Posts by Russell Brown
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__Again with the lack of comprehension. "open source" does not equal "anti-copyright".__
ok
open source/anti copyright. ie either or or both.Open source relies on copyright, it simply takes a different approach to it.
That said, I'm dubious about comparisons with other creative arts, such as music, in that context. OSS works because you can incorporate the work of similarly-interested others in your own work. There's some of that in making music, but the scale of benefit isn't there.
And Rob, please don't wind people up. It is quite possible to have a sensible discussion without doing so.
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I assume Labour have (hopefully) learnt from their gamble back in 2005 where they were less than totally accurate about the actual cost of the interest-free loan package.
If I'm right in thinking that the cost in this year's Budget was $300m, then they were bang on.
On the general point of the allowance, I think we are seeing a philosophical shift, to the universality of a few key public benefits. Phil Twyford is the chair of Labour's policy council -- check out this interview with him in the herald:
"I think there is a strong argument for universality of some social provisions. They become a social good, a collective good that everybody has a stake in. I believe the extension of early childhood education is one of the most important developments since primary and secondary schooling became universal.
"Lack of quality early childhood education has been a woeful gap. If it's accessible to everybody they have a stake in maintaining it and ensuring it is high quality."
All the usual objections apply, and John Roughan will doubtless be horrified, but removing targeting also removes various costs and distortions. And then you start to count the upside.
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Oh, and I presume the RB has made a killing from selling off the $ at .79 last year.
I did no such thing.
But seriously, hell yes.
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10/ On taking power, which bureaucrats would you sack? Please provide names and addresses.
Hadyn.
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5/ You are holding a dinner party for famous New Zealand political and historical personages. Who do you seat next to Graham Capill?
Clint Rickards.
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8/ Which gay MP would you least like to have babysit your children?
The one they call "Spanky".
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The columnists appear to be as one:
If you had arrived in Auckland from another planet and gone to both launches, you'd probably have thought that National was the tired old Government and that Labour was the fresh invigorated party on the brink of power.
It was that stark: dull vs energised.
In politics, however, the important thing is to look as if you are in control and addressing the problem, and that Clark managed very effectively yesterday. Labour has hit the campaign trail running, and National has some catching up to do just as the polls appear to be turning.
But, crucially, it gave Labour the ability to shout from its launch, 'Look, we are governing and have a plan' – versus the rehashed vision outlined by National leader Mr Key.
Coming on the back of two polls on Friday which must have caused National MPs to suck in their breath – both pointed to a huge swing back to Labour and the prospect of the "unloseable" election slipping from National's grasp – Labour's all-action launch has thrown the election wide open.
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This incredulous ABC correspondent's blog ponders Palin's counter to the ethics report.
Just flat-out lying about it, it seems:
"Well, I’m very very pleased to be cleared of any legal wrongdoing," Palin said, "any hint of any kind of unethical activity there. Very pleased to be cleared of any of that."
That's just not the case.
And this is scary.
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National will do well keeping Winston's extracirricular activities in the forefront of the public mind. If Helen Clark's "This one's about trust" is juxatuposed with Helen Clark's continual trust of Winston "race-baiter, back-pockets" Peters it works well for National.
The risk is that it comes across like McCain banging on about Bill Ayers: people start wonder why you're banging on about a peripheral issue while the economy is in crisis. I'd go so far as to say that Clark would welcome it.
I honestly don't know how many people out there feel as strongly about Peters at Hooton does.
Hooten denouncing Winston on Eye to Eye is a good enough effort.
It wasn't so much the denouncing as the behaviour around it. He seems to have been in a needlessly high state of agitation even before Peters arrived. I don't think he's quite the image National is going for.
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The latest delightful video from the McCain-Palin campaign trail.
A funny man has an Obama doll he calls "LIttle Hussein". It's a ... a monkey doll.
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