Posts by Rich of Observationz

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  • Random Play: Sing like you’re winning,

    Also, wasn't the whole Ti Kanawa/Westenra thing just the extension of hip-hop style "dissin" into the opera/popera/granny pop genres? I'm wondering when the drive-bys are gonna start?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Random Play: Sing like you’re winning,

    I think that while there might be a case to answer in terms of opera's popular appeal compared to 'fake' popera stuff, I really don't think that there is in terms of actual technical skill

    No musos, please. Some things are more important than ability
    (1988 advert placed by the first three members of Suede in the NME, prior to recruiting Bernard Butler).

    The above is one of my fave quotes. Many people of impeccable musical talent, like heavy rock guitarists, produce the most appalingly eye-closing music. See also jazz.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Legal Beagle: If it's Sunday...,

    network news junkie

    I'm the opposite. I'd reckon a one hour news program has maybe 1000 words of content in it, which would take me less than 5 minutes to read. So I'd rather get me news in text form (web or newspaper in cafe) than listen to a smarmy older-but-still-allegedly-attractive person read it out at length.

    If we had Paxman or somebody similar kebabing politicians, I'd watch that, but I don't. (in fact, I don't have the choice - having classed a TV as a waste of money).

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Legal Beagle: If it's Sunday...,

    standard UHF aerial

    Increasingly few houses have a usable UHF installation these days. And they aren't that cheap you know - I was looking at $250 to install one, so I went for the option of (basic) Sky instead.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Laying Down the Law,

    Above didn't make much sense - Russel Watkins was the Libz candidate for Tauranga last election..

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Laying Down the Law,

    Russell Watkins? What's he done (apart from being a Libertarian and an estate agent).

    To paraphrase the late Douglas Adams:
    Did you know they've reintroduced the death penalty for estate agents?
    No, for what offence?
    What do you mean, offence?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Laying Down the Law,

    I do feel that when Labour gets back in after the failure of the Key government, it'll be time for utu against the Herald and Dom Post (not to mention the Press).

    Something like a media monopoly law like this:
    - no newspaper may have more than 40% of circulation in any city over 100,000 people
    - since this currently applies to all NZ newspapers, any newspaper group owning such a monopoly paper:
    -- may publish only that paper and must divest all other media assets (including Internetz)
    -- must provide seed funding for any reasonable competitor wishing to enter the market
    -- will have their pricing regulated to prevent any counter-competitive activity
    -- must be more than 50% owned by NZ shareholders with no more than 5% in the hands of any one entity

    They should propose this pre-election, and have a quiet word with the owners of APN and Fairfax as to what will happen to their long-term investment if they persist in being propaganda sheets for the National Party.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Island Life: Know your current events,

    Shakespeare had a blog, which, in the absence of a working internetz, was nailed to a tree in Stratford.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Laying Down the Law,

    The internet is indeed a wonderful invention. It saves journalists from having to go outside in the rain.

    Eventually, the Herald will outsource it's content to a team in Bangalore, who, having had a crash course in NZ politics from Murray McCully (as well as a bit of schooling in appropriate cliched language) will produce a newspaper without having ever seen the Beehive or the Sky Tower.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: 202.22.18.241,

    Wikipedia!

    I was fairly neutral about it, until some twat wanted to delete the page on Kiwiburn.

    Our article is factual and fully documented, but said twat considered that little festivals in obscure foreign places (Wikipedia isn't US-centric: Yeah, right!) should be tied out of the site.

    Fortunately, we won. But the whole attitude of "it's our game and we make the rules" pisses me off. I mean, how is a Youtube video not valid primary evidence of an event? Yes, one could fake a video, but then, a group of people could systematically lie to a Herald journalist to create a false record.

    I think Wikipedia will decay as the people prepared to edit fall back to a small clique that want to dis other peoples work but don't make any edits themselves (the protagonist of our delete has not added one single fact to Wikipedia, but has numerous gold stars for his work removing other peoples content). Unfortunately. Maybe the next generation of online encyclopaedia will be a for-profit venture?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

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