Posts by George Darroch
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That's kind of depressing. When it was good I was happy to pay for it. Similarly when I'm in Italy I buy La Repubblica, which is an excellent newspaper and is not online. Just demanding that things be online seems a little extreme.
And similarly, a lot of people buy the Guardian Weekly - they're willing to pay for a solid product. I like the corporeality and improved user interface of Le Monde in paper.
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All I see is the same coaching panel playing the same sort of "total" rugby
You see that with the Deans coached Wallabies against most sides. They struggle to win that way against the Springboks, but it's simply awful to watch against a side like Fiji, who just get shut out completely.
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Also I'd like to drag'n drop away sections that I'd never read, like sports and racing and normally business, and swoosh them away with a satisfying flick.
There was an ad on television a few years ago in which "Dave"? got his 15 cent paper delivered with only the sports section and few other articles, and it cost him 15 cents.
The reality of the business is that they could conceivably do something like that, offer limited papers which appeal to target audiences, but the economics of offering a full paper and thus more space to their advertisers are much more compelling.
We must ask Craig, he would be the obvious person to know if this already exists . . .
Many are available. I'm not sure about the iPad app.
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It's another one of those threads of much learning for some of us. Thanks to everyone who's sharing their experience and knowledge here.
Totally agreed. Even though I've had a serious relationship with a former CFS sufferer, it's not something I ever enquired too deeply about because it seemed like she wanted to let it go and be in the past (although I could have asked that).
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The principle of pain (or fatigue) being in your head, and completely, entirely real are not out of the question.
Yet there are plenty who would use such evidence (if it is found) to discount the condition. As if a "head injury" was any less serious than any other - the implication being that if you can't see it, it doesn't exist.
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@George D: a case of the law not catching up with media ownership structures. Something has to be done, but how? How have other countries dealt with the issue?
NZ moved faster to deregulation than almost anywhere in the world. It's produced an amazing and vibrant radio sector in Auckland, but in other media and locations the results haven't been so stellar. Nevertheless, I'm frequently surprised in Australia by restrictions on media that seem to inhibit the creation and operation of media outlets, particularly in radio.
It may be time for an enquiry to sit down and work out what expectations New Zealand has of existing and new media. Or perhaps just as likely the internet will have changed things so sufficiently within the next decade that an rather different approach will be needed, and waiting a few years turns out to be not such a bad thing.
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I'm very inclined to treat unexplained illness as unexplained illness. There's so much we don't know.
So extremely true.
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On another subject, I have to say that I've been heartened by the rise of 'hybrid' bikes, the ones that have larger tyres but are still orientated to road/commuter use. With the proliferation of the personal car in the 1960s-1980s the bicycle industry started making bicycles to suit a form of leisure rather than transport - racing orientated road bikes, and seriously off-road based mountain bikes. As cycling has moved back into the mainstream, the industry has followed.
I think that cycling shops are still a large part of the problem. They're mostly run by enthusiasts, and the enthusiasts sell what they want and consider is useful in a bicycle, rather than what normal people want - simplicity, comfort, utility. Upright seating and baskets, rather than custom forks and ultralight frames.
If we could see an increase in "Dutch" or upright bikes I think we'd see a further increase in bicycle use. It's coming, but slowly. Hub gearing is also making a serious comeback. All these things combined may be enough to see cycling take back a decent mode share of transport.
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You and I agree about the puncture proof tyres, but some people don't like the way those stiffer tyres handle.
I should also say that they last longer, which means they work out similar in price over the longer term, and you're being even greener than you would otherwise be. Some shops take old tyres and tubes in for recycling, but I don't know around Auckland.
I haven't noticed too much stiffness - I inflate my tyres reasonably, but not too much. You can also buy puncture-proof tubes, and they perform pretty well without stiffness. I've used belts before and they've been a little disappointing, and can be fiddly to install.
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It isn't our imagination that most punctures happen in bad weather,
On that subject, my advice would be to spend an extra $100 and buy some really good puncture-proof tyres. I haven't had a puncture now in 9 months of daily riding, and it makes a lot of difference. Walking out the door about to go to work and finding a flat tyre is never a fun experience!