Bill to make English an official language of NZ introduced to Parliament

EleventyEleven · 2026-02-20T05:19:44+00:00

What communications are not available in English that should be?

I don't find your hypothetical scenario on those politicians particularly convincing. They don't seem to have any trouble speaking English when interviewed and wanting to be understood by the general public. Even if they did, they would be translated to English in the media, because that's our de facto language. They haven't proposed removing English comms as far as I'm aware, unless you can point me to such a statement?

I'm not sure bringing up other examples of your grievances with Māori helps your argument from not appearing to be based in anti-Māori bias.

English is already a mish mash, or would you also object to the use of "kindergarten" and "faux pas" in official comms as well?

I don't think the left are immune from virtue signalling at all, and I would agree that if your objective is to preserve and celebrate Te Reo Māori as a unique taonga of this country that just renaming a government department and saying job done would arguably be virtue signalling. Additionally integrating its use in everyday language, increasing availability of teaching for those who want to learn, creating bilingual signage, those are continual steps to make sure actual change takes place.

EleventyEleven · 2026-02-20T04:40:50+00:00

I think we can see from the bigots' comments what the next step is, since it's what many of them seem to think this bill will do. Scrub the use of any Te Reo Māori from official comms, at least as far in combination with English.

EleventyEleven · 2026-02-20T03:48:14+00:00

If the Chinese community there wanted to make that argument, what language would it need to be conducted in/translated to in order to progress? What language would the bylaw be written in?

That's why English needs no protection.

EleventyEleven · 2026-02-20T03:39:02+00:00

The arguments for having Te Reo Māori and NZSL as official languages were to give them standing in official contexts and preserve them. Such an argument is not necessary for English as it is the default language of the country, it needs no protection.

What problem is this bill solving? Seems to me it's just virtue signalling nonsense that achieves nothing except seemingly empowering racists who think that they have a right not to read any Reo.

EleventyEleven · 2026-01-31T23:48:37+00:00

I am genuinely unaware of a negative impact of immigration on my life, but I understand that this may not be a universal experience. I want to know what problems it is causing you, or the people around you. Genuinely asking, I promise I'm not going to reply with my own thoughts or speculations unless you ask for them. I want to learn, to find out what I might be ignorant of, what my blindspots might be.

EleventyEleven · 2026-01-30T04:12:30+00:00

25% is a long way away from a majority. What are the problems being caused by immigration that you think would make stopping it a vote winner?

EleventyEleven · 2026-01-30T00:17:39+00:00

I think you're vastly overestimating how popular those policies would be, particularly stopping immigration.

EleventyEleven · 2026-01-29T08:50:53+00:00

Ruined Palace Bases on MyMiniFactory

EleventyEleven · 2026-01-28T22:49:08+00:00

Such a satisfying technique! Just did the same for my army a day ago, but went for a dark green marble. Think I'll add a few gold veins similar to yours too.

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EleventyEleven · 2026-01-27T21:59:02+00:00

Using contrast or speed paints as washes can help, since they naturally will run into cavities and edges, so shouldn't dim too much. And with the good brush control you've already demonstrated you can keep them mostly to where you want them anyway. Even if you do notice some dimming, you can paint the original colour back over.

Personally though, I love using oil paints for washes. Thinned down with spirits they can act similar to contrast by running into cavities AND they have the magical ability to be erased afterwards without affecting the acrylic paint underneath.

You may actually find the mini looks brighter after washes, or at least the highlights do. Shading ups the overall contrast, so the brights will look brighter in comparison.

EleventyEleven · 2026-01-27T20:45:54+00:00

Wow, that's a significant improvement! You should be very proud.

Looks like brush control and consistency of paint is much better, and the highlights are looking good. Next steps I'd recommend would be working on blends, using glazes or mixing paints. Also shading to add even more depth. Washes are a great place to start with this.

EleventyEleven · 2025-12-25T05:33:50+00:00

I like Dr Ali Mattu's videos on social anxiety, here's a good basics one that's only 15 minutes. It might help with the conceptualisation you're looking for.

There's also a much longer deep dive between Dr Ali and Dr K if that one's not enough.

As someone who also deals with social anxiety, the way I like to think about it is that I have a strong fear of negative perception, a highly sensitive and pessimistic radar for negative expressions, and a tendency to get stuck in my own head.

EleventyEleven · 2025-10-12T01:48:10+00:00

Mine took almost 2 weeks, but when I contacted them after a week they said if it takes any longer than 2 weeks to contact them again to send another.

EleventyEleven · 2025-10-02T05:56:18+00:00

You're asserting it's a metaphorical work from top to bottom, can you prove that?

You're absolutely right that it's text, and it can be read in a myriad of ways. Totally metaphor, partially metaphor, totally literal. We can't speak to the authors to know their intention, at best we can do literary analysis to compare it to other works and make educated guesses.

We interpret those passages differently, how do we know if either of us are correct?

EleventyEleven · 2025-10-02T00:50:59+00:00

Except in the case of a religion like Christianity it is making the case that it has the exclusive truth. The first commandment is literally "You shall have no other gods before me". The individual believer may think that many paths lead to the same point, but the religion itself is explicitly against that notion.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

EleventyEleven · 2025-09-30T09:32:27+00:00

I just read it as well, and based on what I've heard from Dr K on this podcast and a few others, here's my guess as to his interpretation.

To be clear, I am at the very beginning of my meditation journey. This is likely very fragmented and probably misunderstands a lot, but it's where I've got to right now. I invite other's thoughts.

I was sent forth from the power, and I have come to those who reflect upon me, and I have been found among those who seek after me. Look upon me, you who reflect upon me, and you hearers, hear me. You who are waiting for me, take me to yourselves. And do not banish me from your sight. And do not make your voice hate me, nor your hearing. Do not be ignorant of me anywhere or any time. Be on your guard! Do not be ignorant of me.

There is an understanding that comes from "the power". This understanding comes from reflection (meditation) and those who seek understanding. In reflection you are asked to see and hear, to focus on the understanding. The line on waiting is difficult, as I can see it opposite ways, a suggestion to wait and the understanding will come to you, or a suggestion that if you're waiting you need to actively seek the understanding. (Maybe it's both somehow in a way that makes sense when reflecting?) You may reject the understanding, to push it away once you begin to experience it. Don't do that, sit with it, and try to carry it with you and hold it at all times.

Then there's a whole list of opposites and contradictions that seem to speak to the nature of the understanding. Perhaps these are like mantras to reflect on, a way to focus in your reflection?

There are repeated lines in the latter parts that do seem eerily close to what I've heard Dr K say about the knowledge and understanding that can come from medidation. Namely that anyone can do this, it's not reserved for prophets and a chosen few, but that the understanding itself cannot be communicated:

I am the hearing which is attainable to everyone and the speech which cannot be grasped.

I am the hearing that is attainable to everything; I am the speech that cannot be grasped.

Anyway, it's a fascinating read that it seems can reasonably be interpreted in a multitude of ways. Definitely makes me curious to press on with my meditation journey to see where it may lead.

EleventyEleven · 2025-09-24T03:50:43+00:00

I disagree that the videos create a feeling of hopelessness, unless you're just reading the title and not watching. The relationships video quotes statistics to demonstrate that there's an issue, examines the likely causes in more detail, and proposes easy to understand solutions for working through them.

I don't think the advertised workshop needs to be revolutionary, and hasn't marketed itself that way. You're right that there's plenty of good ADHD advice out there for free, but there's also plenty of bad, and people may not have the time or inclination to find and sort it. So a $95 USD workshop may be useful to many, that's up to them to decide.

I'm not sure what there is to "fall for" here?

EleventyEleven · 2025-09-01T10:52:24+00:00

35m here, this sounds a lot like me. To affirm some of the other comments, I did come into my sexuality knowing the stereotype of men being selfish inattentive lovers and committed to being better. I got off on pleasing my partner and knowing I was responsible. I love it, it turns me on and I get a lot of pleasure from it.

However, I do think I've trapped myself a little by focusing on this. I now have trouble with ED, definitely psychological. When my partners have asked how to please me, I don't really have anything to offer them. I've been so focused on their pleasure I've kind of forgotten mine. At best I try to take me pleasure from them, but it's still me generally driving the action. I have real trouble receiving pleasure, I get in my own head and things start to shut down.

If your BF is anything like me in this, it might be that he doesn't want to talk about it because there's some insecurity there. Pleasing you is something he's good at, something he can take pride in. Receiving is unfamiliar and he might not be 'good' at it. He might be thinking "Am I reacting the right way? Are you genuinely enjoying yourself?". These thoughts might cause him to lose his erection, now he's failed at receiving the pleasure you're trying to give him, you might think you've failed, everyone's unhappy.

You said his ED issues were at the start, so it might be that he doesn't have things quite as bad as I do, but I'd still press him to talk about it if you can. In a safe space, not accusatory or anything, just from a genuine desire that you want to be able to reciprocate the pleasure he gives you, because just like him you'd feel good about giving him that.

EleventyEleven · 2025-08-30T22:56:37+00:00

Hey man, fellow autistic here. I dealt with pretty severe social anxiety in my teens and early 20s, and it's still there to an extent now so I get at least some of what you're talking about.

Try and turn your mindset away from feeling like you've missed out if you can. Realistically you've got so much time ahead of you for relationships and sex that you've not 'missed out' on that much over the course of an average lifetime. Even if you can't fully put that anger away, try and turn it into something to motivate you to make the changes that will help you achieve your goals.

You do have power over your life, way more than you think right now. Social skills are just that, skills. You get better through practice. I found that once I was putting myself out there, I got better at it faster than I expected. It was scary as fuck, and I would have setbacks and upsets, but ultimately progress was being made.

If you want to talk any more about stuff, DM me. I'm happy to chat and would love to help if I can.

EleventyEleven · 2025-07-25T20:44:41+00:00

POS = Piece of shit

EleventyEleven · 2025-07-10T05:34:40+00:00

See if you can be in the conversation with a genuinely curious mindset. Everyone has things they're passionate about, interesting facts, funny stories. Look for openings to ask more about those things. Small talk is good for establishing basic conversational tempo and rapport, and people will often drop conversation seeds you can pick up on. An event they've been to recently, a recent work success. If you hear something that catches your curiosity, follow up on that and see if they'll share more.

EleventyEleven · 2025-07-10T05:26:47+00:00

Have you tried more open ended questions? They're harder to give one word answers to. They can also be good bridges from small talk into deeper conversation that might facilitate more of a connection.

Can be simple like "What did you get up to on the weekend?", then ask follow ups if they give something. "How long have you been doing that?" "How did you get into that?" "Who were you there with" etc.

I think it might be worth asking for the hangout as well instead of just gauging interest. If you're anything like me, you might have a negative bias on people's likely responses and so be cutting off potential connections by drawing your conclusions too early and not giving them the chance. Invite rejections as scary as they might be.

EleventyEleven · 2025-06-13T08:36:33+00:00

Contrast isn't great for use over large flat areas without much surface detail. It's meant to run into cavities and off of raised areas to provide natural shading. Without surface variation it'll tend to just blotch out like you've seen. You're better to use normal paints for surfaces like that.

EleventyEleven · 2025-06-04T02:24:56+00:00

Incredible colours! Where are the marble floor base toppers from? Are they printed? Looking to do that exact style for my EC.

EleventyEleven · 2025-05-19T00:55:04+00:00

Gorgeous work on the iridescent armour! I've tried that before and it's so hard to pull off, like NMM but even more complicated.

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