John Small
@smalltorquer.bsky.social
Chair at NZ Commerce Commission
Biological dairy farmer at Rai Valley
Posts are personal views. Shares are not endorsements.
Biological dairy farmer at Rai Valley
Posts are personal views. Shares are not endorsements.
Reposted by John Small
Looking at a basic loaf of white in the supermarket there is mostly wheat flour, water, and a bit of soy flour (then things present in trace amounts like Baker's yeast), but whatever in the past year has been affecting the bread but not flour price is also an aspect of the market not affecting cake.
January 25, 2026 at 3:09 AM
Looking at a basic loaf of white in the supermarket there is mostly wheat flour, water, and a bit of soy flour (then things present in trace amounts like Baker's yeast), but whatever in the past year has been affecting the bread but not flour price is also an aspect of the market not affecting cake.
Reposted by John Small
Today I learned “Norwegian Christian laws forbade citizens from conversing with and interacting with trolls, and in documents dating from 1274 to 1781, doing so would result in severe punishment” (source: Wikipedia), and I kinda think many people nowadays would be better off if this law was revived
January 24, 2026 at 7:31 AM
Today I learned “Norwegian Christian laws forbade citizens from conversing with and interacting with trolls, and in documents dating from 1274 to 1781, doing so would result in severe punishment” (source: Wikipedia), and I kinda think many people nowadays would be better off if this law was revived
Reposted by John Small
in case you're curious about how angry Minnesota is about ICE, it was -20 today
January 24, 2026 at 12:38 AM
in case you're curious about how angry Minnesota is about ICE, it was -20 today
Reposted by John Small
Amazing thread about an experiment in pedagogy that engaged students in crafting and carrying out assignments and work in an age of AI and LLMs 👇
Last term I tried an experiment: I walked into my Tech and Design Ethics class, admitted that I had *no idea* what to do about ChatGPT - so I would let them figure it out.
As in: their first project was to decide and write the ChatGPT policy for the class.
Here's what happened:
As in: their first project was to decide and write the ChatGPT policy for the class.
Here's what happened:
January 23, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Amazing thread about an experiment in pedagogy that engaged students in crafting and carrying out assignments and work in an age of AI and LLMs 👇
Reposted by John Small
Privacy Commissioner announces inquiry into Manage My Health cybersecurity breach
Privacy Commissioner announces inquiry into Manage My Health cybersecurity breach
The Privacy Commissioner says it is clear an investigation is needed given the scale of the incident.
www.rnz.co.nz
January 21, 2026 at 4:47 AM
Reposted by John Small
Punk rock kid buskers (‘The Whops’, tiktok) near the Edgware Rd. They run into Paul Simonon, play Death or Glory for him. He asks if they know The Guns of Brixton. They do -
June 15, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Punk rock kid buskers (‘The Whops’, tiktok) near the Edgware Rd. They run into Paul Simonon, play Death or Glory for him. He asks if they know The Guns of Brixton. They do -
Tidal is my streaming service - it works really well & seems to have the highest payment rate to artists - so it also has lots of artists 😀
In April 2024, Spotify implemented a new scheme: songs with less than 1k streams per year would no longer receive royalties.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
January 16, 2026 at 6:40 AM
Tidal is my streaming service - it works really well & seems to have the highest payment rate to artists - so it also has lots of artists 😀
Reposted by John Small
Adelaide Writers Week is officially cancelled, with all remaining board members stepping down. This is a travesty. Not only did they refuse to reverse course and save the festival, they “apologised” to Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah… and then once again tried to justify their decision by citing Bondi.
January 13, 2026 at 4:33 AM
Adelaide Writers Week is officially cancelled, with all remaining board members stepping down. This is a travesty. Not only did they refuse to reverse course and save the festival, they “apologised” to Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah… and then once again tried to justify their decision by citing Bondi.
Lots to agree with here....
December 31, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Lots to agree with here....
Who remembers ham steaks?
December 30, 2025 at 5:41 AM
Who remembers ham steaks?
Reposted by John Small
This one’s my favourite: youtu.be/ysUjYAi0WcQ?...
Hurra Torpedo - Total Eclipse Of The Heart (live)
YouTube video by frozentoast
youtu.be
December 30, 2025 at 1:28 AM
This one’s my favourite: youtu.be/ysUjYAi0WcQ?...
December 29, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Reposted by John Small
You know that AI “coat fence” story that went viral yesterday? Well this story is real
December 28, 2025 at 11:10 PM
You know that AI “coat fence” story that went viral yesterday? Well this story is real
Reposted by John Small
i also like that they promote repair culture. imo, even when people buy quality things, they are too quick to ditch and replace when things look shabby
another video from IG thishouse5000
(pls bluesky let us attach multiple videos to a post)
another video from IG thishouse5000
(pls bluesky let us attach multiple videos to a post)
December 28, 2025 at 4:42 AM
i also like that they promote repair culture. imo, even when people buy quality things, they are too quick to ditch and replace when things look shabby
another video from IG thishouse5000
(pls bluesky let us attach multiple videos to a post)
another video from IG thishouse5000
(pls bluesky let us attach multiple videos to a post)
+1
Thoughts and prayers to all the customer facing retail workers today. I'd rather be milking cows at 430am on Boxing Day than deal with bargain hunters
December 26, 2025 at 3:30 AM
+1
Reposted by John Small
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Cardiff couple invited man in for Christmas, he stayed for 45 years
An arrangement Rob and Dianne Parsons thought would last a few days ended up changing their lives.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 25, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Reposted by John Small
HUGE NEWS from the new Epstein files:
Records show that Maria Farmer, who worked for Epstein, filed a "child pornography" report to the FBI in 1996.
The FBI has never before acknowledged that complaint. The case went nowhere, and mass abuse followed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
Records show that Maria Farmer, who worked for Epstein, filed a "child pornography" report to the FBI in 1996.
The FBI has never before acknowledged that complaint. The case went nowhere, and mass abuse followed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
Epstein Files Include 1996 Child Porn Complaint That F.B.I. Ignored
www.nytimes.com
December 20, 2025 at 12:07 AM
HUGE NEWS from the new Epstein files:
Records show that Maria Farmer, who worked for Epstein, filed a "child pornography" report to the FBI in 1996.
The FBI has never before acknowledged that complaint. The case went nowhere, and mass abuse followed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
Records show that Maria Farmer, who worked for Epstein, filed a "child pornography" report to the FBI in 1996.
The FBI has never before acknowledged that complaint. The case went nowhere, and mass abuse followed.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
Economics does force people to confront their values. But this pathology is uniquely USian.
NEW: Brown econ prof Rachel Friedberg says the shooting happened in a finals review session:
"The room has stadium seating with doors that enter at the top. [The TA] said that the shooter came in the doors, yelled something ... and started shooting." www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...
"The room has stadium seating with doors that enter at the top. [The TA] said that the shooter came in the doors, yelled something ... and started shooting." www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...
December 14, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Economics does force people to confront their values. But this pathology is uniquely USian.
Reposted by John Small
Students! Have you written a poem about math or a mathematical concept? There is a contest, and it is free to enter. Deadline January 20th: www.ams.org/learning-car...
AMS :: Math Poetry
www.ams.org
December 13, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Students! Have you written a poem about math or a mathematical concept? There is a contest, and it is free to enter. Deadline January 20th: www.ams.org/learning-car...
News to me: this is a 1-way screw. Install only, can't be unscrewed.
December 6, 2025 at 5:56 AM
News to me: this is a 1-way screw. Install only, can't be unscrewed.
I agree with the problem definition and obviously the solution needs to be cloud-based but what we really need is for the smart contracts people to block chain shame so the prediction markets can gamify it
A massive problem today is the uneven distribution of shame. Some of us are running dedicated on-site shame servers 24/7 while others have no access to shame at all, even though they desperately need it. What we need to do is put shame in the cloud
December 6, 2025 at 5:02 AM
I agree with the problem definition and obviously the solution needs to be cloud-based but what we really need is for the smart contracts people to block chain shame so the prediction markets can gamify it
Reposted by John Small
I was disappointed with several elements of The @economist.com recent articles on minimum wages. To their credit, they've published my response.
Here are some links to the research I reference and to some other research which had to be cut from the published letter
1/N
Here are some links to the research I reference and to some other research which had to be cut from the published letter
1/N
December 4, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I was disappointed with several elements of The @economist.com recent articles on minimum wages. To their credit, they've published my response.
Here are some links to the research I reference and to some other research which had to be cut from the published letter
1/N
Here are some links to the research I reference and to some other research which had to be cut from the published letter
1/N
Can anyone help me complete this ancient Nordic oath about the term on which governance is accepted....
"We, who are just as good as you, allow you,who are no better than us to...provided that you don't...in which case all best are off"
"We, who are just as good as you, allow you,who are no better than us to...provided that you don't...in which case all best are off"
December 1, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Can anyone help me complete this ancient Nordic oath about the term on which governance is accepted....
"We, who are just as good as you, allow you,who are no better than us to...provided that you don't...in which case all best are off"
"We, who are just as good as you, allow you,who are no better than us to...provided that you don't...in which case all best are off"
Sounds like the K road street party is getting going...
I'll wander up soon.
I'll wander up soon.
November 29, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Sounds like the K road street party is getting going...
I'll wander up soon.
I'll wander up soon.
Reposted by John Small
To give you an idea of how "AI" has fucked up the holiday season, their insane demand for RAM chips that's barely even being used has caused a production drought for every other application.
Meaning right now you can buy a cheap PC, yank the RAM, and sell it on eBay for twice what the PC costs.
Meaning right now you can buy a cheap PC, yank the RAM, and sell it on eBay for twice what the PC costs.
November 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM
To give you an idea of how "AI" has fucked up the holiday season, their insane demand for RAM chips that's barely even being used has caused a production drought for every other application.
Meaning right now you can buy a cheap PC, yank the RAM, and sell it on eBay for twice what the PC costs.
Meaning right now you can buy a cheap PC, yank the RAM, and sell it on eBay for twice what the PC costs.