On the topic of alternative fuels like hydrogen, ammonia, and nuclear, this look at Japan's energy dilemma is quite interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pATw7clEfzM

@strypey

We need to learn this, understand it, and make sure the rest of the voting population 'get it'! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfjKQSPoamU This is the Modern Monetary Theory understanding of public finances. It is inherently more appropriate than the approach of *all* our previous Gov'ts. We need smarter Gov't, and that requires informed voters.

@jeremy_pm Luxon is clearly a Marxist:

Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.

Groucho Marx

#nzpol

It's rolled around again! Tomorrow evening, 20:00 NZST, is our next virtual #Libre / #FOSS meeting. All welcome - https://meeting.iridescent.nz - we'll be talking about new mailing lists, self-hosting email, and home assistant, among other topics... Come and join us (you're welcome to dip in/out)!

I have long assumed this to be the case: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/community/884421/most-drivers-not-following-basic-road-rules-aa-research-shows but it's good to have confirmation. Sorta. #BadDrivers #RoadCode

RE: https://mastodon.social/@gvwilson/117056465732932839

Gorgeous

I submit that this is one of the most perfect rock songs ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bihoNRc8GDQ

And a cracking video, too.

Libre software is splendid in just about every way. Managed to upgrade a peertube and a piefed today - many thanks to their developers @Framasoft and local Ōtautahi developer @rimu respectively!

Excited to be teaching the 5th edition of the Tunnel training tomorrow.

In 4 days there be some shiny new sovereign VPNs in the wild, running atop geothermal energy in Iceland, each capable of supporting hundreds of people.

One small step toward re-asserting that the basic right to privacy ought not be left to private enterprises. Rather, it should be in the hands of communities, meeting their needs, and on their terms.

https://courses.nikau.io/tunnel/

#sysadmin #privacy #decentralisation

Ooo, just managed to score a second hand Pioneer VSX-923 AV receiver/amp for a song... now to see if I can integrate it into my Home Assistant, and wire up some of the speaker cables we built into this house... 🤞🏻

Pricing is now available for Mastodon instances on Magnificent’s website at https://magnificent.nz/applications/mastodon

There are two options:

1. For NZD$150 per month we provide a full server with Mastodon, suitable for a single organisation or small number of accounts.
2. If you're interested in setting up a larger Mastodon community with 20+ users, we recommend a higher-specced server at $250 per month.

Pricing is now available for Mailcow email hosting on Magnificent’s website at https://magnificent.nz/applications/mailcow

There are two options:

1. We can host your domain, with unlimited email addresses, on our shared Mailcow server for NZD$24 per month.
2. Alternatively, we can provide a dedicated Mailcow server with more storage space and unlimited domains starting at $150 per month. Great for a web agency or similar company if your customers are asking for independent email.

Pricing is now available for BigBlueButton videoconferencing on Magnificent’s website at https://magnificent.nz/applications/bigbluebutton

There are two options:

1. For NZD$20 per month you can set up with one room on Magnificent's shared BigBlueButton server. This is a great starting point for small organisations with occasional videoconference needs.
2. If you have a larger organisation, we can provide a well-specced server dedicated to BigBlueButton with your own branding for $600 per month.

We're gradually rolling our prices for libre web applications, but we appreciate that every organisation has different needs. If you're interested in breaking your business, club, charity, family, or any other organisation free of Big Tech, we'd love to have a chat and put together a quote for the tools you need.

RE: https://social.magnificent.nz/@magnificent/117012520877084702

Here's a little libre digital sovereign tech project a couple of us have been working on for a while...

I see Hobson's Pledge have set themselves up like a political party, with a website on Nationbuilder. I'd say we're seeing battle lines being drawn & I think the old rich privileged white men (I'd rather not include myself in their ranks, but accept I've benefited from white male privilege) are realising that they're in danger of losing their pre-eminence. They also celebrate British colonialism so I have to wonder if they've ever spared a thought for how colonised indigenous people might feel.

People who are simultaneously pro-colonial and anti-immigration (or, like Hobson's Pledge, want to require immigrant 'assimilation') reveal a thunderous ignorance and lack of general awareness and even basic decency. It's also the height of hypocrisy.

So, more on the Free Speech Union in Aotearoa NZ... here's their last annual report https://app.businessregisters.govt.nz/sber-businesses/viewInstance/view.html?id=229a78e05307b6d8bf1b29667f00cb174d9282b44b67f9a3a0da2eac8efe0f35&_timestamp=608579938114810 (h/t @jdmcg) - they report $300k income from membership fees... and $1.3million from 'donations', neither attributed nor broken down. Which certainly leaves open the distinct possibility of oligarch patronage.

So very sad to hear of Glen Hansard's demise. https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/music/oscar-winning-irish-musician-glen-hansard-dies-in-motorcycle-crash

I asked an FSU member how the 'Union' is funded. He said "read their Annual Report". I searched and found https://fsu.nz/publications/from-strength-to-strength-free-speech-union-releases-2025-annual-report/ which links to the report... which isn't there. 🤔

I remain convinced that the FSU are bad faith actors who are part of a very dark movement, and they're accompanied in their machinations by everything Jordan Williams, David Seymour, and David Farrar have a hand in, e.g. the Taxpayers' Union, the NZ Initiative, the ACT party and Curia Polls. Very bad juju.

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