Dave Lane @lightweight@mastodon.nzoss.nz

The powerful in the current system promote racism and other isms because to do otherwise would be to admit that their power is unjustified by their virtue. Which, of course, it isn't. This won't be a win-win situation for those people. This will be an overdue (& sadly, brutal) "adjustment". I'm reminded of the saying "for those accustomed to privilege, equity looks like oppression".

From my distant vantage point, it seems my homeland is facing an overdue insurrection, and the government & elite establishment (big business & the 1%) are completely in the wrong. But it's going to get very ugly, and I can only despair for all the good folks there.

This would be a fun rainy day #FOSS project :) https://www.blendernation.com/2020/05/29/build-a-functional-trebuchet-with-blender-physics/

The lack of informed leadership by the Ministry on these sorts of issues is remarkable to me. Seems to be a lot of responsibility shirking going on to me.

Interestingly, after my post yesterday noting that I was still awaiting a response to my OIA to the Ministry of Education, I received this via FYI.org.nz (many thanks!) - https://fyi.org.nz/request/12489/response/48723/attach/html/5/1224464%20Lane%20OIA.PDF.pdf.html Need to re-read it, but my initial impression: the Ministry thinks it's ok to do bulk-buying of proprietary software and use "public" (it's not public - control of it is entirely private) Cloud services. It delegates responsibility for school SW choices of school boards... few of whom are qualified.

Reading https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-government-ignores-expert-advice-in-its-plan-to-improve-water-quality-in-rivers-and-lakes-139554 I'm deeply disappointed by our gov't again shirking its responsibility to manage our environment guided by science. Our regional gov'ts appear to have broadly failed in their primary reason for existing - enforcing the (weak) regulations we already have - for a generation or more. This is not auspicious.

to be more precise, I'm still waiting for useful information - I did get a response, to (understandably) request an extension due to COVID-19... but yeah, still waiting.

OIA update: still waiting for a response to this: https://fyi.org.nz/request/12489-informed-consent-for-proprietary-software-used-at-nz-public-schools

I find myself disgusted by the humans who can decide that their private profit supersedes the inestimable value of f irreplaceable objects of historical significance. The selfish arrogance is staggering. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/26/rio-tinto-blasts-46000-year-old-aboriginal-site-to-expand-iron-ore-mine

This move by NZ gov't hits a clangingly discordant note given all the rhetoric about supporting local industry (& improving diversity!). https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/417640/government-s-buy-local-commitment-questioned-in-new-deal

Question: is there a term (akin to Stockholm Syndrome or co-dependence) which describes how kids believe their parents because they haven't had any other experiences which could allow them to form contrary opinions?

All of us leaving Twitter would also have a bunch of other beneficial effects. It would remove Twitter's hold over us - they are, after all, a totalitarian organisation run by @jack, just like every other multinational corporation. This would be a useful example to those many corporations (who consistently abuse their power and exploit their customers and even entire governments) that the people can actually get fed up... and hand their corporate asses to them.

Another way for us to get Trump off Twitter... would be for all the rest of us to get off Twitter. We could all keep hanging out, but on better a better platform, like Mastodon. Let him continue his shittrumpeting to a deserted Twitter. Now *that* would be satisfying. Note, this post originates on Mastodon, not Twitter.

In his support for small businesses - https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/full-interview-new-national-party-leader-todd-muller-q - wonder if Todd Muller would commit National to procuring IT services only from small NZ-owned companies? That'd be a great stimulus & would boost NZ's most promising export industry... I'm guessing they wouldn't do anything different from Labour on that (i.e. continuing the flawed approach I describe here: https://davelane.nz/fixing-government-it-procurement ).

Here's a better article: https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/losing-our-religion

Now, the big question: when (based on the historical trend) is NZ likely to achieve an atheist majority?

This is one of the few truly optimistic trends I've seen lately: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/no-religion-officially-overtakes-christianity-in-new-zealand-census-stats