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MattoB

@mattob007.bsky.social
39 followers 47 following 192 posts

Anti-twitter and MS dude

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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Luxon's "you have to disrupt yourself aggressively" sums up this Govt's whole playbook. "Disruption" is just their excuse for e.g. record fast-tracked legislation & science sector reform without increased investment. It’s just rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic and calling it strategy. 🚢📉 #nzpol
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
#nzpol. Maybe worthwhile revisiting this. youtu.be/cyyzDbE3nsQ?...
youtu.be
How Billionaires evade Taxes
YouTube video by Samir Dhuri
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Meanwhile, in Australia, the third largest battery market in the world, leads to falling electricity bills. But, surprise, surprise, power companies see a threat to their business model and are looking to raise line/connection fees to make up for the loss. #NZPOL
youtu.be
Solar & Batteries Just Broke Records — Australia's Power Bills Are Falling
YouTube video by The Electric Viking
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
I've come to believe that the next election presents a stark choice, namely, which would you prefer that New Zealand and all its inhabitants strive to be? Either the: 1. Scandinavia, or 2. USA, of the southern hemisphere #nzpol
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
As an immigrant, I was puzzled by the NZ accent, especially the "a" being pronounced as "e". I mean, how can a country that prides itself in having a good education system, get 2 out of 5 vowels "wrong" ☺️? #nzpol
rnz.co.nz
Was Auckland the cradle of the Kiwi accent? An old theory gets a new hearing
Where did New Zealand English originate, and how did we come to pronounce our vowels in such a unique way?
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Just like NZ. "Instead of concentrating on much-needed long-term plans - about how to make Europe more competitive in this increasingly volatile world, prime ministers and presidents are now in a panic over [energy] prices, worried about angry voters and scrambling for short-term solutions." #nzpol
bbc.com
How Europe sleepwalked into yet another energy crisis
It is not the first time that there has been deep energy-linked frustration in the heart of Europe.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
NZ's economic woes making headlines overseas. "Grocery prices, for example, are among the highest in the developed world." Thinking of a finance minister who said she would resign if things did not improve under her watch. So much for honour and integrity.
bbc.com
Jacinda Ardern's move to Australia renews spotlight on New Zealand's brain drain problem
New Zealand has long struggled to keep its best and brightest with about 180 Kiwis leaving a day.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
USA/Israel attacking Iran... Another failure of the United Nations.
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Sriram "sri" Ramkrishna - 😼 @sri.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/02/2026
Great article on Universal Blue www.xda-developers.com/universal-bl… Upcoming stuff with bluefin continues its path at being the "anti-distro". A lot of work coming from GNOME OS that distros can learn from. The future is gonna be awesome!
xda-developers.com
Universal Blue wants to redefine the entire Linux ecosystem
A distro-less future could be on the horizon for Linux
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
"“We’ve seen a lot of real economy impacts from ...moving to LNG, which was much more expensive”. "... relying on the US [for LNG] may have seemed a safe bet a few years ago, it’s increasingly shaky under a Trump administration that’s shown no hesitation in wielding its economic might." #nzpol
edition.cnn.com
Trump said wind power is for ‘stupid people.’ Five days later, European countries agreed to build one of the planet’s biggest wind farms | CNN
As President Trump tries to strangle wind projects in the US, nine European countries have signed a deal to build a vast offshore wind farm in the North Sea, the epicenter of the continent’s oil and g...
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
After distro-hopping, I've landed on using Ubuntu Cinnamon. In my opinion, a really classy Linux install procedure, and desktop. Much like ubuntu (meaning: I am what I am because of who we all are), many Linux distros are what they are because of what Ubuntu (the distro) is.
ubuntucinnamon.org
Ubuntu Cinnamon | Ubuntu, traditionally modern
Community-driven, featuring Linux Mint’s Cinnamon Desktop with Ubuntu at the core, packed fast and full of features, here is the most traditionally modern desktop you will ever love.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
#nzpol Just visited TOP website for the first time... I think I'll go back and read more. Imagine replacing the current mess with a data-driven, technocratic approach, striving for environmental sustainability and tax reform.
opportunity.org.nz
The Opportunity Party
It’s time to build a new New Zealand. We’re The Opportunity Party and we’re standing for change. Real change.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
A must read for all #Linux fans. We all have our favourite distro, but Sydney Butler is on to something. Check out the referenced List of Linux distributions on wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...) - it's mind boggling.
howtogeek.com
If Linux is going to thrive, some distros have to die
Too many distros are solving the same solved problems, and it’s turning choice into confusion.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
#Nzpol Something no one is talking about re "Back on track", what's going on with NZ/AUS $ exchange rate? How low will it go? The "Mother of all Budgets" in 1991 resulted NZD bottoming out at ~ 71 cents.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
#linux #ProtonDrive. Anyone in the Linux world know when Proton will develope a proton drive app for Linux?
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
#NZPOL Strange how global outrage can flare up loudly for some crises (Gaza) while others barely register. The loss of life in Iran deserves the same attention, empathy, and scrutiny as any other tragedy - selective solidarity helps no one. Smacks of astounding hypocrisy by the "left" to me.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
#nzpol While the US Congress is pushing back on steepest science cuts, the science situation in NZ feels increasingly bleak. 🇳🇿 Hard to "go for growth" when you're cutting the literal foundation of innovation. We need a long-term funded vision, not just a commercial filter. 🧪
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AlexN @alexnewgrosh.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Don't let Trumpler have his 'Berlin Olympics' moment. Boycott the FIFA World Cup in America. US Immigration CAN & DO force access to YOUR private Facebook, messages etc. & detain, interrogate, arrest & deport you for anti-Trump or anti-fascist thought crimes. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
#nzpol Come on, dear CEO (Vino Ramayah), do the right thing.
rnz.co.nz
Criticism of Manage My Health cyber attack response mounts as another deadline passes
'Shambolic, frustrating and slow': Patients and GPs are frustrated at the response from the platform over the cyber attack.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
@suuntoanz.bsky.social My Vector lasted 15 years! My Core quit on me today after two years, which included a new strap each year, each about a 1/3 of the price of a new watch. Devasted. Beginning to think that Suunto's the Land Rover of watches. Feel so disloyal for now contemplating another brand
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 12/10/2025
#nzpol I've the suspicion that roading companies push for chip seal because it improves their cash flow at the rate these roads get resealed. According to AI, over a 10 to 20 year timeframe, asphalt proves to be the more cost-effective choice when factoring in durability and maintenance needs.
rnz.co.nz
Why chip seal practicality beats out asphalt popularity for road maintenance
Asphalt is great for roads that had a lot of trucks and a strong base - but that's not your average suburban street.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
#nzpol Just wondering/dreaming how things would be in NZ if everyone voted.
bigthink.com
What would happen if everyone voted? Researchers suggest big changes
Voter turnout in the United States is pretty low compared to other industrialized countries. While the 2016 US presidential election saw a 56% turnout rate, the 2017 general election in […]
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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
Yeah! New @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social logo, which compliments our Brahms database for #BioCollections perfectly. 🎉🧪
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Roscoe Changleen @changleen.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
#NZPol In the face of having basically the lowest investment in R+D in the OECD, our 'going for growth' 💩🤡's have cut our science agencies, research grants, universities and polytechnics and fired a bunch of people. It's unbelievable idiocy.
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Jay Guiri @jayguiri.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
Yes! We need more European alternatives. www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Should Europe wean itself off US tech?
Just three US firms provide 70% of Europe's cloud-computing, leading to fears of overreliance.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
#nzpol I guess the answer to this question is, yes, at least for now.
northeastbylines.co.uk
Are we destined to be always led by inappropriate leaders?
From battlefield warriors to charisma merchants, our leaders seem ever skilled in all but true wisdom and service
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Not my field of expertise, except to say that my wife can confirm less sag without, as has been reported in the scientific literature, e.g. www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/259...
rnz.co.nz
Busting common myths about breasts and bras
Breasts are ‘sisters, not twins’. So while your bra is symmetrical, it’s normal your breasts aren’t.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
"What I'm focused on is ... making sure we've got the right long term economic plan in place." Well, unless you are a multiterm government, there is no such thing as a long term beyond 3 years in NZ. The short election cycle is part of the problem. #nzpol
rnz.co.nz
Christopher Luxon shrugs off polls showing tight electoral race
The Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll showed Labour overtaking National as the most popular party and no clear path to power for either side.
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Ruth Ann Crystal @drruth.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
🩸A new study shows that adding SARS-CoV-2’s main protease (Mpro) enzyme to plasma from healthy donors can trigger blood clots by activating coagulation factors VII and XII. buff.ly/hWZB7aS 🩸This may help explain why COVID increases blood clot risk. #medsky #hemesky #IDsky 🛟😷🧪
adding SARS-CoV-2 Mpro (in red, purple, blue, gray, little green) to a test tube with pink plasma, causes activation of VII and XII (red circles) to make a blood clot (RBCs with yellow platelets and yellow fibrin)
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
Hmm,so the government welcoming the FBI to Wellington did not prevent this. Why would we as a country still welcome them? #nzpol
rnz.co.nz
NZ hit with 15% Trump trade tariff, Trade Minister says he will push back
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand is being unfairly penalised.
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Mountain Tui @mountaintui.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
So the Paywave charge is now baked in and whereas before I could avoid it by not tapping, now I am forced to take that cost. What type of ridiculous policy is this? Is this a policy sponsored by the big banks and NZ Initiative? Why do we have such pig headed politicians in power? #nzpol #kiwi
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
So things in NZ are wartime bad. I wonder who the enemy could be? #nzpol
rnz.co.nz
Life on rations: What it was like to eat a wartime meal
Cookbooks from the wartime period are all about making food go further and letting nothing go to waste.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
This, and the fact that cats roam and decimate birds and other wildlife, why would any sane person want to have a cat as a pet?
rnz.co.nz
10,000 New Zealanders may have lost vision due to toxoplasmosis
Otago University researchers estimate 40,000 people are affected by ocular toxoplasmosis, but lack of funding is hampering efforts to develop new treatments.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Those who can, are skipping the country for greener pastures.
rnz.co.nz
More high-achieving teens heading overseas after finishing school
"It's a pity that our very top students are going overseas, and I think sometimes it's more perception than reality," one principal says.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
#nzpol
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Does our #nzpol PM still trust Trump's USA?
theguardian.com
The new reality dawning in Australia: it can no longer rely on the US
For all the fraternal rhetoric, the alliance has always been asymmetric. It seems Washington under Trump sees it as immaterial
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
2% of a low GDP = close to nothing, and will make no difference. Cheaper and wiser to be seen as neutral like Switzerland which spends approximately 0.7% of its GDP on defence.
rnz.co.nz
How much can NZ boost its military spending, really? And is it really needed?
Analysis: New Zealand is being urged to spend 2% of GDP on defence, but is that possible and would it make a difference?
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
@firefly-aerospace.bsky.social Hoping for posts here. How about Where some mages from your successful moon landing?🧪
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
@firefly-aerospace.bsky.social. Where can I see the latest images from your successful moon landing?
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
Did the Blues get caught trying to cheat via HIA against the Hurricanes in last night's Super Rugby Pacific game? Either way, what a terrible game compared to Chiefs vs Brumbies.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Now let's see, who is our largest trading partner? Oh!, China. Better to become neutral, like the Switzerland of the south. #NZPOL
rnz.co.nz
New Zealand needs to 'step up' on defence spending, Winston Peters says
Winston Peters says our trading partners will judge us if NZ doesn't "step-up" and play its role by increasing defence spending.
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Huia Sue @huiasue.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
Libertarianism is corporate propaganda and neoliberalism is its sociopolitical agenda: By equating freedom with free markets, libertarianism provides ideological cover for the practical program of restructuring governments to entrench corporate power: -Ryan Ward open.substack.com/pub/weareund...
open.substack.com
Inbox | Substack
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
"The US is stuck in a repeating cycle of presidents undoing each other." Sound familiar #nzpol?
edition.cnn.com
Analysis: The US is stuck in a repeating cycle of presidents undoing each other | CNN Politics
If you’re looking for consistency, you’ve come to the wrong country.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
#nzpol Dare I hope for a similar outcome in NZ? “Welfare-oriented centre right, centre left parties, wherever you want to situate this government, brings politics back to the humane level.”
theguardian.com
‘A welfare state with a budget on the right side of zero’: Iceland’s youngest-ever prime minister has a plan for a new kind of governance
Kristrún Frostadóttir, who entered politics just four years ago, speaks to the Observer about feminism, the far right and reopening talks on joining the EU
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
Africa, considerd 3rd world, undergoing visionary transformation via infrastructure mega projects. Putting NZ/current government to shame. #nzpol edition.cnn.com/world/galler...
edition.cnn.com
The infrastructure megaprojects set to transform Africa | CNN
Innovative transport systems and smart cities are being taking shape across the African continent.
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Alex Partridge @alexpartridge87.bsky.social · 08/12/2024
No one works quicker than Wikipedia editors en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba'athi...
en.m.wikipedia.org
Ba'athist Syria - Wikipedia
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Following on from the below, that the treaty is between the crown and Māori, what happens if NZ were to become a republic? #nzpol thestandard.org.nz/on-the-whini...
thestandard.org.nz
On the whining and treason of David Seymour
In recent days, David Seymour has been whining that no-one is seriously debating his stupid little bill to supposedly try to redefine what the Treaty means. But it is the constitutional arrangement…
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
So, as I understand it, the closure of this mill puts to an end to recycling paper in NZ. Can anyone confirm? #NZPOL www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/534...
rnz.co.nz
Kinleith Mill to halt paper production next year, with 230 jobs on the line
Workers have been called to a meeting at the Kinleith Mill.
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Zoognosis with Joy! @zoognosisjoy.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Robins (2019) made a fascinating argument concerning the origins of the letter "A": that not only is it in the shape of a cow's head, but the shape of a cow facing the left side in particular. This is because cattle have lateralization and prefer humans approach them from their left ("near") side. 🧪
Map of the development of the letter "A" from Egyptian hieroglyphics to Latin script from Robins (2019).Abstract for Robins, Andrew. "The Alpha Hypothesis: Did Lateralized Cattle–Human Interactions Change the Script for Western Culture?." Animals 9, no. 9 (2019): 638.
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MattoB @mattob007.bsky.social · 18/09/2024
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #4,985,739!
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