Posts by Stephen Judd
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Amy: absolutely. Computer programs are eminently copyright-able. If you want to make a living from selling proprietary software, you are interested in copyright. If you want to write free software and protect how it is used, you are interested in copyright. People who write programs for a living are more likely to be interested in copyright, for reasons that affect their work and their bank balance, than just about anyone.
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Jack: nope. But at numerous parties, where the tiddly menfolk would repair outside to leave the toilet for the ladies, people would comment "this is why we have such great citrus in New Zealand."
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Stewart, how about you produce one child who did like alcohol from the first nip.
That would be me, aged 8 or 9. Heard to observe that it was delicious, also that I liked the nice warm feeling inside.
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My sister and I both used to get horribly car-sick, so my parents used to stick a couple of old icecream containers in the back so we could throw up with a minimum of mess.
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I believe my first trip on the road up the coast from Thames to Coromandel and points north was in 1977 when we lived in Hamilton. From that year until 2002, with only 2 exceptions, I was passenger or driver every summer, either to Waititi Bay, Stony Bay, or Whangapoua, sometimes more than one trip. 23 years out of 25 leaves a bit of a mark.
In 1977 the family still had a Austin 1800. My dad would toot before going around blind corners in case an oncoming delivery van cleaned us up. The bread must get through!
My sister and I each had a "side". If you sat on the right going north, you were spared the anxiety of looking down the sheer drop to the rocks, which from a child's point of view seemed immense and dangerous. On the way back we would have the right lane to cushion us, so it wasn't so bad. After we bought a large mahogany ply dinghy, the car wallowed and groaned. I think that's what spurred the purchase of a Mazda 626 when I was 12 or so.
I don't remember when they sealed as far as Coro, but I'm in two minds about it. It's a nicer drive, but it would have helped keep the northern parts of the peninsula free from people who weren't really dedicated.
Later, I grew too old for nuclear family holidays, but by that time I had friends with a bach at Whangapoua, and then my ex's parents bought a section there, and still every summer I headed up past Tapu (ice cream!) and Waikawau (the tram-baches) and Manaia (thank god we're over that hill) and smelled hot dust and thunderstorms and seaweed.
Another road I used to know like the back of my hand was Hamilton to Raglan across the deviation (from what? when did the old road fall into disuse? Well before I was born, I'm sure). A friend claimed to have done it in 30 minutes, which seems barely possible even with the current road state and a new car. I know I almost died an ignominious young fella's death when I foolishly let my 40kg dog ride in the front and she fell in my lap going round a tight bend.
Hamilton to Waititi Bay seemed an enormous drive when I was little, but now I go from Wellington to Hamilton to see my Dad without turning a hair. I enjoy that drive too, but I can't see it will ever be stamped in my mind like those first long trips to the beach.
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It's a word I've come to hate, personally.
It's awful, terrible, horrible, I absolutely agree.
/me goes off to find Jonathan Swift essay on the decline of English since the reign of Queen Anne.
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Just returned from morning tea at our (virtuous, frugal, hard-working) public sector client. There were cheerios, sausage rolls, and beer. Good to see the old ways kept up.
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I am reminded of the great English literary tradition of travelling abroad and writing very rude (and often funny) things about what they find. Best to consider this homage, I think.
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Apropos instruments: I would like to commend Alistair's Music on Cuba St to anyone who wants to see a nice uke selection (or indeed anything else in the string band line).
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Recessions are serious, but credit crunch sounds like a cheery breakfast cereal - a helping of financial reality that will do us all good.
Duncan Black's "Big Shitpile" (specifically coined to describe the CDO mess that sparked this all off) was certainly more evocative.