Posts by Stephen Judd
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Now that I think about, cultivating a gentlemanly ignorance of Microsoft's products has spared me from the informal tech support obligations which so many of my colleagues in the Windows world suffer from. "Help you with your computer? I'm sorry, it's all Windows to me!" Exit stage left, laughing gaily.
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That Unix users aren't very helpful?
Oh, help? Help? Sorry, we just practise the three Ss: sarcasm, smugness, and snickering.
We're helpful to other Unix users though :D
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I seem to remember that on previous occasions, things had run amuck on the comments, and Poneke did not have the leisure to sort them out.
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Joshua: run immediately to the nearest library and see if you can borrow this book.
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Yeah, we did talk about this on Frugal Me.
It's a sad paradox that people who are poor in money terms are often poor in time as well, because they are working long hours for very low wages. Our grocery bill is low by Otago study standards, but our standard of dining is high, because I take the time to cook things from scratch. (If I didn't buy wine at the supermarket, our grocery bill would be even lower.)
Also, I believe the so-called "Mediterranean diet" treats meat and dairy as luxury rather than everyday foods, which would require considerable mental adjustment for many New Zealanders to adopt, even though it would make their food bill smaller.
(I seem to remember reading something recently from a Greek author claiming that the Cretan diet which was the origin of the Mediterranean diet claims was in fact a consequence of post-was austerity, and not a normal diet by the long-term standards of the area. I must try and dig that up).
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OK, maybe buyer credits could help.
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Sacha: I think the problem lies on the buyer end.
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Buffett has a much better track record than Friedman. Famously, Buffett sticks to his "circle of competence" and refuses to step outside it, whereas Friedman has a bloviation for everything. If Friedman has hit on something correct, it is only because he fires indiscriminately.
Apropos credit: my worrying anecdote is a mate who works in the fishing industry. There's a lot of boats out there catching squid right now, wondering where to store their catch because the warehouses are full. The warehouses are full because none of the middlemen who would normally make a market can get credit. The demand for squid is still there, there's just no cash to fund getting it from A to B.
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The other thing about double bunking is the impact on prison officers. Entering a cell is much more dangerous when there are two prisoners in it.