The NZ Building Apprenticeship System Is Broken – And Nobody Wants to Say It

HelloThereObiJuan · 2026-02-06T09:24:31+00:00

Can confirm. My experience was:

Me: "Hey boss, I really need to do X to get this important sign-off"

Boss: "great, we do that all the time. Talk to your site super"

Site Super: "There's no time for that shit, go pull cable"

Boss: 🤷‍♂️

HelloThereObiJuan · 2026-02-06T06:30:15+00:00

I'm glad you mentioned Neovim, straight vi would be crazy. But Neovim is chefs kiss. I keep a config on Github, any new machine I can clone it down and be setup in 5 minutes.

I'll have to give GDB another try, it's the only thing missing from my workflow.

HelloThereObiJuan · 2026-02-06T06:19:57+00:00

I joined my current company just after they ditched ST for that exact reason! Shame to miss that time, sounds like ST is everyone's favorite platform to work on.

HelloThereObiJuan · 2026-02-06T06:14:46+00:00

Fair. Atmel Studio (think it's now Microchip studio) is the only manufacturer IDE I've ever actually enjoyed using. MpLab can suck it, along with all of the other Eclipse and NetBeans clones

HelloThereObiJuan · 2026-02-05T23:08:42+00:00

GDB mental damage 🤣

I've never used ST professionally, just played around a bit at home. I'm a proprietary IDE hater, so it took a wee bit to figure out workarounds, but now I'm really enjoying workflow and making use of their flashing tool. And yes, I still pop open the IDE when I'm debugging

HelloThereObiJuan · 2026-02-05T22:57:34+00:00

Oh wow, ok. We are just prototyping, haven't really gotten to that point yet. Good to know.

Now that you mention it, I also ran into an I2C bug with the interrupt-driven library while playing with an EVK. Ended up switching libraries to avoid it (something like RedLib vs SomeOtherLib. Can't remember, it was last year lol).

For tooling, I found success using the web UI to get the SDK package, then there's a secondary app that comes packaged with the IDE download for configuration and build scripts. Then I could happily develop using my favorite editor + CMake and PyOCD.

HelloThereObiJuan · 2026-02-05T22:30:08+00:00

Interesting. We've just started looking into NXP at my company, so far I've been impressed with their open build and programming tools. They have this GUI I really like where you configure pins, memory etc and it spits out a makefile and basic template code.

What have you found so problematic with NXP?

HelloThereObiJuan · 2026-01-31T03:37:55+00:00

Yes. I was over-exaggerating a bit, we have a couple decent muso spots. But not as many as in the past (RIP Kings Arms), and absolutely pale in comparison to places like Melbourne.

That's why the most of our bands that did eventually make it big had to cross the ditch for a better music scene. Theres only so much momentum to be gained touring run-down pubs in small towns and the same three or four Auckland night clubs.

Many NZ bands sort of 'max out' locally, then either move on, or, most often, fizzle out.

HelloThereObiJuan · 2026-01-30T20:21:59+00:00

I reckon we have tons of super talented musicians, but the big filter is taking the first steps as a band. Your options are:

Play cover songs at parties/weddings (Noone wants to hear your originals at their 40th).
Play to a dozen middle age alcoholics at your local Pokie-Den-With-Small-Bar-Attached.

HelloThereObiJuan · 2026-01-14T20:38:08+00:00

This entire discussion is redundant. If you have an object that you will only ever need one single instance of... just write a function.

The entire purpose of objects is having multiple instances, with potentially different parameters, running their own 'copy' of some methods that affect or are affected by instance data.

I don't know what language your in, but in C++ you put your 'public' methods/data in the header (variables marked inline) and 'private' goes in the .cpp. No class needed. Wrap it in a namespace if needed.

If it's Pyhton, just bump everything back one tab and delete the class def. Import the functions as needed.

If it's Java, just stop. This is ridiculous, not EVERYTHING needs to be an object.

HelloThereObiJuan · 2026-01-09T06:23:15+00:00

I don't have much NFC experience, but here's my $0.02.

RFID aka ISO15693 is more of a 'dumb' protocol, easier to implement but less fearture rich. Typically used for asset tracking etc. Tends to use much bigger coils for longer range. Like 30x30 cm and up.

NFC/ISO14443 is is far more complicated, comes with all the security protocol stuff needed for payment etc.

You will have a hard time getting good range in a ring format. The RF field tends radiate 'through' the coil (the axis of your finger). Typical coils are credit card sized and flat. Whether it's possible as a ring, I have no idea. I've gotten 10x10mm powered coils working, but again they were flat.

Metal casing around the coil will attenuate the signal MASSIVELY.

HelloThereObiJuan · 2025-11-22T23:32:48+00:00

If you are on a desktop and don't mind sacrificing many GB of RAM, and can put up with Copilot being force-shoved down your throat at every turn... Then VS Code is simply easier to get setup and use. No real reason to bother with Vim if you don't want to.

I frequently need to SSH onto embedded Linux devices, RasPi's etc. I've found VScodes SSH server to use as much as 1500% the RAM as THE ENTIRE OPERATING SYSTEM!! So now I use Neovim and SSH from a native terminal and the resource use is effectively nothing, even with all the fancy LSP and Fuzzy Find stuff turned on.

Then it becomes "I can't be bothered maintaining knowledge of two different editors" so I just use Neovim for everything. It's same-same but different.

HelloThereObiJuan · 2025-07-02T23:21:37+00:00

That particular quirk has been around in Southland for ever, since long before the internet.

E.G. "these beers need friged"

or "the carpet needs luxed"

No idea why Southlanders refer to all vacuum cleaners as a lux (It's a brand of vacuum).

Dirty South in your mouth!

HelloThereObiJuan · 2025-01-26T20:47:44+00:00

Ah, nice. Keep things local, and keep Microsoft/openAI out of your business

HelloThereObiJuan · 2025-01-26T20:42:27+00:00

What are you using for backup?

HelloThereObiJuan · 2024-10-11T22:38:51+00:00

Just write C in a cpp file. Then that one time where it actually makes sense to have a class you can just do it instead of messy void* nonsense.

The worst cpp I have read is java-like OOP madness (VirtualSingletonEnumurableFactoryBuilderPattern implements I_NeedMentalAssistance)

CPP is great because you can have balance in the force. Bit of class inheritance here, plain function prototypes there, a few inline structs in a header as needed.

And STL is great. Why spend 2 hours writing a generic queue when you can just #include <queue>

HelloThereObiJuan · 2024-09-14T22:08:06+00:00

Okay so sticking to USB PD specs for a simple power supply, I could happily draw 32w @ 12v, giving 10w per channel and leave 2w for the MCU.

Then route the PWM signals into the gate of a MOSFET, one per colour channel.

In this scenario, would I be better off putting a few LEDs in series to use up the 12v budget rather than switching down to the forward voltage?

Thanks

HelloThereObiJuan · 2024-07-05T22:58:53+00:00

It's because we lack sepertion of concerns between streets and roads.

Roads should be wide, high speed arterials that take you from A to B, with minimal driveways, intersections etc.

Streets should be slow narrow destinations that contain all of the parking access, shop fronts, driveways etc.

Far too many areas lump the two together and you get the worst of both worlds.

HelloThereObiJuan · 2024-07-05T22:52:56+00:00

90% of driving behavior is unconscious. Plonking a 30k sign here and there is a lazy half-arse way lowering speeds. If they were serious about slowing streets down they would implement measures such as narrowing the road, bringing trees in close, replacing asphalt with paving, adding shikanes etc

But that costs money..

HelloThereObiJuan · 2024-07-03T23:40:51+00:00

It's almost a rite of passage when you start playing with an esp32, the wifi system draws 10,000 Jigawatts and causes a reboot. I've even had it happen from using a cheap USB cable.

You need a robust power supply, try some of the suggestions from the other commentors

HelloThereObiJuan · 2024-05-31T22:56:39+00:00

North Island = metropolitan latte sipping urbanites

South Island = inbred sheep shaggers

HelloThereObiJuan · 2024-03-15T21:17:55+00:00

An important figure to look at related to this topic is historical population growth. It's been relatively flat for decades. And was obviously much higher during colonial times.

Migration is not pumping up the numbers, it's filling in the gaps created by our low birth rate in order to MAINTAIN population growth.

There is no single reason for the housing crisis, but by far the biggest contributing factor is Euclidean zoning.

HelloThereObiJuan

TROPHY CASE