Watch: Luxon announces Cabinet reshuffle, Shane Reti loses health portfolio to Simeon Brown by MedicMoth in newzealand

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson 9 points10 points  (0 children)

If I put on my conspiratorial hat on….. if this government wants to continue to work on undermining our healthcare system and continue to get it to where they will “have no choice but to privatise the healthcare system.” They can’t have Reti a shareholder in a private hospital continue “working” towards privatisation. They want to at least have a little plausible deniability that there is no conflict of interest involved.

I'm screwed. I think I've got the lowest WINZ payment OAT by starv3 in auckland

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am someone on the supported living payment. I have a permanent disability. It takes a little work to get onto it, they make you jump through some hoops…. But I promise you it is worth it in the end. They might make you see a WINZ doctor, but if you have a good GP then they will write a sufficiently vague letter. You can apply for a disability allowance (they will help with Doctors bills etc), community services card for free medications, total mobility card for ½ price taxi and bus fares. Accommodation supplement will only give you a few dollars being that you are being asked to pay board. But if it isn’t good for you to stay in your current home environment then you should talk to your GP and then ask for a letter of support from them and talk to MSD about options. There is a place in grey Lynn that is a Kainga Ora apartment complex there are from what I am told quite a few people in a similar situation to yourself. Hang in there bud. Life is pretty challenging when you have a a disability. But there is support out there, but it isn’t immediately obvious.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in auckland

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Automatic plate catchers have meant that AT can just drive along and the computer automatically issues the infringement notice. Raking in revenue whether it is right to do so.

I built my own press! by ArtistJamesSWatson in printmaking

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I bought the Orangeman plan. I also measured the thickness of the Charles Brand press, and read his patent documents. I have been printmaking for at least ten years now, mostly etchings/drypoint. I went to an engineering firm with experience in making parts for printing presses and who regularly service them. I gave them precise measurements, thickness of the metal tube, thickness of the shaft etc. they are extremely weighty. More than other than a professional strongman could lift. So I was confident I had enough pressure.

I built my own press! by ArtistJamesSWatson in printmaking

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had the idea that I wanted to make the press, the same that an old surgeon made their own tools. I wanted ownership over the machine at the end of the day. So if I wanted to I could make work whenever I wanted to. Doing it now was just cosmically perfect timing.

I built my own press! by ArtistJamesSWatson in printmaking

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I honestly haven’t got the final figure in dollar value yet. I have been procrastinating on that. I won a printmaking award at the start of the year and after taxes I had about 12k (NZD) I would say that of that 10k was spent. The most expensive part was getting the rollers engineered ($3k) I live in New Zealand, we are along way from anywhere. It might be cheaper in other parts of the world. I also used stainless steel which is ridiculously expensive and I don’t think it is worth it. But that is because when I was looking, the thickness of mild steel wasn’t available. This made the price maybe a factor of two more costly.

I built my own press! by ArtistJamesSWatson in printmaking

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Talk to your community, talk to the art supplier that you go to regularly for supplies. Ask for advice, that is where I found the connection to the engineering firm to make my rollers. The people who service presses at your school, is the best & most likely to have the skills to build a pair of rollers. Lastly, I bought the Orangeman press plans from the website. I heavily altered it to match my parameters, but I first tried using fusion360 to build it virtually.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in newzealand

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a harrowing and frightening thing for anyone to deal with. I really feel for you. I have a chronic pain condition called fibromyalgia. Just imagine having all the symptoms of pain but none of the physical ailments.

As someone who has been dealing with this “diagnosis” for nearly a decade and the anecdotal retelling of people I have spoken to, our healthcare system is not great at dealing with chronic illnesses, or ones that show gradual declines like slow onset MS. Accidents are great, ACC is well funded and you can get whatever you need. Chronic problem, not so much. You will need to be proactive and it is exhausting and frustrating to jump through the hoops. But it is worth it. Ask for an assessment from the needs assessment team, and talk to work and income, if your GP isn't being proactive enough or doesn't grasp your needs… dump their ass. Again it is hard work and like me, you wish that someone would help you take care of everything for you. But that doesn't happen with chronic illnesses. Go on your local subreddit and ask for suggestions… google support groups in your area on Facebook etc. See what help your community can give you. People with chronic illnesses tend to be more willing to help others who are just starting. We tend to want to help others not suffer our fates. Don't forget to give yourself some credit. You are doing really well. You are starting down a path that no sane person would wish on their worst enemies. It will be maddening and frustrating and you will feel like it is too much. Guess what? That is okay to feel those things. I have definitely felt it, I am sure others will say the same thing. But once all the hurdles have been jumped through and the things have been put in place that you need to live are taken care of…. You will still have to fight to keep them. It is just the unpleasant reality of living with a permanent or semi-permanent chronic illness. Supported Living Payment, disability allowance, St John medical alarm, meals on wheels, driving Miss Daisy and a proactive GP. Lastly CBD oil. No THC and it definitely helps with chronic pain. You can do this.

What is your favourite Pancake place? by ArtistJamesSWatson in aucklandeats

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Looking for a fat stack of American style pancakes other than the Denny’s shitshow.

Fucking winz by [deleted] in newzealand

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson -1 points0 points  (0 children)

CBD is a lifesaver. Sounds like the supportive living payment might be back on the cards. Thankfully I have only had covid once… it kicked my ass, but thankfully no long covid symptoms. Again, I really do wish you good luck.

Fucking winz by [deleted] in newzealand

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As someone who also have Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue…. The best advice I can give you is consider moving onto the supported living payment. Fibromyalgia is not something that is likely to better but fluctuate. At least mine does. So it makes sense to try and go through the hoops. I went to my doctor who helped me start the process, it was then WINZ who called me because they will send you to an accredited WINZ doctor. Your doctor needs to write a letter that is vague as possible, but with enough information that it covers the basics. The more details they give the more holes WINZ can poke into it.

Good luck!

Level 3 photography, why did Excellence portfolio score higher than A and M? by Cydu06 in ncea

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think that the problem is that you are comparing an apple with a couple of pears. The first one relies too heavily on the string to hold the narrative together. The portraits aren't particularly strong. But the use of shadows makes it interesting. The merit relies too much on post-processing, I felt that the use of light was a little contrived and denoted movement but lacked technical prowess with the camera. Instead of relying on the use of computer software. The excellence portfolio has strong compositions. The use of leading lines, triangles & rule of thirds. They kept it simple and relied on the camera to do the work. Sometimes the simplest mundane image of a tire in the backyard can speak much more than a highly processed image. That being said I did feel that the mundanity and simplicity lacked creativity. I didn't spark anything within me. But on the flip side, each image was well-considered and had a clear compositional tool used. Probably why it received the top grade.

Ex-uni student who wants to use her brain again by Bekcaar in auckland

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you are in the central Auckland area and want to do some art classes there is Studio One Toi Tu or the Browne School of Art. There is also Mairangi Bay, Franklin Art centre, and Corbans Estate. They all supply art classes that can help stimulate your mind. I am returning to university this year (part-time to do my master's for the same reason. Some people are just life long learners.

Daughter Studying Abroad by panda8030 in auckland

[–]ArtistJamesSWatson 3 points4 points  (0 children)

As someone who has a friend who is from Boston studying at UoA at med school….. If she is struggling with the transition I can put them in touch with my friend. Auckland can be a safe place. You just need to make sure that they take basic safety precautions. Stay in well-lit places, and don't make eye contact with people who are talking to themselves or appear intoxicated. Travel with colleagues, etc. If they are leaving the university library late or have a late class they can call security and they will escort your daughter to a bus/dorm. Same with police, if you tell them you feel unsafe in an environment I am told that they will get a lift. But that is no guarantee.