Wow, kiwis really don’t own proper winter clothing from news coverage of today’s snow. Ignore Icebreaker/Macpac propaganda about layering and buy a heavy coat that goes as far below your bum as you can afford!

Having the New Yorker on Libby is alternately a joy and an immense burden.

Nitpicking, but these Belt and Road headlines are really just about Chinese investment to a large group of ~150 countries. Lots of fascinating details (eg private ⬆️ SOEs ⬇️) but maximalist approach washes out analysis of what BRI might actually be. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

China pours funding into green energy deals as Iran war hits oil demand

Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative takes advantage of rise in appetite for renewables as Middle East conflict drags on

giftarticle.ft.com

Cool of Pres Macron to call and say congrats to Wang (who teaches part time in France). www.bbc.com/news/article...

Fields Medal: Chinese win world's top Maths prize for first time

This is the first time Chinese nationals have won the prestigious Fields Medal.

bbc.com

I foolishly decided to try and understand Bitmex with news of it closing down. Anyone understand it more deeply, or was the basic offering (not BMEX) really as basic as just a self-contained ecosystem for gambling on future crypto prices?

Third time this week a “does” question to DuckDuckGo gets an AI answer of “yes, and here’s why not”.

Some big differences, but US regulation aimed at managing China risk plus a dash of protectionism renewables-backlash feels for carmakers a bit like what Jones Act did for US shipbuilding post WW2.

… must … hold back … from … commenting on … some distant … island’s … politics … <argh> Governance 101: Never complicate the tax system when other interventions exist www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Andy Burnham to cut VAT on electricity bills as first cost of living move

Newly appointed chancellor John Healey says reduction will be funded by cancelling digital ID scheme

theguardian.com

Whittakers, your inconsistent gumdrop distribution is tearing our family apart.

Need a google maps plugin for Chinese restaurants that converts all the zero/one star reviews of “staff were rude” or “lack of atmosphere” into fives. Those are markers of deliciousness you fools.

My daughter has absorbed one superpower from each city she’s lived in, eg not feeling the cold, and being able to eat incapacitatingly large amounts of noodles.

Glum global trend of new renewables going gangbusters accompanied by also just burning more stuff. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... China tried to clean up its air pollution. Then came the rebound

China tried to clean up its air pollution. Then came the rebound

FT analysis shows extent of enormous progress since ‘airpocalypse’ — and latest emissions increase

giftarticle.ft.com

Simon Bridges undermining his new “impartial voice for business and infrastructure” here. Starts cautious - yes Trump entertains - and okay you like culture war stuff, but to parrot “Sleepy Joe” while missing that his industrial rebuilding and infra investment are what you argue we need in AoNZ?

Trump entrances me. But compartmentalising US loyalties with China trade is tricky

OPINION: As NZ gets a new ambassador, US relations have never been more delicate.

nzherald.co.nz

The AoNZ version of this - paying heaps for butter when global dairy prices are high - can at least be rationalised as good for farmers and rural communities. Must be a tougher sell when it’s oil barons…

I’m unreasonably excited by this. Shorter ride into CBD, revitalised uptown and k rd, and no more weekend closures (touch steel…) www.rnz.co.nz/news/regiona...

Auckland rail network closed as underground CRL loop gets last push to finish line

Auckland's rail network is closed once again as agencies run a final dress rehearsal for the long anticipated City Rail Link.

rnz.co.nz

Pretty solid and insightful analysis of RNZ Navy - vast and complex domain, and resourcing issues. I still think Project Protector was the right idea (albeit for a different time) undermined by lack of personnel. Unclear to me why that never made the news for decades. youtu.be/wt5FuaSiJkI?...

The Radical Plan to Save New Zealand’s Navy

YouTube video by Sea Power Reports

youtu.be

Global trend - governments want less science (open, objective, critical) and more tech (owned, directed, competitive). giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

China cools on overseas publication of scientific research

Policymakers discuss reducing incentives for academics to submit papers to international journals over leak concerns

giftarticle.ft.com

Not liking this recent feature of small parties bringing in candidates who want one portfolio to make one obsessive change. Last time was polytechs and gun laws. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/...

New NZ First candidate wants broadcasting portfolio to scrap RNZ

Michael Laws is a former National and NZ First minister.

nzherald.co.nz

Feels like the decision to focus on “will this affect overseas jurisdictions?” is a recent trend. Not fashionable any more to lead with straight up human rights suppression. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Can China target critics abroad with its new 'ethnic unity' law?

Rights groups fear the new law gives Beijing legal authority to go after people beyond its borders.

bbc.com

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/...

Anthropic accuses Alibaba of obtaining ‘illicit’ access to Claude

AI company says the Chinese ecommerce giant used fake accounts to ‘extract’ chatbot’s capabilities

giftarticle.ft.com

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/...

Germany’s spy agency comes in from the cold

Berlin wants to loosen the shackles on the BND as part of a Europe-wide drive to reduce dependence on US intelligence

giftarticle.ft.com

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.

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.

WIRED@wired.com · 2mo ago

The Holy Father referenced “The Lord of the Rings” in his encyclical about AI—an expert (if unintentional) troll of tech billionaires who keep misinterpreting the series. www.wired.com/story/pope-l...