Bill Bennett
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billbennett.bsky.social
Bill Bennett
@billbennett.bsky.social
It’s tough at the top.

https://billbennett.co.nz
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You can read my newsletter online at this site: billbennett.co.nz

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And it is published on Scoop at this address: info.scoop.co.nz/Bill_Benn…
Thank god there was no social media when I was a kid and the TV was showing “what to do in event of nuclear attack information films”.
January 27, 2026 at 5:32 AM
You’d never know from the headlines, but the gap between NZ First and Greens is margin of error stuff. Also not said out loud, Labour is gradually pulling clear of National.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/poll/55...
RNZ-Reid Research poll: View all results and charts
Just looking for the numbers? Check out RNZ's interactive charts.
www.rnz.co.nz
January 27, 2026 at 5:22 AM
Went to the supermarket early this morning when it was close to empty, no more than a couple of dozen shoppers. Was amazed to hear three distinct North American accents at the checkout and wondered just how many US refugees we now have here in New Zealand.
January 26, 2026 at 9:54 PM
If I write block cheese on my phone’s reminder app in a shopping list, autocorrect changes it to ‘bloke cheese’, which is also correct.
January 26, 2026 at 6:08 AM
Celebrating the narcotic appeal of the $2 lolly bags.
January 26, 2026 at 1:47 AM
My crash course in writing for the web that takes one minute to read and covers all the basics.

billbennett.co.nz/writing-web-...
All you need to know about web writing in under 300 words.
Bill Bennett's crash course in writing for the web that takes one minute to read and covers all the basics.
billbennett.co.nz
January 26, 2026 at 12:24 AM
If you're looking for a new phone as the 3G networks close, this might be on your shopping list. It's not for everyone, but if you can find a deal the Moto G56 5G is a sensible choice.

billbennett.co.nz/motorola-mot...
Motorola’s NZ$430 Moto G56 5G is a sensible low cost phone
You get what you might expect for NZ$430, There's not much excitement, but there's little wrong with the robust Moto G56 5G phone.
billbennett.co.nz
January 25, 2026 at 8:49 PM
January 25, 2026 at 7:27 AM
I doubt any coach could fix Spurs. The problem is much deeper than one person, or a string of failed coaches.

www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Thomas Frank calls for ‘calm heads’ as Tottenham fans renew calls for his exit
Thomas Frank has called for ‘calm heads’ after Tottenham’s draw at relegation-threatened Burnley despite fans again urging the club to dismiss him
www.theguardian.com
January 25, 2026 at 12:41 AM
So far this has been a “waiting for the weather to be less awful before walking to the dairy to buy milk, bugger it I had better take the car” kind of summer.
January 24, 2026 at 10:32 PM
January 24, 2026 at 11:57 PM
You have to admit, it is a possibility.

www.bbc.com/news/article...
Is China quietly winning the AI race?
The BBC's Lily Jamali looks into why big US firms and start-ups alike are turning to Chinese tech.
www.bbc.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:19 AM
Regular eye treatments mean there are eight days each month when I can’t do garden or other outdoor chores. My actual work takes up 21 days, there’s some overlap . Even so, it’s been months since a potential gardening day has coincided with not-awful-weather.
January 23, 2026 at 10:14 PM
For everyone who didn't get today's newsletter at 7:30am.

billbennett.co.nz/3g-shutdown-...
One NZ 3G shutdown begins in Dunedin, mobile market stable,
New Zealand's 3G network shutdown gets underway in Dunedin. Despite years of competition, the mobile market is remarkably stable.
billbennett.co.nz
January 23, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Have given this important post on my site a 2026 update.

billbennett.co.nz/how-long-sho...
How long should you keep a phone? (2026 Guide)
The short answer: 3-5 years is realistic for most people. Your phone will almost certainly outlive the manufacturer's support promise.
billbennett.co.nz
January 22, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Download Weekly: 3G shutdown begins in Dunedin: https://billbennett.co.nz/3g-shutdown-begins-dunedin/
January 22, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Reposted by Bill Bennett
“We’re Too Close To The Debris”: Airplanes Dodge The Remains Of Exploding SpaceX Rockets

This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. There are additional (exceptional!) imagery in the original. When SpaceX CEO Elon Musk chose a remote Texas…
“We’re Too Close To The Debris”: Airplanes Dodge The Remains Of Exploding SpaceX Rockets
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. There are additional (exceptional!) imagery in the original. When SpaceX CEO Elon Musk chose a remote Texas outpost on the Gulf Coast to develop his company’s ambitious Starship, he put the 400-foot rocket on a collision course with the commercial airline industry. Each time SpaceX did a test run of Starship and its booster, dubbed Super Heavy, the megarocket’s flight path would take it soaring over busy Caribbean airspace before it reached the relative safety of the open Atlantic Ocean.
www.techdirt.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:17 AM
The stats show that BlueSky is not what you'd call a runaway success... but nor is it failing.

bsky.jazco.dev/stats
Atlas - Engagement-Based Social Graph for Bluesky by Jaz (jaz.bsky.social)
bsky.jazco.dev
January 21, 2026 at 5:26 AM
Have updated the About page on my news focused website:

billbennett.co.nz/about/
January 21, 2026 at 12:46 AM
It’s not the most profound thought: But when was the last time a normal person deposited a cloak in a cloakroom?
January 21, 2026 at 12:29 AM
I see today is going to be one of those Auckland days where you need to to change between warm and cool clobber every hour or two.
January 19, 2026 at 11:11 PM
Visited a $2 shop and was disturbed to see there are now items costing well over $10. To be fair, $2 shops no longer call themselves that… even if some of us still use the term.
January 19, 2026 at 10:02 PM
This story, sorry it's behind a paywall, and the earlier Winston Peters comments, show that he current New Zealand government does not embrace the open and honest approach to central banking that can be found in many European nations:

businessdesk.co.nz/article/econ...
Nicola Willis questions Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman’s Powell judgment call
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Anna Breman should have spoken to the Government before signing a global statement in s...
businessdesk.co.nz
January 19, 2026 at 4:51 AM