way. A perfect example of trying to make the stats fit around a much vaunted promise to lower the crime rates in twelve months.
I wonder if the media will point out the press conference was a fraudulent attempt to pull the wool over the voters' eyes and save Mitchell's political skin.
It was intentional misinformation since at the time of the press conference they KNEW crime was increasing across the entire country – including and particularly, violent crime.
Not to mention their fudged statistics.
I wonder lprent if you should make most of the Standard pay per view BUT (and this is important) make the subscription only $50 a year.
I'm sure most people would pay this….the blurb would say less than a dollar a week…..and at least it would cover some of your opportunity costs in terms of time spent maintaining TS.
I have long thought that if The Guardian, for instance, halved it's subscription rates it would gain more than double the subscribers….more money and more readership in other words.
I have thought about various schemes for funding before.
For instance, we did have advertising for a number of years in the early 2010s. The problem was that it chewed up excessive amounts of time chasing payments and I usually wound up paying the costs it was meant to cover anyway.
It also made the site much slower because the advertising servers were pretty slow. That tended to stack connections up waiting especially when leaving comments – which meant that we needed far more capacity than was required for a non-advertising site.
It was actually cheaper for me to expend time to make the hardware and site faster and cheaper to run. That is because my time is usually quite expensive but is generally predicable for when I am working. I have to make sure that TS doesn't cut into my working time when someone else is paying for that time. So I make the hardware and site as robust as possible.
Dropping logins (as I did in 2009) and not having subscriptions means that there was virtually no overhead in managing that. At one point I was dealing multiple emails per day about lost user ids, changed emails, people who couldn’t generate repeatable passwords, and people complaining that their details were being leaked (they weren’t). Dropping the logins to just authors made that really irritating workload disappear.
Not having advertising meant that I wasn't having to follow up missing payments or adverts that broke the site.
I don't get too many arbitrary and unpredictable calls on my time during my extremely expensive working time.
To not have advertising or logins meant that the operating costs had to be low.
From 2007 to the present, we went from a single home server with minimal loads. Then moving to a Bluehost (a shared web hosting site) and getting booted because we started getting excessive loads. Back to the home server and then leasing a machine in the US with pretty high monthly cost. Then shifted to AWS after dumping advertising and having dynamic servers loading which gave us peak loading capacity.
In 2015 I specced up a local home machine as a server and started using CDNs more heavily. With changes in hardware and CDN providers that is where it has stayed ever since. Running on my home network via fibre with offsite backups, massive protection systems, offsite warm server if I need it, and only occasional hardware update periods.
The server cost less than $2000 and I used it as a raid storage device for our files. It also reduced the costs to minimal and I didn’t get provider related issues like late payment issues to them. Over all it saved me a lot of time.
Good thing too as I'd started going offshore for work deployments in 2015. I've operated the server from extensive periods in Italy and Singapore on deployments. I've operated it while building some very time consuming projects where I barely get enough sleep.
The peak monthly TS only costs were about $1k (dynamic servers on AWS and the 2014 election). Currently they are less than $50 per month over the whole year and still falling as I replace and drop paid plugins.
Since 2015 the main expenses and time wasting from TS has been a silly private prosecution from. I helped bankrupt the prosecutor for unpaid court ordered costs of about $30k after they lost.
But also time-wasting when authors have gotten into some pretty pointless fish slapping exercises between themselves. And the similar occasional periods when we get attempts by ideologues to control the comments.
Biggest hassle is finding time to bring on new authors to write posts and keeping an eye on moderation.
The problem with subscriptions is the time to manage them and the logins and lost passwords that they bring with them.
What really is behind the Merkat Seymore's Treaty Principles Bill, FFS the TOW was signed in good faith by all parties in 1840, however one party did not adhere to the principles and the other party got the rough end of the pineapple. How can this jumped up little j*** from Epsom get so much traction with his Racist Treaty Principles Bill supported by Luxon and the perennial racist Winston Peter's.
How? MMP's major flaw at least in NZ is that a relativly small part of the constituency can have an outsized influence on politics and government.
Previously that influence has been relativly benign ie Provincial Growth Fund, Waka jumping law and im sure there are others.
This time Act finally had an opportunity to wield power and are using it. I expect they're also aware that they need to keep themselves in the news etc so they dont fade away once in govt. They only need to appeal to a small portion of the population so expect more of yhe same for the next couple of years.
I think part of the frustration stems from a party with single digit support, last election, being so impactful.
Contrast that with Labour's last turn at the helm, tinker here, review there, careful now, don't frighten the horses.
Yep, they really cocked it up and the big reforms attempted in Water, Health and Education were poorly explained and or delivered and now dead or dying.
Tinker/review, versus "big reforms" – all depends on your point of view. Imho, Labour's pandemic response was big – too big for some. But I appreciated it.
https://www.health.govt.nz/strategies-initiatives/programmes-and-initiatives/emergency-management/pandemics
https://www.treasury.govt.nz/information-and-services/nz-economy/covid-19-economic-response
C'mon mate. It's time to drop the Covid excuse.
The time before that it was Winston's fault.
It clearly falls on deaf ears unless you are only interested in preaching to the choir.
Re “the Covid excuse“, maybe our response will be better next time.
It means luxon is either weak or complicate,
….complicit
Thanks was so far off it even the atuo correct gene couldn't solve the riddle!
Look at the UK for the evils of a first-past-the-post electorate. Luxon is not a friend of the National Party either, because he has reneged control to ACT and NZF. I bet there are many Nats who are grinding their teeth over his toothlessness.
Theres no perfect system, honestly I dont think Nat voters will be that unhappy that Act are pulling the govt further right than they otherwise would have been. They might not like the social division Act is stirring but fiscally speaking I'd say theyre pretty happy.
I am not talking policies, I am talking about the value of the Nats' electoral brand. Those Nats voters that like ACT's brouhaha will just give ACT their party vote next election. The Nats I'm thinking of are those who run the Party, or are on the Party list, and see their sinecure disappearing in 2026.
If you haven't had your intelligence insulted, this interview should do the trick.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018955860/minister-defends-proposed-ge
When asked about councils wishing to remain GE free, Collins bought up the subject of soy milk in supermarkets. Disingenuous much.
Once again this government is serving business interests before the interests of the citizenry.
Once the genetic modification genie is out of the bottle there is no going back.
Great for Monsanto not so much for organic farmers.
National always happy to get down on their knees and do what their donors want, over and above what is logical. Or indeed the right thing to do. Great video from BHN on road speeds limits.
Putin is upping size of military forces to 1.5 mi, to have a force second only to China.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/disgraceful-auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-slams-council-staff-over-263000-milford-beach-stair-cost/CWLG6QE3GNCAJBBIGRBO3GKD2U/
He's running.
There was never any doubt. And I reckon Auckland will vote for him.
This is a guy who has lied and is all about grandstanding, no vision, no collaboration.
The above happened on his watch – let alone, the engineers and Council explained the rationale to him.
"We get the politicians we deserve" so I have to accept that.
Theres no doubt the costs were excessive, but its where you end up when you hire a big multinational like Ventia and every job outside of normal contract scope has layers of margin added (like compounding interest) as the job passes through the different layers of contractors involved.
Yes I hear you, but to me, the point is it happened under Wayne Brown's watch yet he saw still fit to rave and rant about it.
Leadership is much more than showmanship.
It's almost impossible to prevent with the various contract clauses about extra work etc.
The rush to bundle contracts into these huge one stop shop multinationals is an absolute disaster I was very unhappy the a Phil Goff lead council went down that path.
Basically contracts should be kept small enough for locally owned business to at least tender and undertake. Yes there's more contract admin needed but at least the money stays onshore.
Ventia has sub contracted aussie owned firms to undertake for example the grounds work so basically everything except the piss poor wages leaves the country probably with minimal or no tax paid and zero social responsibility ie they dont give a fuck.
I think Wayne Brown will be a one term mayor. The alternative was Efeso Collins and too many did not want him. Wellington have Tory and Efeso would have been similar. I think Tory will only be one term too. I don't think she will get much sympathy from todays article in NZH, struggling to get by on $190k salary and having apparently had a large lotto win a few years back. Does not fill you with confidence on her financial ability.
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau sells car to help pay the bills – NZ Herald
I'm sure there are many other Wellingtonians struggling more.
[I’m starting to get fed up with your troll-ish comments again, lately, Judge Jimmy – this is diversion trolling.
You may want to check the facts and correct your attempted smear of Tory Whanau; your blatant & ignorant bias is better suited for SM. This is your only warning – Incognito]
Mod note
What is SM?
Social Media
The only things Wayne Brown has delivered for Auckland residents are those stupid scrap bins which no-one uses, and the cancellation of free off-peak and weekend parking.
Thanks, idiot.
And despite being consulted on the parking, he later denied knowing about it.
Despite the fact our myopic media never look up from their provincialism and navel gazing NZ exists in a wider context. Seymour has made no secret he'd like to replace National as the main vehicle of the political right and the strange, self-radicalising collapse of modern conservatism is helping him. Conservatism used to be about moral superiority, prudent finances and patriotism. Nowadays it stands for moral sadism, looting the state for cronies and nativist xenophobia. Nonetheless, National still professes to believe in the institutions of state.
What people, and especially The MSM, fail to grasp is that Seymour is a new kind of radical politician, the narcissistic anti-constitutional conservative. He's looking around the world at the crisis of confidence in centrist institutions and he's looking at Trump and Orban and Fico and Farage and the rise of right wing strongmen and he fancies himself riding that wave all the way to the top, and to hell with democracy. For the narcissist anti-constitutional conservative the likes of Costello and McKee engaging in brazen – corrupt in many people's opinion – behaviour isn't a bug – it's a feature. Attacking the place of the treaty is exactly the sort of anti-constitutional action you'd expect from someone who sees institutions and the rule of law as barriers to their rise to power. The more he can destroy faith in institutions the more he thinks it advantages his right wing authoritarianism.
Lies and corruption "not a bug, but a feature". Agree with you 100%.
For those who would like to meet/talk with Rail for NZ minded people, there are some Future is Rail meetings coming up.
Also our NZ Society (like the World) is becoming ever increasingly a throwaway one….
For those who would like to try and change that….Repair Festival
I already repair/rebuild Bicycles…but there are lot more things that could and should be repairable.
Bravo PsyclingLeft.Always
Oh, hi Mountain Tui. Thanks for that. Re the Bicycles…I always try to
walkbike the talk, literally as much as I can. Lost count..over 200 saved from scrap metal or ..worse, landfill. And such a satisfying feeling pedalling something that hadnt turned a wheel for years : )I been reading your latest Post…such an indictment on NACT1. I'm torn between anger..and sadness. So I went and worked on a Bike.
And thought to put up those links.
Re your Post, thankyou for saying what should be self evident..and already proven to fail. World wide.
I couldn't find an emoji to say what I wanted but it's respect and admiration.
Unfortunately I feel more and more my role is moot. Yes the reality/news is depressing, but it also feels past the point where I need to "prove" anything – therefore what is my role?
I don't want to be a Mike Hoskings of the left so I'm left pondering as to the value of now stating and repeating the obvious.
Also I feel more and more people are now clue-ing onto the new government and where before my information was helpful to see things, I believe now they've made it self-evident.
Again hugest respect to you and what you do. So nice to chat anytime I see you here!
Thanks muchly for that M.T.
I have been doing the Bikes for a long time. RSE workers got a lot (which they also took back to the Islands) , and I recently donated some more to a Hospice shop …
I just thought, have Luxon, Seymour et al ever been into, or needed to, a Salvo or Hospice shop?
IMO we on the Left must all utilise our (natural? learned?) skills/gifts for, what I would like to think of as.." the Greater Good."
I see you M.T., and the other Standard authors as having a skill/gift I dont .
So please keep on putting it out there. I have learned a lot. More..to learn. Also have to say, the morale booster from reading Like Minds..is much needed during these disturbing times.
Power to you : )
Just listening (and watching) QT in the house, and, I must say, both Luxon and Willis are sounding very Trumpian in their language – i.e. Nicola saying Labour would (and has) destroyed the economy!
Luxon making a pathetic attempt to get the opposition on side by suggesting they join his government in his punching down!
And Tama Potaka getting a right roasting from TPM and others! I sure don’t envy his ‘Uncle Tom’ position.
I know this came up a week or so ago but there wasn't a definitive answer.
Is it true the state is funding Tana's judicial review? You know, employee with an issue with their (her?) employer.
I assume the Greens legal fees would be paid for out of the public coffers.
A new gang has formed in response to the Crime Bill before parliament.
Membership is open to all those banned from their current gang patch.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-07-02-at-8-1.26.28%E2%80%AFAM.png
Organiser Damien Grant
Treasurer B Bradbury
Sperm recipient Ani OBrien
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2024/09/17/surprise-surprise-gang-patch-ban-secretly-given-vast-search-powers-just-like-tdb-warned-you/
Not the Civilian – maybe not suitable for linking.
A little bit of good news, E Tu has organised a hui for noon October 23.
From the email; "It’s about our rights as workers. It’s about our rights as tāngata whenua and tauiwi to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It’s about protecting a public health system that is vital for our community wellbeing. Let our voices be loud and clear against the Government’s destructive and divisive agenda."
11 different regional locations up and down the motu.
If yr interested, contact a colleague and you can plus one on their invite.
I will be going to the Manawatu hui, any Standardistas want to tag along let me know I can add you to the list and I could help with transport.
https://etu.nz/fight-back-together-maranga-ake/
I had a day off today, so I thought I would tune into parliament this afternoon and listen to question time.
What do I hear?
The same old National mantra bleating that everything that happened under Labour was bad, everything that happens under National is good and if it isn't good it is because of Labour.
National cannot and will not ever take responsibility for their own actions. It is like the old defence "the devil made me do it" except swap devil for Labour.
Like something out of a science fiction movie.
Cyber War enters a new dangerous phase.
Presumably these pagers were remotely hacked to cause the lithium batteries in these devices to explode.
This attack, begs the question;
Are other electronic communication devices vulnerable to this sort of remote attack?
Can your smart phone be used to kill you?