Posts by Mark Graham

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  • Island Life: The longest last time,

    Anyone who has a child must surely weep. I thought I had got it together again and then I read the poem from Francis and started all over again.

    So terribly, terribly sad.

    thanks for the reminder of what's really precious out there.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report

  • Hard News: Tragedy into Crisis?,

    No mention of the evil 'P' yet...

    Also - small point Russ, but the 1951 Waterfront Lockout was not a strike...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report

  • Cracker: All Aboard!,

    Are there any requirements to install solar water heating when building new houses?

    The answer is no. http://www.buildingguide.co.nz/

    EECA has an interest free loan that has been in place for over a year to encourage people to install and a total of 0 people (that's zero, nada, none) have made use of it. http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html/ "Embarassing" 16/02

    Long term (and notwithstanding the earth turning to molten lava (joke)), the issue for us in Auckland will not be heating in the winter but cooling in the summer.That's where good design comes in - passive cooling such as concrete floors and overhaning eaves.

    I understand Meridien have commenced a trial on roof mounted wind turbines for individual use.

    You do have to wonder, though, why we can't feed back into the national grid - where's the political fallout?

    But Damien, I thought the breakthrough thinking on power generation was smaller units located closer to final use. Obviously Hydro won't be what we use in Auckland - perhaps nuclear?

    And PS - teleportation is about the only Star Trek technology not really feasible - the computing power is currently unimaginable.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report

  • Cracker: Labour Weekend,

    Follow up from Russell's post yesterday!

    The story about "confidential strategy notes" in which delegates were advised to distribute pamphlets on KiwiSaver produced by the Inland Revenue Department and on Working for Families produced by Work and Income" and "also advised to tell voters when handing out the pamphlets that National voted against both measures," could have led a reader to think that such behaviour was actually part of a party strategy.

    But, as Young acknowledges this morning, One News reported last night that the suggestion came from a delegate on the floor and Mike Williams -- the fool -- uttered words to the effect that it was a damned good idea. The Prime Minister has been obliged to wade in and Williams has, once again, put his foot in it quite badly.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report

  • Cracker: Labour Weekend,

    1. As I understand it, the possibility of using Govt. Dept. information booklets was brought up in a closed session and dismissed at the time. Someone then leaked it out and the Herald and National have tried to make a stupid idea an issue related to the Electoral Finance Act. To be fair, not exactly Mike Williams speaking in public. And let's face it - if the public thinks they're good policies shouldn't the fact National opposed them be brought to their attention? Works for me.

    Re the evil employers scamming Kiwisaver contributions out of salary increases and pushing to hold salaries down - well, I'm an employer and it's fucking hard.

    Running your own business is certainly not the cliche of a goldmine for fat cat capitalists taking it easy on the backs of the poor proletariat comrade.

    And it's going to get harder. And businesses going to the wall because costs have eroded profits will become news stories in coming months. You try to be fair but you pay what you can afford and most employers can't afford much.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report

  • Island Life: What I've done with Julie…,

    My friend, Damien Christie, has three.

    And a box full of skyrockets...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report

  • Island Life: 49 Chinese to Replace John Campbell,

    Winston's posturing for his disaffected local audience will not matter one whit to either the Chinese or other overseas leaders.

    And it's always easy to lose the message in the distaste for the delivery method. Like Winny or not, his comments about Douglas et al. are fairly accurate.

    Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate economist, was happy to thank us here in NZ for our "...experiment..." using economic theories that had largely been discounted amongst most economists some 15 years before.

    Notwithstanding Winston's accuracy on some things, he's still pandering to a rather sad and disaffected constituency who are still running scared of the 'Yellow Peril'.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report

  • Island Life: Rage against the machines,

    Okay, I can see my appeal to people's empathetic side failed miserably. Not that I'm sorry to have been ignored.

    Clearly, the truest method of revenge is one of eternal torture.

    Why bother with incineration...

    Some say the world will end in fire
    some say in ice...

    As with 81stcolumn's suggestion, but better than a bird bath, perhaps an art work in continual state of development. A mini-torture rack, hanging on a wall in your office, and each time frustration overload hits, pass it on through violent acts upon the hapless articles on your wall.

    In fact, you could wire up a speaker and recorded groans of anguish and pleadings for mercy that reverberate around the room each time you vent your anger.

    That sounds nice.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report

  • Island Life: Rage against the machines,

    erk.

    I recently euthanised a baby hedgehog which had inadvertently consumed rat poison with the sharp end of a spade.

    I must say, causing suffering on anything, even inanimate objects with no pain sensors, is still somewhat abhorrent.

    (And I'm aware of the oxymoronic nature of the comment above.)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report

  • Island Life: Feeding the hens,

    brilliant. You subversive satyrical genius. Made me laugh.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report

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