Posts by Shaun Lott

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  • Hard News: Doing over the witness,

    Will the police now turn up and search, say, the Prime Minister’s office?

    I'm guessing the answer to that will be 'no'.

    Call me cynical, but the announcement of the Cabinet and this raid seem very similarly timed. Seems like now the numbers are finally done, someone is getting on with the business of their third term...

    Waitakere • Since Aug 2009 • 113 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: The sole party of government, in reply to Euan Mason,

    To be replaced by whom?

    Waitakere • Since Aug 2009 • 113 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: But seriously, drug policy,

    I'm currently living in Colorado. In the first year of legalisation, the visible effect on society where I live is.... pretty much zero. You can legally buy and consume in your own house. You can't legally smoke a joint on the street. Society has not succumbed to reefer madness. I'm not sure about the stats quoted above, but the policy seems to have garnered a narrow margin of popular approval. It seems to me a very honest way to proceed, though there are some wrinkles: apparently the banks can't/won't touch money earned by legal (in Colorado) cannabis sales due to Federal legislation around drug trafficking.

    Waitakere • Since Aug 2009 • 113 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Privacy and the Public Interest,

    He is due the protection he would deny to others.

    Well isn't that the truth!

    Waitakere • Since Aug 2009 • 113 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Earning Confidence,

    And remember that the margin of error is bigger than the changes in the numbers. Which makes the apparent changes rather more 'noise' than 'signal'.

    Waitakere • Since Aug 2009 • 113 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: UPDATED: Media Take: Election…,

    In 1970s Britain, the kid's TV show Mr Benn was removed during an election because Tony Benn was a candidate. So, nothing new under the sun.

    Waitakere • Since Aug 2009 • 113 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Going solar?,

    Yes, do it. We did the Nova energy deal and it is totally paying for itself. The cost of their power may be slightly more, but everytime the sun comes out, you use less of their power for the same amount of hot water. On balance, we're paying about the same in power bills, but part of that is paying off the cost of the system. The system seems very robust for us so far!

    Waitakere • Since Aug 2009 • 113 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Autism and celebrity,

    That doesn’t mean we in the media are absolved of responsibility for what they do with that airtime.

    Though the term has been much abused in the climate change 'debate', surely the onus is on the journalist to provide some sort of balance in the context of the show? A follow up from the RSNZ or whoever with the actual facts a few days later (or more likely, never) doesn't really cut it. So I guess Seven Sharp turns out not to be journalism. Oh, wait... that's not news.

    Waitakere • Since Aug 2009 • 113 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Friday Music: Going Large,

    Call me an old fart, but this is part of the reason I still like to buy CDs. You get the WAV file, in a permanent storage format. I can rip an MP3 or whatever lossless format I choose. And the files are demonstrably mine, not in limbo on someone else's server. And I like the little booklet :) (Though actually I'm still pining for the big booklet that was sometimes lurking within the gatefold sleeve...)

    Playback via airplay or ethernet cable to a speaker that probably was too expensive... but yes you can hear the difference!

    Waitakere • Since Aug 2009 • 113 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Making it up on smacking,

    Colin Craig often sounds like he's making up stuff as he goes along, or at least he sounds like he's forming his opinion about something as he is speaking. This morning I thought he sounded much better informed. Turns out he was in fact making stuff up as he went along. I am really hoping no-one takes him seriously...

    Waitakere • Since Aug 2009 • 113 posts Report Reply

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