Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Deriving satisfaction from the misfortune of others

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  • Andy Milne,

    Speaking as a Christian, I'm HUGELY relieved the wheels have come off so quickly. The very idea of a "christian" party makes me uncomfortable, with or without Bishop B's involvement. As Colin Espiner pointed out on his blog (i'm too new at this to attempt to link to it but someone might help a brother out?), A "christian" political party kinda implies we all think the same and would vote the same. You know, just like all Maori vote for the Maori party. ;-)

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 59 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    In which he cast no reflection?

    LOL - do we have a link to that?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    Welcome brother, Colin Espiner

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    Opps, I forgot the big B in Brother.

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • Gregor Ronald,

    There is more at stake here than emails with the wrong timestamps. I'm the system administrator for the Blackboard e-learning system at a university, and we're going to be in an "undefined" state on 30th September.

    Our servers run on Windows Server 2003, and that will change according to the new rules.

    BUT - the Blackboard application uses the BEA Weblogic web/application server, and that is heavily Java based - and Sun haven't released a patch. So on the 30th I expect that the Windows clock will show the DST change, but we really don't know what time the Blackboard learning system will show. How this will affect system logs, scheduled database jobs, due dates for student assignments, etc, is not known.

    I plan to log on early to check, and if necessary I can set the time zone within Blackboard to Nukualofa - for a week. That's the only time zone available going forward an hour, otherwise I'd have to set it to Eniwetok/Kwajalein (Yes, it's an American application...) but then we'd be a day behind.

    Since most Americans think New Zealand is somewhere near Vermont, I guess we shouldn't be too surprised at this. And it has confirmed my growing dislike of Java, that's for sure.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 103 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    Re- the Apple patch. It's a bugger isn't it. They took a perfectly decent open source OS, added some eye candy, closed it up, made it proprietary and screwed their customers.

    Way to go Apple.

    Still, if you like shiny over everything else (think iPhone next) rinse and repeat.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • Jason Dykes,

    >> I'll just say this is proof that there is a merciful and loving God (and one with a great sense of cosmic irony), who really wants to be left out of New Zealand's domestic politics.

    >> Can I get an amen!

    Which is the position no doubt held by honest, capable and thoughtful (some might say "real") Christians. On that basis I guess we must also assume Peter Dunne's "worm" incident in 2002 was not divine intervention.

    To be more serious, I prefer Tamaki to be wasting time on politics rather than doing more harm elsewhere.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 76 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    I wouldn't adjust time so that the system clock is out. Endless potential problems, especially on a server. You might want to change your TZ from GMT+12 (Wellington) to GMT+13 (Tonga) for the week. That's much safer.

    This should be softcoded. In early Unix it was (and probably still is, if truth be told, you just need to know which file and how). Macs are actually running BSD at this level, aren't they?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Andy Milne,

    Opps, I forgot the big B in Brother.

    Thanks Kowhai. But I'm just a brother with a little b. A little brother maybe?

    Sorry, I'll just get me coat...

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 59 posts Report Reply

  • Michael Stevens,

    It's so funny, it's so stupid, it's just so...

    Copeland as Catholic shouldn't be involved with this lot at all,. And doesn't he realise Destiny think the RC Church is the Whore of Babylon (seriously, they do)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 230 posts Report Reply

  • Leigh Kennaway,

    What's With All The Capital Letters In Tamaki's Press Release?

    Is It Because He Loves All Words Equally?

    When One is A Bishop, aka God's Right-Hand Buddy, One's Writing Style Should Adequately Reflect One's (Self)Elevated Style. Amen.

    Western Bays • Since Feb 2007 • 79 posts Report Reply

  • rodgerd,

    t is heavily Java based - and Sun haven't released a patch

    Oh, so the Sun JVM patches we've been applying all over the place here are figments of our imagination? There are both general updates in the 6u2 release and a compatibiliy tool that scans your system for JVMs, and updates their tzinfo for you.

    And it has confirmed my growing dislike of Java, that's for sure.

    It has confirmed you've got a triumph of outrage over expertise, anyway. The update, available here was first available in May. If you're using a non-Sun JVM that hasn't got a patch, you should abuse that vendor, not Sun or Java in general.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 512 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    And yes, this was just all over too fast, I barely had time to enjoy it.

    Well, in some political relationships, when the partners are young and over-eager, they can suffer from premature disintegration.

    This in turn is related to organisational schism, or org-schism. With time and practice parties can withhold disintegration for some time, prolonging events until they end with a more satisfying, perhaps even multiple org-schism for all concerned.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    Don't be hasty Andy, stay for a cup of tea.

    I am only taking the piss out of the big B Tamaki.

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • Tim Michie,

    On the DST change, especially Gregor -

    these geekzone comments on the issue may help -

    they have a java.sun link that'll hopefully help.

    As far as I'm aware, Apple say that the Software Updater will do for 10.4 still no joy felines former to Tiger.

    Oh, and I think christian political parties reached both their high water and low scum mark with Christian Heritage in '96 and Graham Capill respectively.

    Jesus I'm sure would have better things to do...

    Auckward • Since Nov 2006 • 614 posts Report Reply

  • KevinHicks,

    I think you should rename this post "Deriving pleasure from ridiculing the beliefs of others" as a more appropriate title!

    Auckland • Since Sep 2007 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    I take the Voltaire position on this one, KevinHicks.

    You can hold whatever silly beliefs you like, and I will defend your right to hold them (unless they entail harming others), but the beliefs themselves are up for ridicule, satire, whatever.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    The Voltaire position? Isn't that the one about being happy when the last politician is strangled with the guts of the last priest?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    Besides which people here have mostly been ridiculing punctuation and bad political management.

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    Ah... yes... of course.

    I was more thinking about defending your right to freedom of speech, even though I loathe what you say.

    Not you personally, of course, Stephen.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    Feel free to ridicule my convoluted sentence stucture ; )

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    The Voltaire position? Isn't that the one...

    I thought I was missing something akin to 'snowballing' again...

    I think you should rename this post "Deriving pleasure from ridiculing the beliefs of others" as a more appropriate title!

    I think Copeland's a pillock. He thinks I'm going to burn in the fiery pits of hell for all eternity. I'm calling us even.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Danyl Mclauchlan,

    And it has confirmed my growing dislike of Java, that's for sure.

    I have trouble with all the capital letters mid - command. Good thing biShop taMaki never learNed to code.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    According to Mssrs Copeland and Baldock, in their most recent press release:

    The party [__Ed__: Future New Zealand - or its bastard offspring] that will ultimately be registered to contest the 2008 elections will not define itself as a Christian political party but rather a party with a constitutional commitment to Judeo-Christian values with an open and inclusive philosophy.

    Does anyone know what "Judeo-Christian values" are? Is there a definitive list somewhere? Who decided what "values" should be taken from the many stories recounted in the holy books of Judaism and Christianity? And what should we make of those stories that tend towards, putting it politely, the unwholesome, the genocidal, and the bizarre? Do they articulate "values" too?

    Dawkins raises an interesting point in The God Delusion where he asks whether many of those promoting "Biblical values" etc. (and seeking to impose them on others) have actually read the book on which they claim to base their political views.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    Does anyone know what "Judeo-Christian values" are?

    Yes, they are a rhetorical strategy for the American fundamentalist Christian right to disarm the Jews, who historically have been active in insisting on enforcing the constitutional separation of church and state.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

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