Posts by R A Hurley

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  • Hard News: America: Chill out!,

    Also, whether you like to admit it or not, America's health care issues aren't as unusual as we'd like to think. It seems to me that every First World country is trying to deal with the same political, economic and practical challenges thrown up by an ageing population, expanding costs and entitlements while facing unpopular question about who the hell is eventually going to pick up the tab.

    this is true... but i think any suggestion that the American system is anywhere near any sort of par with systems elsewhere in the first world would be misguided... all first world democracies are facing similar problems, yes... but we're not all starting from the same place...

    in other words... before America can address the problems you're talking about... it has to stop failing a not insignificant proportion of its citizens... walk before you run, and all that...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 63 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: America: Chill out!,

    I must admit I am perpetually astonished at the extent to which local American politics is global news.

    i think that, in this particular case, there's a basic issue of empathy for the millions that can't get medical care in a modern democracy...

    and if that makes me sound like i'm invested in American health care in the same fashion as i might be invested in, for instance, the Darfur Conflict, then i'll have to plead guilty there...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 63 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: America: Chill out!,

    also, got to give it up (sort of) for the Republican response... mercifully short... and didn't mention the word "tyranny" once... from the modern Republican establishment, i'll take that as progress...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 63 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: America: Chill out!,

    good speech, i thought... nice to see a little of Candidate Obama back on display...

    minor WTF moment though, after Obama finished speaking and Brian Williams and Chuck Todd started talking... were they even listening to the same speech?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 63 posts Report Reply

  • Island Life: There is no alternative,

    So that's my take: free education, ban faith based schools unless they promote equality of all faiths and none (so that's the Catholics out), ban charging for education.

    Hear hear. I'll take this at black market prices RIGHT NOW, thanks.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 63 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: New Zealand Weekend Television,

    Telethon ?

    Does this presume that TV occupies the same cultural and community role that it did in the past ? One might speculate that a whole generation might fail to notice this at all. Though of course I do wish them luck.

    I think there might be something to this... I honestly did not know anything about any Telethon until about 5 minutes ago, reading Russell's post.

    Although, funnily enough, I did get an email two days ago from a friend apologising for a delay in posting me something with the phrase, "sorry, was busy preparing for the Telethon"... I thought it was odd at the time, and since he spends most of his time in England now, I turned to my partner and said, "hey wow, they're having a Telethon in Britain... I thought that was just a Kiwi thing?"... Apparently there's a picture of me in the dictionary next to "oblivious"...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 63 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Deconstruct This,

    Let's just say I had a misguided youth.

    You're only young once. Over and over again.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 63 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Deconstruct This,

    ... but some caution should be exercised when blending guitar bands and electronic music. That's a path that can lead to frustration, disaster, and ultimately Jesus Jones.

    it's been my own experience that such frustrations largely come from the self-conscious blending of the tropes of electronic and guitar music rather than the sounds of the instruments themselves... i'm rather fond of Matmos' "Civil War" album, for instance... not to mention The Books...

    the world however, does not require me to take a stance on Jesus Jones... so while i might not ever want to listen to them, i wish them well... (also, i hear from a friend that their Culture Vulture EP/remix invitation yielded some really cool and interesting results...)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 63 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Deconstruct This,

    Cylons! Cylons!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 63 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Deconstruct This,

    I still pretty much refuse to listen to anything that doesn't have a 303, sampler, Moog modular, turntable, vocoder, FX-502P or a nerd with a laptop running Audiomulch. Preferably all at the same time.

    and the universe is (i think!) big enough for you and my Dad... and probably the autotune crowd as well... sadly, he - as well as Time Magazine - seem to have missed that memo... nothing makes me sadder than people choosing when they don't have to...

    also... i did not know what Audiomulch was until i read your post... but a quick Google and a 60 day evaluation trial now mean that the chances of me getting any work done today are now effectively zero... i would very much like to blame you instead of my own weakness in discipline... that OK with you?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 63 posts Report Reply

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