Posts by FletcherB
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Hard News: Modelling Behaviour, in reply to Steve Barnes,
So, if passing this law, the psychoactive substances bill, does that mean someone could ask the “Authorataay” to test some actual cannabis and reassure us that taking it is, indeed, “Low Risk”
I am not a lawyer, nor have I read the bill itself... but judging from what I've read here and a few other places...
First of all...
You dont ask the "Authority" to do any testing. You provide them with your testing results, for them to examine and authenticate. Assuming your results are not fabricated, the main difference would be who does the organising and paying...
Secondly...It used to work like this.... "items on list X are illegal" items not on list X can be sold legally because we havent banned them.
New rule... 'items on list X are still illegal", items not on list X can be tested at your expense and if you can prove to us they are not harmful, we'll let you sell them.
You may well be able to test items on list X and show they are not harmful, but they'll still be illegal because they are on the list.
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Surely, the golden age of anything, is judged in retrospect?
Are we in a golden age of Arts, rugby, politics or anything else? How the Frick could we possibly conclude that, until we've seen where it sinks to (or improves, disproving the golden age theorem) at some other time after now...
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Hard News: Competing for Auckland, in reply to Watson,
…err, none of the above? Or were there more options?
I wont claim 100% recall, but I think they were the only options presented?
I like your list, and maybe in this case it disproves my other comment not feeling directed to answer a particular way (which generally does apply to the other questions)… but I think it’s a complex and multi tiered issue that doesn’t lend itself to complete evaluation by one or two questions in a telephone survey…
Just as a counter-point… while I dont think recent low interest rates have helped… I recall mortgage interest rates of around 15-18% back in the late 80’s/early ’90’s… and house prices kept rising all the same…
Hang on-- I'll rephrase that. Low interest rates HAVE helped "affordability" of paying a given mortgage... but have probably encouraged price inflation... which affects affordability by raising the size of the mortgage required.
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Oh yeah... and it seemed like the questions were designed properly to find your opinion, not to direct it... which I've heard can be the case with some "polls" which are really advertising...
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Asked me how I rated on a 1-5 scale John Key, David Shearer, Len Brown, Maurice Williamson...
Did I think NZ was headed in right or wrong direction.
Asked who I'd vote for today if a national election was held, and who I voted for last time.
Asked if I thought housing affordability was a major, moderate or non-issue.
Asked if housing affordability was due to land shortage, high compliancing/legal costs, or property developers profiteering...
Asked if Auck Council or NZ Govt were able to improve housing affordability. (I said 50/50).
Asked about expanding metropolitan limit, and increasing housing density in local centres.
Asked whether I thought CRL was very important, somewhat important, nice to have but not at expense of roading projects, or not needed at all.
Asked whether Puhoi-Welsford motorway extension was very important, somewhat important, nice to have but not at expense of rail projects or not needed at all
Asked about how transport improvements (of whatever type) should be funded, vis local fuel tax, local rates, national fuel tax or central govt taxes.
Asked how above funds, once raised should be split rail vs roads. (I went for 70% rail-30% roads- I haven't read about whats required so I pulled that from my ass :)
Asked if knowing a council candidate was on a Citizens & Ratepayers (or whatever they've changed C&R to stand for now?) ticket would make me more or less likely to vote for them. No other council tickets were mentioned or asked about.
There may have been a few more questions on the same subjects, but it was pretty narrowly focused on getting an aucklander's view on the major auckland issues, and how to pay for them, and does Maurice Williamson have a show... :)
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Heh... I just got phone surveyed by Curia... on Auckland mayoralty candidates, rail improvements, funding, etc...
Would I vote for John Palino, Maurice Williams, Len Brown or John Minto, etc.
I gave my best pro rail, pro housing intensification, anti C&R answers... :)
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Hard News: Dressing for the Road, in reply to Russell Brown,
Meanwhile, Tony Abbott shows just how bad a man can look in lycra.
Unexpectedly pointing his party in a more leftward direction?
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Hard News: The Treasure at the End of…, in reply to Russell Brown,
So clearly, I’m not placing a lot of personal value on marriage. But I don’t have any ideological objection to it either, at all.
I'm of a similar view.... which is why I am married... It didnt matter to me at all, but it was important to my wife and her family... and I'm glad I said yes when she asked me.
I'm also glad this choice is now available to everyone.
Been happily married for nearly ten years now. Civil Unions didn't exist back then.. I'd have willingly gone along with that too... but I'm not sure it would have meant the same thing to the "other side" :)... and the fact some people perceive a difference is enough proof that our gay friends should't have had to put up with it being the only option... good riddance to this inequality.
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weird… I highlighted some text from DeepRed to reply to, clicked the reply button, but it got attributed to Kyle Matthews by PAS ?
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Hard News: Media3: Where is Broadcasting?, in reply to Kyle Matthews,
Now that’s going back a while.
It's true... I'm nearly as old as our host, Mr Brown.. :)
I arrived in this country from it's nearest neighbour in Jan 81... that graffiti I mentioned was on that wall (or a close neighbour?) already... and stayed visible and un-painted-over for at least another five years, if not more after that.... I recall it as there had been a similar product on sale in Aus called Big-M, available in the same flavours. (choc, strawb, caramel, and banana on occasions but not all the time)
There was also another graffiti you saw at much the same time (heading into or out of town) on the concrete wall side of the under-pass where New North Rd passes under the Dominion Rd flyover/interchange that said 'feet this high, yah'- at an improbable height above the footpath of at least 2m if not 3... and it lasted for at least as many years...
Those Zap ads you linked to from the 90's were a re-launch of the product... I don't recall if it went off the market completely, or simply fell into low-popularity/sales in the mid/late 80's... ?