For the first time in a 17 year relationship I asked my partner to drop a topic I’m embarrassed about. She agreed to “let me go”. She meant “it” right???

I’m here for this Anthropic strategy saying things that will really piss off a specific government. Suspect it eventually will kill the company, even if they switch to the conventional corporate comms of never publicly crossing either Washington or Beijing. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

I’ve slowly realised AoNZ doesn’t really have a full private health system, just some private services added on in specific areas. Public does all the complicated stuff, and shares key data etc. Relatedly, my $2000 sandwich just now was better but not by much than the public equivalent.

Finally watched Gladiator II - gloriously ridiculous. My now much older brain appreciated spelling out every plot nuance multiple times for the Netflix audience. Loved the sharks swimming in presumably Tiber river water.

Best part of this article was snarky quotes from German diplomats. Who needs enemies with colleagues like that? An interesting comparison of how different countries play the game. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Love me some middle class false economy frugality: so as not to waste ~80c of split bananas, added ~$3 of melted whittakers to make a snack for the kids.

Oncologist just queried if my lower rib was a protruding tumour, until I pointed out the same rib on the other side. #SpeculativeAnatomy

I’m all in for the FIFA good vibes, but the whole idol worship of the cup and football-is-life vibe makes me miss the Olympics.

This is getting so weird, US attacking third country flagged and crewed vessels. www.bbc.com/news/live/cl...

Unexpected joy mid-forties is scientist mates are all just hitting their stride and doing incredible things.

Fuck developers still installing gas in new build properties. (Just got our latest bill…)

The Vatican is a sophisticated bureaucracy. At a commissioning discussion months ago, some lucky papal official was tasked to reread Lord of the Rings for quotes to counter the tech-bros.

Five minutes after I’ve vacuumed, asked if I’d seen that small important object they were storing on the floor.

Had a dream I could fly but quit because someone told me it made me look wrinkly and the soles of my shoes were disgusting

RNZ played the wrong but right audio on Presidents Trump and Xi: “described by associates as someone who could become volatile”.

My ten/yearly reminder that I don’t know how to solder and will just have to buy a new one.

So I don’t have to pee at night I take pills wrapped in a sliver of cheese. Just realised that’s what we did for our dog too.

A colleague criticised our work because copilot couldn’t replicate it, despite knowing it was unique analysis of non public data using a proprietary tool.

Wife just complained about the impending doom of winter veges. She’s in denial about the glory of parsnips, pumpkin, swedes, brussel sprouts.

After catching and stopping myself a dozen times over 20 years I finally slipped up - after removing the u-bend instinctively poured it down the same sink.

“Alpine marsh”. Can’t Australian nature try and act normal, just for once?

Two instances in the last twelve hours where I wrongly thought “we’ve got a good working relationship, I can say this bluntly”.

Surely the answer to a big development not having enough green space or carparks is to go higher? Bring on the (quality) apartments www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland/...

Radio DJ just called it the “Gate of Hormuz”. Accidental geostrategic insights in between the Ozzy Osbourne and dick jokes.

A lady said her family’s sport was horses and I asked whether jumping over things or running fast and she said “eventing“ and now I still don’t know.

That debris in the gulf? It’s literal littoral warfare litter, all

Self fulfilling road sign turned flood debris.

Just witnessed an impeccable use of “he’s just having a moment” dealing with a middle aged man tantrum in the wild. Empathetic and deescalatory, but with a perfect salting of judgey.

There’s something bleak about YouTube bbq tutorials by “Dad something play on words” which inevitably finish with them eating alone.

Summering

This personal tragedy of a group immersed in existential debates about tech really reminded me of friends who fell apart getting really into world-building type metaphysics or ethics. Some kind of psychic tension between ideals and reality? www.wired.com/story/deliri...

Onya Auckland - pretty packed at Pak n Save today but everyone being super chill and friendly even as it took twice as long as normal.

Our egg and coffee choices this week coincidentally both seem to have been on discount b/c of minor quality issues. Odd the brands didn’t just point this out (eg a lighthearted extra sticker). We’d have probably still bought, and be left with a good impression of their usual quality.

The new Knives Out was excellent, but full of actors who look like other actors. For about the first half thought I was watching Merryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, and that Ozark/Arrested Development guy. Pretty sure I got Denzel Washington right though.

#SecretSantaAoNZ Duh, shouldn’t have trusted myself to remember the hashtag without checking

Okay this was pretty inspired, thanks to my clever clogs #AoNZSecretSanta Wrapping paper was a big hit too 

Okay this was pretty inspired, thanks to my clever clogs #AoNZSecretSanta Wrapping paper was a big hit too 

Very excited about a substantial #SecretSantaAoNZ Makes me realise I’ll have to lift my game next year.

Is there an AI-powered tool for filtering out AI generated search results? Just wasted another 15 minutes deciphering what turned out to be an incoherent technical report before seeing the homepage was for an “AI-driven solutions company.”

No allergies, love different flavours. Tend savoury > sweet. Alcohol free atm.

Tricky one. Probably not colouring in, but puzzle of some kind could be getting warm.

11y/o watching Young Sheldon - first few eps seem funnier and clever than BB Theory?

First time #SecretSantaAoNZ… Very novel to think about what I might want, and a bit cringe saying it out loud? 2nd hand fine, especially if a wood or ceramic piece of something. Book: definitely fiction ideally a little pretentious but readable. I’m a bread baker. Not bling (if that’s ur thing).

Realising that old and new utilities providers are the same company

So many trouble shooting websites for bread are all “strictly follow the recipe”. If I was following a recipe I wouldn’t be searching.

Forget 6/7, apparently teens are unironically singing the opening song from cartoon Sophia the First?

Fuck those big ford rangers are terrifying. Just had one edge up me to getting to about 20cm away after I crossed on a blinking light. I’m over six foot, but felt like it would send me flying.

Trendy as it is to revisit China’s WTO accession, the rare earth export controls are what to expect when the global rules are chipped away. It’s near impossible for others to force Beijing’s policy decisions, but it absolutely makes those decisions based on its surroundings.

In hindsight, I handed my car keys to the guy kicking a football around outside the mechanics, rather than going into the shop. Should be fine.

Feels like only a few weeks back FT was arguing AI construction boom was low risk because funded by cash reserves. Total 180 here. on.ft.com/4nI2wJS Measuring risk in the AI financing boom