Posts by Simon Grigg

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  • Hard News: Conversation Starters,

    I don't think that outlawing tea or test match cricket or the Winter Garden would suddenly make those things terribly sexy and desirable. People get drunk because they want to get drunk, largely.

    In Muslim Java bands are apt to chant 'alcohol..alcohol..alcohol' with the kids as a rough equivalent to the Woodstock Fish Cheer and to try and get a rise out of the cops, who generally either don't understand, don't care, or maybe are a little pissed themselves (as per a recent scandal where cops were found drunk in a traffic control...a loose term here..booth with an empty bottle of Jack Daniels, although likely the pirated local version).

    I guess the kids feel the need to rebel against something.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Current Status: Holidays,

    Thanks for the link Russell. I've gone and posted something full of bloody typos again..proofing ain't a personal strength as many album covers will attest.

    Must.edit.

    I was sad to see Magazzino gone. It always an early port of call on any trip to AK, if only to see what local folks are doing. And I was mightily impressed with Pilot, the first edition of which hit the shelves before Xmas. Andy Pickering, a happy refugee from (and co-founder of) Remix has provided one of those moments of brilliance I mentioned.

    Strangely Normal are unique, and I love'em. I went in on XMAS eve and found a jacket I liked for an impending trip to an American winter. I went back on the 29th to buy it and Michael said it wasn't a perfect fit. He called the next day and I went in. Both he and Claire said it needed to be adjusted more. They then went to the workroom on NYE, made me a brand new jacket and delivered it on the evening of Jan 1. Point me in the direction of an uppity Italian chain that will do that.....

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Hard News: Conversation Starters,

    Only humans will persist with it, and then only adults, who have trained inhibitions that they would like to lose.

    tell that to dogs, most especially my Anjing Kampong (english: Bali Dog) who is likely to take a quick lick out of my beer glass if I'm not looking. Never more than that though..she just likes the flavour.

    Getting drunk is not something I've done a lot in my life, and when it was it was as a young fella on something horrendous like Cider (and once on tequila...that was awful). I often drink water in a club or bar, especailly if its turning into a late one.

    But I do drink both beer and wine, in limited but very regular quantities..I pace myself so that I don't get drunk or close to it, I'm rather fussy as to which two glasses of Pinot Gris or lager I might drink though as I'm a terrible bloody snob when it comes their their flavours.

    I don't think I'm that unusual in any of that.

    And I'd argue that anyone who can't understand how a light (as in flavour, not alc %) lager accentuates the flavour of a very good vindaloo has a gap in their life.

    For a variety of personal reasons I hate drunk people and cannot be in their company, but I'm also label to draw a line between the that and my enjoyment of alcohol.

    I've owned premises that've served alcohol for decades (although not for 10 years now) and it's also a truism that those who tend to get pissed, or want to, rarely do so on the good stuff. An $8 bottle of Jacob's Creek often (usually but not always) serves quite a different purpose to a $40 bottle of Cloudy Bay.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Hard News: Conversation Starters,

    I've been writing banking software since '98

    I think the banks here in Indonesia are still using the beta of that software. Any chance you could have a word with them about an upgrade?

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Hard News: The song is not the same,

    You're effectively PA's personal copyright troll.

    I think that's rather harsh Mark. Whilst I don't agree with much of what Rob is saying, and we've gone back and forth, I still hold both him and what he's achieved over the years, which is not insubstantial, in the cataloguing, archiving and presentation of NZ music in very high regard, as do many in his industry. He's no troll.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Hard News: The song is not the same,

    I have no problem with media owners attempting to direct their media to the people that paid for it only, others it seems do have a problem with it.

    It seems you've gone 180 on this now Rob...that exactly is the point. I do not want people restricting what I do with the music I've bought, which may or may not include listening to it on an iPod, and a Zune (if I'm so damned as to own one) or having a physical copy in my house, car and office if I so want. DRM has done exactly that and if anything is a causal factor in piracy.

    S'funny how unit sales are actually up in 2008, eh? I guess home taping is not killing music. Sure dollar value is down, but I guess that just makes it a bit harder to recoup those costs for anyone tied to a major label deal (which no-one in their right mind would do in 2008/9).

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Hard News: Conversation Starters,

    Anyway, we've now had a long period of alcohol being progressively normalized and marketed down every available pipe, and I don't see a Paris-style alco-utopia coming just over the horizon.

    well, yes and no. As an infrequent visitor to my home shores the civilized nature of much of our drinking culture, at least in Auckland city, which is my recent experience, hit me rather strongly over Christmas. It is slowly 'getting there', if you will.

    Sure there are aberrations and fairly hefty ones at that but it is a generational thing with repeated education and enforcement over decades. At a recent drink / drive swoop in, I think, Orewa, not a single person was found to be over the limit. That astounded me but found little comment in NZ.

    The aberrations are the problem, but to pummel the mainstream to tackle those ain't any answer.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Hard News: The song is not the same,

    I want to be able to do it and then decide if I want to pay later.
    why do they treat me like a criminal?

    They don't. There is a vast difference between a store camera trying to prevent someone from taking the product..in the same way you can't just drag a tune from iTunes without clicking buy, and a device restricting the way you chew those nuts afterwards.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Hard News: The song is not the same,

    And I wish I had faith that our elected representatives would have the spine to tell the various major players in the media industry that wholesale deep-packet-inspection is not OK!

    They'll do it when the industry bodies globally are told to take a leap. They are, after all, simply kowtowing. The battle on this is not with RIANZ who are little more than a mouthpiece, but with the international lobby groups like the IFPI and RIAA (who are American with global reach).

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Hard News: The song is not the same,

    And they just put $99 iPhones into Wal-Mart.

    I have to admit that I was rather taken aback by the number of iPhones I saw in NZ. You just don't really see them up in this part of the world.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

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