Ben Torkington
bentorkington.bsky.social
Ben Torkington
@bentorkington.bsky.social
I want to make software that makes people's lives better, not worse.

Tones to -18dB. All vehicles parked at owners' risk.
If only there were some obvious solution staring them, their massively overrated burgers, and their four floors of business analysts right in the face.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...
McDonald's worries about losing low-income customers: Is price the reason why?
The fast food giant is worried about losing low-income customers: Is price the reason why?
www.rnz.co.nz
November 14, 2025 at 7:17 AM
We're all trying to find who approved of this dot jpeg
After Ghislaine Maxwell lied to Todd Blanche, someone waived her sex offender status and moved her to Club Fed with "OUT" custody - allowing her to work outside the prison walls. 3 months ago, I got her Bureau of Prisons points screen as proof. We still don't know who approved all this.
BREAKING: EXCLUSIVE: Senator Whitehouse asked the BOP for Ghislaine Maxwells sex offender waiver, custody level, transfer code, and security point score. I have them. She's also been granted the ability to leave the facility for work assignments. My latest: www.muellershewrote.com/p/exclusive-...
November 14, 2025 at 6:09 AM
It is fascinating what happens to a brain when it's been trained to phone two people to ask how many eggs are in a dozen.
I regret to inform Stuff that I have in fact *more* chance of winning Lotto than becoming an All Black or Olympian based on the fact I'm old, fat, and not trying to become either.
November 14, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Reposted by Ben Torkington
Apple is complaining that after reducing its App Store cut from 30% to 20% in the EU as part of complying with the DMA, developers didn’t reduce their prices and pass the savings on to consumers.

I guess developers keeping more of the money they earned building iPhone apps is unfathomable to Apple.
Developer fee cuts not passed on to EU users, Apple says
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Lower developer fees implemented by Apple to comply with European Union tech regulations have not reduced ​prices for users, the iPhone maker said on Wednesday, renewing its critic...
finance.yahoo.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:41 AM
playing whack-a-mole with the skill tags on Seek:
> You know Javascript?
I mean sssh, but yeah, I know JS
> how about Javascript Programming?
it's the same… yeah
> Javascript on Computers?
[click]
> Javascript Programming *on* Computers?
November 13, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Reposted by Ben Torkington
“A few bad apples” is always used to deflect criticism of systemic problems in NZ.

Schopenhauer’s entropy is a more realistic way to think about it: “If you put a spoonful of wine in a barrel full of sewage, you get sewage. If you put a spoonful of sewage in a barrel full of wine, you get sewage.”
November 11, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Reposted by Ben Torkington
At what point do we publicly accept that NZ is deeply corrupt and the only reason why we don’t have a culture of direct payoffs and bribery (that we cite as the evidence for us not being corrupt) is because it’s not needed? The boys club gets what it wants through people playing their social roles.
November 11, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Reposted by Ben Torkington
Is that good
Japanese giant SoftBank said Tuesday it has sold its entire stake in tech giant Nvidia for $5.83 billion.

Click here to read more: https://cnb.cx/49LCIs8
November 11, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Reposted by Ben Torkington
This is utterly sickening, particularly the charges under HDCA. Many, many things from the 2021-2023 period of my life in terms of police (in)action related to threats made to me now must be viewed thru this unholy prism.

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/jevon-mcs...
Police bosses ignored sex complaints against top cop, charged woman for 'revenge' emails instead
Suppressions fall away to reveal the full story of the downfall of a deputy police boss.
www.nzherald.co.nz
November 11, 2025 at 4:50 AM
When I was a kid the dairy sold 'lucky dips' in paper bags for $1, and while in theory they could have contained bottle caps and used matches, they generally had a variety of sugar-laden confectionary, and they were popular.

I'm as keen to put the boot into Spotify as anyone, but come TF on…
The goal of Spotify’s algorithm isn’t to help you discover new music, its goal is simply to keep you listening for as long as possible. It serves up the safest songs possible to keep you from pressing stop.

Read more from @terrenceobrien.bsky.social: www.theverge.com/column/81574...
November 10, 2025 at 9:22 PM
I'm worried Predator Free WLG are creating the evolutionary foundation for a kind of super-rat that loves airports but doesn't know why, and just bores you shitless with plane trivia while you're waiting for boarding.
November 10, 2025 at 5:37 AM
A nazi, a cooker and a wife beater walk into a bar.
Followed by Chris Penk.

#recycledBangers
certainly interesting to see national MP chris penk following a 6 day old account titled "Reform NZ", which started spewing out zionist propaganda around the time of peters’ speech, and is now shifting to bargain bin great replacement trite
November 10, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Reposted by Ben Torkington
Luxon thinks we need a "mature conversation" about selling state assets... But I don't think he really means that, because a mature conversation would look at the history of failure and the shortsighted focus on profit ahead of public interest.

He wants a conversation where we agree with him.
November 10, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Reposted by Ben Torkington
sometimes I like to play a game where I read the replies to political posts and try to guess which ones are bots repeating talking points and which ones are people repeating bot talking points
November 9, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Reposted by Ben Torkington
french wikipedia is the only language that has a "list of bastards" article
November 9, 2025 at 8:03 AM
I don't use the eMac a lot these days, but this bit of plywood had a bit of a bow in it needed fixing
November 9, 2025 at 5:05 AM
that ain't gumboot day that's tool time
November 9, 2025 at 3:38 AM
NASA
November 9, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Tried this. Went on this weird date with someone who kept asking ‘is this still available’ then buggering off to the dunny for half an hour.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/t...
Facebook Dating Is a Surprise Hit for the Social Network
www.nytimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by Ben Torkington
Nintendo Gamma Boy
November 8, 2025 at 2:50 AM
@lyndonhood.bsky.social was just reminded of this banger
November 8, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Tired: fuck off
Wired: after a strategic review we're highlighted a significant value creation opportunity in you being on the other side of the door
November 8, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Reposted by Ben Torkington
Mozilla deployed an AI bot that overwrote 20 years of volunteer Japanese translations, without consultation. JP community leader resigned, and the offer from Mozilla is to "hop on a quick call to understand why they're struggling". FFS.
HN discussion: news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4583...
End of Japanese community | Hacker News
news.ycombinator.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Herald reporter: [drags cigarette] "Tim Jago? That's a name I haven't heard in a long time"
[other journos side-eye while scribbling furiously in notepads]
NZH: "haven't heard it in AAAAAGES m8"
Judge: "I can't force him to cover the case, but can someone pull his earplugs out ask him to be quiet"
November 7, 2025 at 3:09 AM
Reposted by Ben Torkington
Imagine NZ’s cabinet ministers commanding the flight deck of a giant airliner.

At their fingertips, an extraordinary array of flight instruments with high tech signal pathways and data switching capabilities. All aimed at enhancing situational awareness to support decision making.
November 6, 2025 at 7:12 PM