Dave Lane @lightweight@mastodon.nzoss.nz

Yup - the final few paragraphs are key: https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Locked-in-by-choice-how-European-governments-are-handling-their-Microsoft-addiction

Wow, this is full on: https://www.investigate-europe.eu/en/2017/europes-dire-dependency-on-microsoft/ Gov'ts around Europe (and, I would hope, elsewhere in the world) are realising how dangerous and expensive their dependence on Microsoft is. It's a damning epidemic, and they need to take evasive action.

Wow - I'd LOVE to find a full English translation of this article: https://www.kuketz-blog.de/bildungswesen-entlarvung-der-haeufigsten-microsoft-mythen/ (my German's ok, but not good enough to do it justice)

And, of course, some views are spoiled with stupid...

Despite all the phone absorbed motorists, I lived through my ride up the hill to feed my soul. Gorgeous day in Canterbury.

Just back from a pre-work bike ride to start my week... I'm amazed that anyone makes it to work alive (especially school kids, walkers, and cyclists) given the number of people who cannot possibly not be looking at their phones while in sole charge of a 2 tonne motor vehicle. I leaves me fuming every time.

Cracking good Friday morning here in Canterbury (after a cold, windy, rainy night!). Plenty of snow on them thar hills.

So, after 50 minutes waiting, got to a long-suffering operator... who verified that my return, submitted in March, is still to be processed. She had to inform me she had no idea when my return would be processed (I'm due a refund). She can't update my postal address (all IRS communications works via post, and the address they have for me is a couple years out-of-date) - she suggested I could fax through an address change form... but no idea when it'd be processed. Their systems are hopeless.

The US' tax department sucks. Big time. They require compliance by citizens based overseas but offer no services, and have even hidden their "International Individuals" phone number on their website. I have it saved, so I'm now waiting on hold for the 2nd time in a few months. Last time, the wait was almost 2 hrs, my toll bill was $200 for the call. They can't even tell me if they received my return, delivered on 16 March 2020. That's an incredible amount of suck.

I'm enjoying chatting with Pin at a Canterbury tech networking event at the Dux in Chch.

Listening to Bruce Smith, Westland District Mayor, is blowing some serious smoke on RNZ right now. He wants more mining on the west coast. What he - and other economy ueber alles folks - who want to mine conservation and stewardship land fail to acknowledge is that *all extractive industries are guaranteed to be dead end jobs*. Once things are extracted, the work's gone forever. And Smith's making a case implicitly based on the validity of TrickleDown Economics. He's barking up the wrong tree.

Glorious in Canterbury today. Great way to start the week!