Simon

something pithy and smart to go here when I'm older and smarter . . . . and pithy-er

[Alastair Hilton @London_W4]

The biggest difference between 9th September 2001 and now, is that 25 years ago, our government were on the side of the British people, to keep us safe and not on the side of the Muslim terrorists. In the 25 years since, we’ve seen Muslims attack us in cars, vans, bombs, stabbings and beheadings until we’ve arrived at this point where the British government are shipping in hundreds of terrorists a day, jailing anyone who speaks out and doing everything that the Muslims ask for. Proof that terrorism has worked for Muslims.

[Simon @simons_sed]

@aniobrien Workers were told to retrain. Learn how to code!!! "You just need to adapt!"

lol - and then AI hits and everyone out of work again, with no planning how AI with robotics will change the nature of our society - and not in a good way for people.

[Matthew Horncastle @matt_horncastle]

Most New Zealanders have never heard of Marsden Point.

They should.

Marsden Point was New Zealand’s only oil refinery. It could take crude oil from anywhere in the world and refine it into petrol, diesel and jet fuel right here in New Zealand.

At its peak it processed about 135000 barrels of crude oil per day. A large share of the country’s transport fuel passed through that refinery.

It was not just an industrial site. It was strategic infrastructure.

If global supply chains were disrupted, New Zealand still had the ability to refine fuel ourselves.

In 2022 we shut it down.

The refinery was converted into a fuel import terminal. Instead of refining crude oil here, we now rely entirely on importing finished petrol and diesel from overseas refineries.

The argument was simple.

Refining fuel locally was slightly more expensive. Environmental pressure also played a role. So the decision was made that New Zealand would simply import refined fuel instead.

That logic works in a perfectly stable world.

But the world is not stable.

There is now a major war in the Middle East, the region that produces a huge share of the world’s oil and sits across some of the most important energy shipping routes on Earth.

New Zealand no longer has the ability to refine crude oil.

We rely on tankers arriving from overseas.

If those supply chains are disrupted we do not simply turn Marsden Point back on. It is gone.

Energy security used to be something serious governments understood. Countries built refineries, maintained fuel reserves and planned for worst case scenarios because modern societies run on energy.

No fuel means no trucks.
No trucks means no food distribution.
No aviation.
No construction.
No functioning economy.

Civilisation quite literally runs on diesel.

This is a reminder that the real world still exists.

Serious countries make serious decisions about strategic infrastructure. Sometimes those decisions are unpopular. Sometimes they are not fashionable.

But adults understand that ideology does not power a country.

Energy does.

And energy security matters.

[Matthew Horncastle @matt_horncastle]

Jacinda Ardern’s connections to the Gates family during COVID and receipt of $30,000,000 NZD after she left office need a formal criminal investigation. It looks like corruption.

[Simon @simons_sed]

@elonmusk Two things
It can buy a yacht that can pull up along side happiness.

More money often brings more opportunities, however the opportunities often are accompanied with just a different set of problems to solve.

Happiness is “earned’ from within isn’t it?

[Simon @simons_sed]

@Mike3wheeler @andrewlittle_nz And increasing them to cover our errors. 😡

[Simon @simons_sed]

@humanbeastie @andrewlittle_nz The council coffers is yours and my pocket. 🙁 Should be their wages docked. “We screwed up, so we are taking a pay cut to collectively fix it.”

[Simon @simons_sed]

@fultonhogan I recall my late Uncle bringing home a Fulton Hogan cap which later featured on British TV. I just read an article that Hills Hats who made the cap are struggling and wondered whether now might be a great time to revive the cap and help out a fellow NZ business?

[Simon @simons_sed]

@maximumpain333 Neither did she. . .

[Simon @simons_sed]

@aniobrien Trojan horse 4 government overreach of personal freedom thru digital control. Much like firearms changes recently & AML regs, mostly it impedes & controls law abiding citizens while criminals simply continue the activity. Loss of personal freedom impacted by impracticality.

[Simon @simons_sed]

Add suggestions for what parameters would be programmed for AI politician replacements #nzpol

[Simon @simons_sed]

Does anyone find it somewhat ironic that society is so eager to push towards a non binary outlook while immersing themselves in an environment of 1s and 0s?

[Simon @simons_sed]

@NeverwinterGame Feedback seems to be the fashion footprints could be the issue? Had a MDWP bug out at Orcus - had party remove fashion footprints and made it through. Not scientific I know, but maybe somewhere to start looking?

[Simon @simons_sed]

@NeverwinterGame serious problems with shutdowns booting players and resetting out to PE on login - DPS getting powers and class features reset too. People saying it’s not worth playing. This needs urgent attention and a fix.

[Simon @simons_sed]

@NeverwinterGame Update completed - to find shard maintenance for another 2 hours till 1 UTC

[Simon @simons_sed]

@NeverwinterGame So how long is that?

[Simon @simons_sed]

@PrayWilliam56 @EAHelp @disabled Sounds dodgy. Would rather @EAHelp would sort their act out and resolve this - given it’s obviously a change they have made due to the ea suffix in the linked email.

[Simon @simons_sed]

@EAHelp Can’t access game as Xbox linked to some @disabled.ea email not mine.

[Simon @simons_sed]

@saltyreigns New Florida

[Simon @simons_sed]

@StevePo48978082 @TVNZ Else they become the TVA ?