You Don't Have To Do That

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We find ourselves in all sorts of situations and sometimes we may feel like we're being coerced into something we don't feel comfortable with. You have choice, always, and you don't have to do anything you don't want to. Recognise that there may be a cost, perhaps a massive personal cost to not doing it. You still have a choice and you don't have to do anything you don't want to. Take a breath, step back, and think, "Do I really want to do this?" Maybe you're scared, it's a new thing and you're feeling more anxious about failure and when you do it you'll be chuffed with yourself that you gave it a go. If it's a big thing then perhaps taking the time to talk with those you trust and have useful insight would help, if so then put off the decision until you're clear. Sometimes it's peer pressure, or even social expectations, that you feel is manipulating / forcing you to do something you don't want. You always have a choic...
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Why Do Kiwis Want To Own A House

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Those that want to own a house have a deep inner desire to have a nest they believe is their own, a castle if you will :) And those that don't want to own bricks and mortar (me, of course) will merely nod their heads and agree before moving on with their day-to-day life. An old friend of mine said it's all about, "intergenerational wealth". I'm ok with that, if it actually generates wealth but I don't know if it does. There's $10 in New Zealand A dollar is used to create 5 houses, 5 Kiwis live in them.  A house sells for $2 A new house is then bought for $3 [keep going ...] END:  There is still only $10 in NZ Houses are now worth $10 and only 2 people can afford it There is still only $10 in NZ Whilst people may be making money the country as a whole is not, it's a circular economy. Where is the money coming from to sustain this? Of course businesses need money to start, invest, and grow ...but if all the money is used to "create" individual ...
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"AI" Creations Over The Years

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Using Google AI (now called Gemini) I have been saving images every now again that match the following, "Create an image …" of a sunrise over a sand dune with a camel of a Foggy London scene of horse for a day with a calendar showing the day representing "so satisfying" to represent popular music from the 1950s to the 1980s of a NZ 9 year old school boy with a head made of butter Interestingly the final prompt now replies with, "I can create images for you, but not ones that depict minors like that. Can I help with a different image instead? " I also try: Make a landscape ratio poster of the following phrase, "If you want to destroy a nation, destroy the thinking of it's youth - [unknown source*]" Alright, let's get into it, with the latest versions first. a sunrise over a sand dune with a camel August 2026 April 2026 December 2025     April 2024 a Foggy London scene August 2026 April 2026 April 2024 March 2024 March 2024 horse for a day...
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Roses Are Red, Roses Are Blue

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source: https://nerdculture.de/@fzer0/117273452745493292
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The AI "Industry"

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Let's start with the simplest/quickest of the three articles linked from here, explanations (from a particular POV) - what "AI" in the office can/could mean. We then move on to a rebuttal of the loud voices that "AI will doom us all", and then into some serious research about our future with these things we are calling "AI". Enjoy. AI Economics for Dummies by Andrew Singleton, June 11, 2026 4. Benjamin owns a farm. He employs 100 workers plowing his fields. His total payroll is $10 million/year. One day, he buys a mule, which provides the worker who uses it with a modest 10 percent productivity gain. Benjamin fires 99 of his workers and purchases 99 mules, expecting a 1,000 percent productivity gain. The driverless mules cause plow damage to his property in excess of $50 million. Benjamin loses another $5 million due to the loss of productivity from his one remaining employee, who no longer guides a plow but instead spends 100 percent of his time shove...
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You Are Loved

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You are loved, sometimes people forget to tell you which is weird, especially if, as #1 of  100 Things I Know  states, love is the answer . Why is it we humans can be pretty bloody lax at telling those that we love that we love them? If you have a partner of any description there is not enough times to say, "I love you". It's easy to miss a beat of life and not see that they are internalising a really complicated situation in their head  giving them a tiny bit of angst, put your arms around them and say, "Hey, I love you.". It isn't a solution, it's support, care, and to let them know that they are not alone. Got kids, well you know what to do. No matter where you and they are on the planet send a message if it's easier (do it, now ), but to hear your voice letting them know that you love them sends all sorts of good heart warming chemicals through their bodies. It's what they want and need. Oh, if your kids are all grown up remember that yo...
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NZ National Party - Download Your Own Election Posters

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Don't do this! https://natswordsalad.com/meme-generator
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US Government Targeting Left/Liberal Organisations

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During the Department of State’s Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism on July 16, 2026 (see below), U.S. officials used stark, uncompromising language directed at left-wing political ideology and activism. Rubio characterised leftists as "enemies of civilisation" and an "encroaching darkness" driven by "poisonous resentment," while Miller asserted that left-wing activists are motivated by "envy, by hatred, by jealousy" and dismissed appeals to civil liberties as "completely pretextual and disingenuous" shields meant to evade criminal punishment. If you know about "othering" and trying to focus people's views on "them vs us" you will immediately see where this came from, why they are doing it, and where it can lead to. An old friend of mine recently pulled me up on comparing the US Government to Nazis, and I hear what he is saying, they are not Nazis as that was a group from the 1930s and 1940s. Ev...
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Popular articles

W. C. Fields quotes

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The office has all been moved around - new desks (with starter handles to raise and lower them), new high(er) speed network and ... the same old work. At least I have a differing view of the world, my team (well, the team I'm a part of not "my" team) is a lot closer - finally - and it's like an office from the 80's ... or even a classroom. But I still have time to move the crap off the PC : ------ Any man who hates dogs and loves whiskey can't be all bad. Anyone who hates Dogs and Kids Can't be All Bad. Hey! Who took the cork off my lunch??! Who stole the cork from my breakfast? Now don't say you can't swear off drinking, it's easy. I've done it a thousand times. Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again. Then quit, no use being a damn fool about things. Madam, there's no such thing as a tough child - if you parboil them first for seven hours, they alwa...

5 Common Logical Fallacies and How to Spot Them

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I want to run through something important but often overlooked in our daily conversations, debates, and even our own thinking: logical fallacies . Understanding logical fallacies is like having a mental toolkit for spotting weak arguments, manipulation, and plain old fuzzy thinking. It's about sharpening your critical thinking skills and navigating the complex landscape of information and persuasion we encounter every day. In this "long read," we're going to break down five common logical fallacies (with another five in a follow-up post ), look at where they came from (or how they were identified), explore their potential downsides, and, most importantly, provide actionable strategies for spotting them and adjusting our own thinking. The Cheat Sheet Alright, here is the [tl;dr] "too long; didn't read and can't wait" version of all ten fallacies at a glance for those of us who need the shorthand to get back to the rugby or the...

Rugby World Cup 2011 Fixture iCal Calendar

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2026/7 UPDATE: You'll be looking for this I imagine: Rugby World Cup 2027 Fixture iCal Calendar The calendar has now morphed into the ongoing International Rugby Fixtures iCal Calendar ...

6 Inaugural Daily Photo Themes

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I'm itching to get going again and it's been fascinating how I've missed sharing a daily photo despite going through an absolute shocker of sickness that I'm only now (sort of) leaving - maybe when the energy is low that's when I need it to keep the brain a little less wobbly . 🖼️ Mike's daily photo - From Then To Now 🖼️ Mike's daily photo - Themes I've been pondering themes to use for each 4 week grouping, here ya go: (6 elements but 2 universes coz AI) 1: People - solo - groups - emotions - strangers  2: Animals - four legged - water - flying - in motion 3: Plants - flowers - trees - fungi - food 4: Universe - stars - moon - mystery - wonder  5: Transport - land - sea - air - quirky 6: UK - Wales - England - Scotland - guess where

Dunning-Kruger Effect Memes And Cartoons

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The Dunning-Kruger effect : when people overestimate their skills because they don't know enough to see their own lack of knowledge or ability. I have trawled the Web finding the finest of funnies, by all means share them when you feel the need.

The Grounds For Voting Green

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[UPDATE: 20th Aug 2026]:  10 More Grounds For Voting Green I'm a Greens NZ voter, have been for quite a long time. I like their people, policies, and process. I have voted for other parties, sometimes for a very specific policy, and even once because I really liked the person which, according to most political pundits, is actually how most people vote - people they recognise and know wearing the colours they associate with. On some social media thingy (Mastodon via CloudIslandNZ I think), I read the following article and it got me thinking, what is it about the Green NZ policies that everyday New Zealanders would / should / could think about. Just saying, "Vote Green", for most people is a big turn off as it, well, it just doesn't ask that glorious question , why? The case for voting Green I’m not a member of the Green Party, but they're getting my vote. Here’s why. by Simon Wilson, Jun 27, 2026 THE GREENS HAVE two core messages. They’re both simple enough ...

The Difference Between One Million And One Billion

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It feels like a billion is just a bit bigger than a million. Obviously it's bigger but it fits on the same scale as a million, surely. It doesn't. A billion is so so so much bigger than a million. I've trawled the internet finding graphics and videos that show the VAST difference between one million and one billion. Oh, and just to finish with a different misconception about space starting with the classic opening line from the great Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy : “Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.” < 64: Always get explicit consent 66: Ask that question >

Microsoft's use of the "army of JavaScript-typing, buzzword-spouting monkey"

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A fantastic article, How Web 2.0 evangelists make the Microsoft monopoly stronger by Andrew Orlowski , decrying the 'Web 2.0 cult' ("compared the rise of Web 2.0 enthusiasts to the problem the Police has with Freemasons") and how they are now being used by Microsoft to negate the need for regulation. In a nutshell - we're not a monopoly as the Web is now a platform that anyone can/are using. But I also love how the article uses some cracking phrases about those, like myself, that are Web 2.0/Enterprise 2.0 evangelists: cult-like relentless self-advancement "Hive Mind" cult/religion web utopians evangelists Emergent People mighty army of JavaScript-typing, buzzword-spouting monkeys happy-go-lucky Digg crowd There is a hint of truth in what is written. Me using the word "evangelist" is a prime example of how I (and those "like me") are on a wee bit of a mission, even if the mission is for the good of all (but not from God) ... then aga...

5 articles about keeping your identity ("persona") safe

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Seems to be the day of "user identity theft" with the following 4 articles (plus mine from a week or so ago) popping into the feeder. With the news that Facebooks "Beacon" program being amended due to privacy concerns ( Google News: facebook beacon ) the whole subject of "online identify" will, I predict, become the dominant conversation during 2008, especially as Google and the like push further into the enterprise with a "life online" delivery of services. Colin Jackson: On the Internet no-one knows you’re a dog Colin the voice of IT-ness on National Radio's Nine To Noon and a few days ago he turned his attention to thorny issue of ID verification, the government and what it means to you and me. … It’s really getting at the notion that we are anonymous on the Net and that people can’t tell much about you from a screen name or email address. Q: Is that true? A: No, not really. Clever or well-resourced people can tell a lot about you by lo...