Posts by Rob Stowell
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Google is the largest index of pirated content in the world and they don’t pay any licence holder
I think Mr Dotcom may be commenting on the pervasiveness of ‘pirated’ content on youtube (and maybe other ventures from the past, like google books). I am fond of google for reasons I’m not sure I fully justify (well, for one: I’ve had a great deal of ‘free’ benefit from google services.) The whole ‘google partners’ concept seems like a good one. But they pay f-all tax in NZ, and as you say, their ad revenues tend to amount to 5/8s of f-all.
Dotcom’s scheme seems materially worse! It’ll be interesting to see how much NZ (and other) tax Mr Dotcom pays on this new venture, and how the benefits pan out.
I suspect he’s missed the boat on the free music service. I mean, Spotify? -
Capture: Someone, Somewhere, In Summertime, in reply to Gudrun Gisela,
@Gudrun, yikebike were on Montreal St when I visited a year or so ago. Between Brougham and Moorhouse, but I can’t remember the exact address.
The one I saw was a bit noisy too. Not dreadful, I didn’t think, but not electric car silent, for sure. I think it’s claimed to be deliberate, so people can hear you coming. Not sure I believe this…
Some thoughtful design gone into them, but I don’t know anyone who owns or has used one extensively. There’ll be more on the yikebike blog.ETA: local contact from website is:
YikeBike LtdMaria Kay
77 Montreal St
Christchurch 8023
New ZealandTelephone: +64 3 669 24 01
(I'm definitely not trying to sell them! I just think they look fun and practical, and like that they're a local business.)
-
-
Hard News: On Freedom, in reply to Danielle,
I was just saying on Twitter how much I enjoy posting things like the Crooks and Liars link on Facebook in order to feel some of my very conservative American relatives quietly imploding.
The danger is they'll all arrive at the airport... Minus any assault rifles, at least :)
-
Hard News: On Freedom, in reply to Graeme Edgeler,
I can’t rule out that in the years before I was admitted these things were treated differently, but I’m confident of the time I was at university and since.
My dad had a law-student friend in the late 70s who’d been busted for possession (I’m not going to name him) and was worried about how it might stop him practising. I don’t think it’d happened before. He was very open about it when the time came, and was (after a little delay, I think) admitted to the bar, and got a job. I know of another case a little later as well. Not sure about subsequent careers though.
-
The last three US presidents smoked pot when young. Obama was the first to talk about it honestly. Even before the election he backed gay marriage. I think we'll see more openly where Obama stands on a range of issues now there's no election to consider.
-
[redacted- can contained worms] :-)
-
Interesting (and not wholly off-topic) NYer article on Elisabeth Murdoch. Her 2011 McTaggart Lecture is also worth a look.
The idea is abroad that she's well-positioned to take a key role at News Corp. -
Hard News: Fact and fantasy, in reply to Farmer Green,
I apprehend that you may have assumed Farmer Green was a Fonterra supplier. FG is not in a cooperative.
Nah. But I’d assumed FG was at least moderately well-informed on the subject of Fonterra :)
their plan was to buy an existing NZ dairy business with a brand and expand manufacturing within NZ, possibly by redesigning some of the 16 farms that they already own here. That might open Fonterra’s eyes.
If so, great. But I share FG's skepticism about Fonterra, and add a little skepticism about Shangai Pengxin too. Can FG be sure it’s not a paper plan developed solely for the purpose of hoodwinking people?
-
Hard News: Fact and fantasy, in reply to Farmer Green,
if Shangai Pengxin approached FG with a view to buying the brand and expanding the business, and repatriating say 50% of the profits, then you would say go for it?
No. That’s a very different scenario to Shangai Pengxin producing added value products in NZ and Fonterra opening its eye a tad and moving down the same road. (And I’m sure you’re aware such a deal would contravene Fonterra’s constitution.)
(There was a moment when I thought Westland Dairy Products might move in the added value direction. This now seems naive :-) )