Back in the day, when the internet wasn’t behind a firewall, you could download and listen to all of Berkeley University’s first year lectures.I used to download all of these onto my MP3 player, and go cycling for 2-3 hours, feeding both body and mind.I’ve found they’ve archived all the…
Good Tech, Bad Tech
Technology is on a spectrum. There is good tech. There is bad tech. And then there is tech that’s neither good nor bad, but merely reflects its user’s intensions.I’ve recently finished reading Mark Manson’s book, “Everything is Fucked: A Book About Hope”, and watched “The Social Network” and found both…
If young people can’t buy houses
House price affordability is a perennial topic.Neither main political party really wants to burst the housing bubble. The median voter theory predicts political parties will choose the policies that best reflect the interests of “the median” voter: the interests, tastes and prejudices of “most” voters.And while “most” voters (as opposed…
.. It’s just a matter of transforming location into goods and services that people are willing to pay for…
I love this quote from New Zealand First’s Shane Jones here: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/tourism-nears-summer-of-uncertainty. This “can-do” optimistic attitude breaks down because of the the concept of public and private tourism goods and services. About Goods… and Bads“Goods” are things which people want. “Private” goods are things people want and can be made to…
Institutional Racism
There is so much wrong with the recently published Health and Disability System Review. Before addressing it’s technical issues, check out the depth of character it pigeon-holes the majority of New Zealanders into.The following description of New Zealand’s population groups is cut and pasted straight from the report. Diverse populationsAotearoa…
The Default Position
There’s been a lot written about how much the economy has been negatively affected by the government’s Covid response. Lots of commentators make their careers talking “about the problem” – especially obvious ones.Hey everyone, there’s a fire burning!! Everyone!! FIRE!!!! FIRE BURNING EVERYONE. FIRE!!!But when someone gets a glass or…
My life is full of non-single use, non-disposable bags…
One of the first things 2017’s Labour / Greens / New Zealand First coalition government did was strongly signal its “green credentials”. First cab off the ranks was stopping new offshore drilling oil permits.The second cab off the ranks was, oddly, single use disposable plastic bags….Rejoicing in the collective kumbiya…