Notices by Bob LeFridge :tinoflag: (boblefridge@mastodon.nz), page 2

ANZ says, "More people are choosing to do their banking online or through our GoMoney app, with less than one percent of banking transactions now made in person."

Er... that's because you closed all the branches.

@NZChineseGenealogy

It's a horrific incident but the British Police say it's *not* terrorism.

A 53-year-old white British man tried to use a vehicle to push his way through crowds, then panicked when they broke his windows and accelerated.

From the Guardian.

Witness: “People started banging on the [car] windows. Then they smashed the windows and he’s panicked and put his foot down. He then hit someone and that person has gone in the air and he’s ploughed through the rest of them. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/26/man-arrested-car-crowd-liverpool-fc-football-fans

@_L1vY_ @FlashMobOfOne

There! Fixed it for you ODT.

Kamahl Santamaria who was famously sacked from TVNZ News for inappropriate conduct is suing TVNZ in the ERA and they're counter-claiming. The dude reckons he's been "cancelled".

"I became and remain unemployable".

He's right about one of those things. It's odd that he fails to recognise that he is the author of his own downfall.

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/i-became-and-remain-unemployable-says-ex-tvnz-breakfast-presenter-rnz

#Santamaria #NZ

Before you criticise another person, walk a mile in their shoes.

That way, once they realise you're criticising them you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

#DisfunctionalLifeHacks

There have protests around the UK following the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman.

This means trans women can't use single-sex female toilets, changing rooms or compete in women’s sports. The prison service says trans women will now be strip-searched by male officers.

The UK government says the decision brought “clarity and confidence” for women and service providers."

What a sad, backward, little post-Brexit country.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/trans-rights-protest-supreme-court-gender-ruling-b2736065.html

$UK #TransRights

The cheek of the American nazis.

The UK has already offered to drop its proposed digital services tax on Google et al to get some trade deal settled. But the US wants more, much more.

Vance is demanding the UK repeal its hate speech laws which ban abuse targeting LGBT+ groups & minorities, as a condition of any deal. He's also demanding UK plans for a new online safety law be dropped.

Who the hell does Hillbilly CouchFucker think he is?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/trump-jd-vance-trade-deal-free-speech-b2733806.html

#UKPol #Vance #BoycottUSA

NZ's Parliament has voted down the Treaty Principles Bill. Only the raving gun-nut loony party supported the flawed legislation.

48 votes opposed - National
34 votes opposed - Labour
15 votes opposed - Greens
11 votes in favour - ACT
8 votes opposed - NZ FIrst
6 votes opposed - Te Pāti Māori

Take that, Seymour!

#NZPol #TreatyPrinciplesBill

While many countries are wrestling with retaliatory tarrifs on US stupidity, China is doing a clever thing.

Sure, they slapped a 39% tariff on US goods, but they've also introduced 'export licensing' for a few critical minerals including dysprosium, terbium, tungsten, indium, and yttrium. They've turned off a tap the US didn't realise it relied on.

This is a good analysis from someone who knows the subject.

https://cleantechnica.com/2025/04/05/china-just-turned-off-u-s-supplies-of-minerals-critical-for-defense-cleantech/

#Tariffs #China #USPol

Predictably, Peters once more announced NZ First's plan to declare a "war on woke".

While being heckled by protesters who he decried as "left-wing fascists" and "communist, fascist and anti-democratic losers", he also attacked diversity, equity and inclusion policies and suggested we should pretty much ignore climate change.

He coined a slogan: "make New Zealand first again". How innovatively original.

Honestly, Grandad is *this* close to wearing a little red cap.

https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/03/23/nz-first-leader-winston-peters-declares-war-on-woke/

What is it with every minor party leader and their dog giving "State of the Nation" speeches? Today it's Seymour... the Minister for School Slop.

In a SST piece - "David Seymour and the food fight he can’t win" - Andrea Vance argues that Seymour was better in opposition than he is in government.

"When questioned, he is rigid and defensive, with the demeanour of a man forced to eat a woke quinoa salad when he ordered a steak."

Touché.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360625194/david-seymour-and-food-fight-he-cant-win

#NZPol #Seymour #SchoolLunches

Meanwhile Police in New Zealand are channelling the Keystone Cops. They accidentally dropped a "Tactical Deflation Device" off an overbridge onto a busy motorway and spiked the tyres of seven vehicles.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/544110/police-accidentally-drop-road-spikes-drivers-pop-their-tyres

@fixatedpersonsunit @luciedigitalni

@heyrochelle @donkey

Save the bees
Plant more trees
Clean the seas
Punch nazis.

Don’t despair
Tax billionaires
Society repairs
Punch nazis.

French newspaper Le Monde has decided to stop sharing content on Xitter where they have 11m followers. This lengthy editorial explains their ethical decision.

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2025/01/20/fighting-for-facts-in-the-era-of-trump-and-musk_6737224_23.html

#LeMonde #Twitter #Musk

For me the story arc has taken an abrupt turn lately, and not in a good way. The scene with all the tech bros lining up to kiss the orange ring was contrived & I find most of the characters to be very two dimensional.

The plot, where there is one, is convoluted at best. Especially unbelievable is the final episode where the plucky billionaires finally achieve their dream and destroy Western democracy.

Insincere, laboured & improbable.
* one star

@pezmico

Ooooh! New Zealand's number two cop who had been in the running for the Police commissioner role has been suspended, pending the outcome of a criminal investigation into his conduct.

RNZ says "The nature of the allegations against McSkimming cannot be reported."

Then they helpfully provide a link to an earlier story which states: "RNZ understands it relates to inappropriate conduct with a more junior staff member."

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/538930/country-s-second-most-powerful-police-officer-jevon-mcskimming-suspended-amid-probe

#NZ #Police

I gave it this image with Luxon's name but it chose to ignore that. However the final paragraph is eerie.

"A closer examination reveals a subtle detail: a faint, artistic representation of a cloud-like substance emanating from the central figure, visually symbolizing the spread of airborne particles. This artistic choice likely conveys a symbolic meaning, adding a layer of interpretation to the photograph."

Damn right!

@Daveosaurus @SusannahWrites

Like Dave ⬆️ I also grew up in a time where basic courtesy was the norm. It takes no effort to say thanks or give a driver a nod when they've stopped for you.

The way I look at it, every interaction I have with other people is a small opportunity to put a smile on their face or make their day just a little better.

Not acknowledging another's good deeds seems churlish when it costs nothing & makes both parties happier.

Also: the ute driver was out of order.

This website shows you what Google AI learns from your photographs. The level of detail is quite amazing. The site is owned by a former Google engineer who is trying to put people off storing photos on Google's servers.

I fed it some Seymour and just look what it produced.

"The man in the image appears to be Caucasian, middle-aged, and of seemingly average economic status."

https://theyseeyourphotos.com/

BIRD FLU REPORTING

Biosecurity NZ advises anyone seeing three or more sick or dead wild birds in a group, to report it immediately to the exotic pest and disease hotline on:

𝟎𝟖𝟎𝟎 𝟖𝟎 𝟗𝟗 𝟔𝟔

#Biosecurity #NZ #BirdFlu #H7N6

[ Edit: added extra hashtags ]

It's definitely time enshittification entered the lexicon. With an appropriate hat-tip to Cory, of course.

@gnoll110 @stilgherrian @pluralistic