Posts by Rich of Observationz

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  • Hard News: Conversation Starters,

    how will this state get mail delivered?

    Serbia got mail when it was under sanction by the rest of the world. You could even order stuff from Amazon with an address like: 11 Milosevic St, Belgrade, Croatia. Amazon would ship it, the Croat post would get it and think: "stupid yanks don't know what country Belgrade's in" and redirect the package.

    Today, you can post stuff to Northern Cyprus, which is unrecognised by the rest of the world.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Conversation Starters,

    I live within a short distance of several small beer/wine outlets and have noticed no problem with noise or anything else from them. If anything, Hell Pizza, which doesn't sell alcohol, creates more of a nuisance.

    I actually consider restricting alcohol sales to large businesses to be a form of semi-conscious racism. Why should the nice Indian family at Shalimar have their livelihood taken away, whilst large overseas multinationals can sell as much booze as they want?

    Prohibition (even partial) doesn't work for any drug including alcohol. The reason Continental European countries have less of a booze "problem" than we do is not some magic genetic factor. It's because they have a social system that reduces the number of people with the underlying problems that promote problem drug use.

    We need to start by building a better society, not by taking individual rights away.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Southerly: England's Pleasant Pastures Seen,

    There's quite a lot of industry in the Lakes. Bloody great plutonium factory for starters (they do tours). Plus a shipyard in Barrow that builds nuclear submarines. Making nukes is a profitable business and a source of much employment in the region.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Believe the Hype,

    Thank you for the VU boot link!!

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Flashing Question Mark,

    The first few pages were full with relentless Mac vs. PC stories

    The same thing was played out in the pages of "BBC User" and "ZX Spectrum User" in about 1983.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Flashing Question Mark,

    Hey, thanks for posting that paper. It was great.

    How about a steampunk styled computer where the cogs and wheels run faster as you make it do more work?

    Or a system that senses how busy you are and fills your space with flaming torches accordingly.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Up Front: Absence of Malice,

    UHU driver manual

    I find Gerglish so much clearer than Chinglish. However they should find a native English speaking translator or text consultant.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Flashing Question Mark,

    your hard drive is working its way towards the trash can

    Something I miss from the olden days is that, on the old PDP-11 I used to work with, you got meaningful reports along the lines of "drive head is 0.00001mm out of alignment". Which then led to it getting adjusted at the next (monthly) PM.

    I guess not having monthly PM is an improvement.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Flashing Question Mark,

    Is a flashing question mark the user friendly Mac equivalent a Blue Screen Of Death? Or of the noted Yugoslavian, Kernel Panic?

    In terms of trying to firewall the kid from the world, if she's smart enough, she'll get round anything you do. (Like, you'll build this monster firewall and she'll just use the neighbours wireless). Even if she isn't the next Kevin Mitnick, she can just go to an Internet cafe after school for $3 an hour.

    Most kids have a naturally well developed sense of ickiness anyway and are fully aware of the presence of wierdos. Worst case, she'll become an emo.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Essay Question,

    Well, mobility of people could be thought to go with mobility of goods - as in the EU/EEA which has free movement of goods *and* people.

    The advantages to Indonesia of easier migration to NZ would be:
    - remittance income from migrants (very popular with other nations like the Phillipines)
    - benefits for citizens being able to more easily choose where they want to live and work
    - investment and technology transfer from returning migrants, which is certainly important to, for instance, the Indian economy

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

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