Andrew Joll
@andrew.joll.nz
Chartered Accountant, IT Consultant, radio and electronics enthusiast, vintage computers.... general all round geek. He/him.
Employment is also up, because the labour market participation rate is up.
February 4, 2026 at 12:37 AM
Employment is also up, because the labour market participation rate is up.
The employment rate also went up, because workforce participation went up. So more people in work overall.
February 4, 2026 at 12:35 AM
The employment rate also went up, because workforce participation went up. So more people in work overall.
New Zealand is down a little tonight.
February 3, 2026 at 9:27 AM
New Zealand is down a little tonight.
I see no reason not to recognise the history of a people who's ancestors were the victims of human trafficking, and treated as non-people for generations while they built your country. Name another "colour" (as you call them) that experienced that.
February 1, 2026 at 6:44 PM
I see no reason not to recognise the history of a people who's ancestors were the victims of human trafficking, and treated as non-people for generations while they built your country. Name another "colour" (as you call them) that experienced that.
Back in the day, pulling the wrong drive from a failed RAID5 array. Sure, we had a backup, and it was the weekend - but it was a Sunday afternoon in Wanaka, restoring from tape was slow, and I had a meeting at home the following morning. That was a long evening.
February 1, 2026 at 5:04 AM
Back in the day, pulling the wrong drive from a failed RAID5 array. Sure, we had a backup, and it was the weekend - but it was a Sunday afternoon in Wanaka, restoring from tape was slow, and I had a meeting at home the following morning. That was a long evening.
Well @microsoft.com, maybe I would renew if the price hadn't jumped from $25 to $45/mo I'd have kept it, but it's just too much of an increase for stuff I don't need. At least I picked up 3mo at the old price so I could finish TOW2 and Exp33, but it's time to say goodbye after 7ish yrs.
January 31, 2026 at 7:51 AM
Well @microsoft.com, maybe I would renew if the price hadn't jumped from $25 to $45/mo I'd have kept it, but it's just too much of an increase for stuff I don't need. At least I picked up 3mo at the old price so I could finish TOW2 and Exp33, but it's time to say goodbye after 7ish yrs.
Catio grass done. The reason for the price difference between the Mitre 10 stuff and the cheap Warehouse stuff is a obvious, but it's still going to be nicer for them than the deck.
January 31, 2026 at 6:26 AM
Catio grass done. The reason for the price difference between the Mitre 10 stuff and the cheap Warehouse stuff is a obvious, but it's still going to be nicer for them than the deck.
Dinner tonight absolute best fish ever - no arguments, every other type pales in comparison. Not cheap though....
January 31, 2026 at 4:44 AM
Dinner tonight absolute best fish ever - no arguments, every other type pales in comparison. Not cheap though....
One blind up but not 100% happy with the finish so will get in touch with Bargain Blinds.
Catio grass will be after dinner or maybe tomorrow.
So at least I've got some jobs done.
Catio grass will be after dinner or maybe tomorrow.
So at least I've got some jobs done.
January 31, 2026 at 4:08 AM
One blind up but not 100% happy with the finish so will get in touch with Bargain Blinds.
Catio grass will be after dinner or maybe tomorrow.
So at least I've got some jobs done.
Catio grass will be after dinner or maybe tomorrow.
So at least I've got some jobs done.
Glasshouse - no time, but I see they left some spare bolts of a new design that I can use to attach the old mid-00s shelf that the new owner of Eden Glasshouses didn't know they did and has never seen, so happy.
Water supply done.
Water supply done.
January 31, 2026 at 4:08 AM
Glasshouse - no time, but I see they left some spare bolts of a new design that I can use to attach the old mid-00s shelf that the new owner of Eden Glasshouses didn't know they did and has never seen, so happy.
Water supply done.
Water supply done.
So this afternoon I need to:
* Sort out the new glasshouse
* Replace the filters and UVC tube in the water supply
* Cut and lay the last bit of artifical grass in the catio
* Hang all the new curtains and blinds Tan bought
Would all be fine if I hadn't forgotten that last one.
* Sort out the new glasshouse
* Replace the filters and UVC tube in the water supply
* Cut and lay the last bit of artifical grass in the catio
* Hang all the new curtains and blinds Tan bought
Would all be fine if I hadn't forgotten that last one.
January 31, 2026 at 12:16 AM
So this afternoon I need to:
* Sort out the new glasshouse
* Replace the filters and UVC tube in the water supply
* Cut and lay the last bit of artifical grass in the catio
* Hang all the new curtains and blinds Tan bought
Would all be fine if I hadn't forgotten that last one.
* Sort out the new glasshouse
* Replace the filters and UVC tube in the water supply
* Cut and lay the last bit of artifical grass in the catio
* Hang all the new curtains and blinds Tan bought
Would all be fine if I hadn't forgotten that last one.
The bracing is twice the thickness of the old stuff too. This one should last longer than 18 years. And yup I grabbed a set of those calipers from Aliexpress after seeing them on a Big Clive video and they're really good!
January 29, 2026 at 9:29 AM
The bracing is twice the thickness of the old stuff too. This one should last longer than 18 years. And yup I grabbed a set of those calipers from Aliexpress after seeing them on a Big Clive video and they're really good!
Finally got our new glasshouse today to replace the one obliterated in the October storm. They now use 4mm safety glass. Will just need to work out the fancy automatic vent openers as I think they may be a bit too enthusiastic with a hot norwester!
January 29, 2026 at 9:25 AM
Finally got our new glasshouse today to replace the one obliterated in the October storm. They now use 4mm safety glass. Will just need to work out the fancy automatic vent openers as I think they may be a bit too enthusiastic with a hot norwester!
Unfortunately that'll make it more expensive because of traffic management, but the client I had with the $13k quote was over a railway line, around a similar distance but different kinds of complexity (Kiwirail instead of NZTA). A wireless link is well worth considering.
January 29, 2026 at 5:05 AM
Unfortunately that'll make it more expensive because of traffic management, but the client I had with the $13k quote was over a railway line, around a similar distance but different kinds of complexity (Kiwirail instead of NZTA). A wireless link is well worth considering.
Based on the quotes I've had done, 400m is likely to translate to around $13k, possibly a little less. But if you know someone with fibre and line of sight, and don't mind putting up some bridges and running some cable, a wireless link is the way to go.
January 29, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Based on the quotes I've had done, 400m is likely to translate to around $13k, possibly a little less. But if you know someone with fibre and line of sight, and don't mind putting up some bridges and running some cable, a wireless link is the way to go.
I have a client who's business is one property out of fibre range. Fortunately they own a residential rental next door so offered the tenants free internet in exchange for some power an a Ubiquiti link on the roof. It's working well.
January 29, 2026 at 12:10 AM
I have a client who's business is one property out of fibre range. Fortunately they own a residential rental next door so offered the tenants free internet in exchange for some power an a Ubiquiti link on the roof. It's working well.
Then we moved to Otatara that wasn't line of sight and had no ADSL so it was back to dial up. About two years of that, then about 15 on a redback and we got fibre.
January 28, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Then we moved to Otatara that wasn't line of sight and had no ADSL so it was back to dial up. About two years of that, then about 15 on a redback and we got fibre.
I had 2 Mbps symmetrical with no shaping, metering or monitoring. Just picked a public IP in Southnet's range that wasn't in use (what's a router?). Their only request was to not use the full speed too often during the day because that connection could obliterate their international bandwidth.
January 28, 2026 at 11:59 PM
I had 2 Mbps symmetrical with no shaping, metering or monitoring. Just picked a public IP in Southnet's range that wasn't in use (what's a router?). Their only request was to not use the full speed too often during the day because that connection could obliterate their international bandwidth.
When Southnet was testing their wifi service around 2001 (Breezenet 802.11 FHSS kit, before they switched to Cisco 802.11b) I was supporting their accounting software and referred clients so they loaned me a bridge and big 2.4 GHz gridpack to play with.
January 28, 2026 at 11:59 PM
When Southnet was testing their wifi service around 2001 (Breezenet 802.11 FHSS kit, before they switched to Cisco 802.11b) I was supporting their accounting software and referred clients so they loaned me a bridge and big 2.4 GHz gridpack to play with.
When I was working for Ernst & Young and we were moving to a local firm, the guys in National IM were telling me how they would regularly play Quake with one of the boardrooms with a projector. Would have been late '96 or early '97 so sounded freaking awesome.
January 28, 2026 at 11:52 PM
When I was working for Ernst & Young and we were moving to a local firm, the guys in National IM were telling me how they would regularly play Quake with one of the boardrooms with a projector. Would have been late '96 or early '97 so sounded freaking awesome.
Yeah for $135 I'm almost at the point of paying it to make it go away because of the waste of time, but I'll just follow up Baycorp every month to make sure there's nothing going on my businesses record.
January 27, 2026 at 5:03 AM
Yeah for $135 I'm almost at the point of paying it to make it go away because of the waste of time, but I'll just follow up Baycorp every month to make sure there's nothing going on my businesses record.
I got my Wilsons PESNZ reminder, final reminder and Baycorp notice for a park all at the same time. Emailed both pointing it out and objecting to the extra $50, Baycorp replied within a day saying they were looking into it and to not pay in the meantime, Wilsons have still not replied.
January 27, 2026 at 4:59 AM
I got my Wilsons PESNZ reminder, final reminder and Baycorp notice for a park all at the same time. Emailed both pointing it out and objecting to the extra $50, Baycorp replied within a day saying they were looking into it and to not pay in the meantime, Wilsons have still not replied.
I read point 2 as "going feral." Seems valid.
January 26, 2026 at 7:04 PM
I read point 2 as "going feral." Seems valid.
Or a bag of sweet Valencia oranges?
January 26, 2026 at 10:18 AM
Or a bag of sweet Valencia oranges?