I hope the folks in the States can batten down the hatches to ride out this awful storm heading their way. It looks massive in the satellite photos online.

Peanut butter fan

My wife and I were talking at lunchtime about how much we like our favourite peanut butter; the crunchy Pic’s butter.

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Well, I’m glad I’m feeling much better today than yesterday. More energy, less pain.

We had some dear friends visit for dinner last night, and I couldn’t be my usual shining wit (no Spoonerisms, please). But it was wonderful to see them after almost a year.

Another government attack on Māori culture and training

Te Pāti Māori warns Govt of ‘million Māori’ wrath over $30m cut to Te Ahu o te Reo Māori programme

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More reductions in health spending - new Dunedin hospital faces downgrade

Adding more fuel to the fire on the health funding issues, the government announced today the new Dunedin hospital is under threat of being built in stages or downgraded to the original design.

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Public meeting on future of Kenepuru A&M service, 6 October Mungavin Hall

The future of the after-hours Accident and Medical Clinic at Kenepuru Community Hospital has been under threat for more than a year. When I worked at Te Whatu Ora Capital and Coast last year, it was one of our bigger issues — how to ensure we could keep 24/7 services available for the whole Porirua community; and for people up the Kāpiti Coast who would use it.

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Ministers bullying on CGT doesn't get good outcome

Given the way the government has put the boot into ANZ chief executive Antonia Watson, for having the temerity to say, “…the time has arrived for a capital gains tax,” is it any surprise that non-politicians (business leaders and economists) tend to keep their heads down to avoid being attacked?

Ministers (PM Christopher Luxon, Finance Minister Nicola Willis, ACT leader David Seymour) simply bullying their way out of a debate on ideological grounds is not the way to get a good outcome.

‘Time has arrived’ for a capital gains tax, says ANZ boss Antonia Watson

It’s good to hear Corin Dann asking hard questions of senior Ministers on Morning Report. Today’s interview with Nicola Willis on a capital gains tax was a good example. Long may he keep it up.

My isolation room in Wellington Hospital

My abode for most of the four days I spent in Wellington Hospital this week.

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Kāinga Ora giveth and taketh away

How do these two announcements line up?

Kāinga Ora set to cut about 300 jobs

AND

$48 million later, Kāinga Ora confirms it may stop Arlington development

On the same day. Surely some of the 330 people destined for the chop could be reassigned to the social housing development in Arlington?

Solar power exchange set up in system

We’ve finally set up our solar power supply with the power company tariffs so we can track how much we are buying from and selling to Contact Energy. The electrician installed the new import/export meter last Monday to track the two-way flow and I confirmed and added the tariffs this afternoon.

So far, we have sold a generous $3.19 in power back to Contact on this beautiful sunny day here in Porirua. It’s not much, but it does feel good to know we are part of an exchange that is helping to reduce the impacts of climate change.

Looking at the ‘Earnings’ tab on the Fronius app, I can see that our savings since the panels' installation also equal 1,162 km of vehicle travel. I don’t know how that is calculated, but given we drive only short distances around town in our Nissan Enote Hybrid, it looks positive.

Costs of not WFH

It’s good to see reporters looking at this. I’ve done some sums for me, and if I was still working at my previous pre-retirement job (Wellington Hospital) I would have paid an extra $550 a month in public transport costs and the cheapest lunch from our cafe (a coffee, a big cup of soup and a bread roll) if I went into work for my previous four days a week.

And it would add another three hours travelling time between work and home each day.

www.stuff.co.nz/money/350…

Te Wao Nui

CW: Health talk.

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Pauline Hanna wasn’t the one on trial, here’s the happier life I wish she’d had

I’m sure a lot of people think like this after hearing Pauline Hanna’s life dissected the way it was during her husband’s trial. I am sure there are a lot of people who have immense sympathy for Pauline Hanna. Not only because she died, but because of the life she endured beforehand.

Philip Polkinghorne acquitted: Pauline Hanna wasn’t the one on trial, here’s the happier life I wish she’d had – Niki Bezzant

Cards for Humanity fight back against Musk's SpaceX

Good grief, this issue with the land that Cards for Humanity bought in Texas to save and Elon Musk’s SpaceX is now illegally building on it is scandalous. I’m glad they’re fighting back.

Cards Against Humanity sues Elon Musk’s SpaceX for trespassing on Texas border land

Back home from hospital

CW: Health and cancer talk

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I have way too many photos of our dog online. She can’t be the most interesting thing in my life. Surely? 🐕

Getting Libby to work

Earlier this year I signed up to the local branch of the Porirua public library and was excited to see they had a app (Libby) I could use to order ebooks (and presumably hard copy books) through. For the life of me, I couldn’t get it to work. Anytime I tried to, it was a blank offering.

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Back in hospital

CW: health talk, hospital

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The Civilian reports that the government directs Te Puni Kokiri to conduct Māori Language Week in English.

Satire: Keeping in line with the government’s policy to favour English in official communications, Māori Language Week will be in English this year.

Government directs Te Puni Kokiri to conduct Māori Language Week in English