Posts by Rob Stowell
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Great photos!
And wasn’t it a show- started with yellow-orange low sun under the clouds, went a bit bruised, the light was lovely, then the clouds took on a distinct purplish tinge, billowing
And- cra-ack!~ it was on! -
Speaker: Who No : Letters From Alice May…, in reply to richard,
There is a surprising volume of this stuff out there.
The number of amateur climatologists in NZ who are passionately convinced 'global warming' is hooey is quite astounding.
And that's just at our local pub :) -
Hard News: Leaf and Tips, in reply to Russell Brown,
A strong social sanction on providing cannabis to young teenagers would help a lot.
It’s actually this kind of social prohibition that has helped turn around the meth boom. The P-pipe became a very uncool thing.
Then, under any kind of reformed cannabis law, it should still be an offence to provide it to under-18s. And there should be prosecutions if necessary.
You’d also hope it could become practical for people with genetic vulnerability to be identified and and warned of their particular risk
Spot on. And let's hope these things can be achieved with or without legalisation. Though legalisation would probably help.
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Up Front: Choice, Bro, in reply to Tom Beard,
And Twyford’s a yes. Tide’s turning.
Twyford and Banks since I looked earlier today. That’s movement!
(ETA- two NOT counting Twyford, in fact. So that's three.)
A few that have struggled and come out on the right side- David Carter, for example. Quietly pleased to see that. I reckon it’s the power of the fancy Herald graphical interface :)
And who wants to be on the wrong side of history (or the tide…?) -
Hard News: A long way yet, in reply to Hebe,
leaving the remaining area inside the four avenues ripe for colonisation by the small businesses and creatives.
Hope so!
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Hard News: A long way yet, in reply to Hebe,
A case can be made for both stadium and convention centre. It's just that nobody has bothered. It's all guesswork and 'conventional wisdom.'
Different arguments for each... but both, we are told, will generate jobs for locals and spin-offs for city businesses that make them worthwhile.
Personally, I'm dubious a convention centre this size will be occupied at a rate that would make it worthwhile- not just now, but in 20 years. And I don't want it in the centre of the city. Full, it's likely to generate sheepskin and plastic tiki shops that will continue to make the centre a place locals avoid. Empty, it'll be a void, into which we throw money. Are there alternative uses? What about a town hall? Sharing facilities with a performance centre?
Do we need a big rugby stadium? The IRB will say so- no tests if you don't build it, etc. But it'll be used (maybe) 10% of the year. No alternative uses are proposed. Many of the games (8-12?) will be the Crusaders- popular, but before the quake attendance was sharply down. Many will be ITM cup games- lucky to get 5,000 (again, pre-quake). It's a lot of money to tie up for a few (1? 2?) games of test rugby a year.
The area around stadia is generally unsuitable for housing, so that's another issue.
I'd like to see both built smaller, and in different locations. I'd like to see the 'cultural precinct' in the square, and multi-purpose (including a decent live music venue) so it's as busy as possible. It should draw people into the city centre.
I'd like to propose that the investors so keen to buy our port, power company and airport invest in the stadium and convention centre instead. What- too risky, no return, too expensive? Yet we are supposed to sell assets to pay for them?
If we continue to merrily and unthinkingly socialise the costs, and privatise the profits- we'll get more and more of this. -
Hard News: A long way yet, in reply to Robert Fox,
Nice summary. And yes- the best weekend weather since April! Grey skies, floods, and cold haven't helped.
We all want the facilities and services that a normal functioning modern city requires
Yeah. But does that include a 2000 capacity international convention centre at its heart, and a 35,000 capacity stadium?
The case for both has simply not been made. And since they will cost us close to half a billion dollars we don't have, it'd be polite to try to sell us on the idea :) Some people I talk to are fine with it- others hopping mad. -
Capture: Spring is Like a Perhaps Hand, in reply to Chris Waugh,
I DO love these glimpses of China :) Thnx
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Hard News: Paying for what doesn't come…, in reply to Richard Aston,
I definitely want to support this. PAS is a great place for journalism.org to find subscribers- or advertise stories. Something like this has been bruited for too long- fantastic to find a project is underway.
(FWIW- I think both micropayments and an annual subscription should be offered. They suit different people, budgets, and styles.) -
Was it ever a realistic proposition that a strong Afghani state be created, and the Afghan Army take over security? Maybe I'm too cynical, but it always looked to me as if eventually the UN/NATO forces would leave, and the Taliban would be back.
That always meant whatever good NZ could do, it would be limited in time.