Posts by Simon Grigg
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
a touch on the naive side simon.
no Rob, only if they were working on a plan for the ages. They were not, they were working on a plan for Radiohead's album. Nothing else matters. The model is neither here nor there for them.
Haven't we been over this several times.
-
Yeah, I loved what they did with the Eno / Byrne collaboration. Although it didn't exactly see the world on fire (it was never going to) it was another worthy signpost to what is possible, especially for legacy artists.
There is nothing he says which has more truth to it than:
Instead of doing a 360 deal with a label artists are able to do a 360 deal with themselves and choose their business partners based on who is going to add the most value.
And clearly the partner able to add the most value ain't a label with a declining volume and market muscle. Why anyone would sign a 360 deal with a major label is beyond me. The major gap in his theory though is the marketing gap. Which requires upfront cash, quite a bit of it, from someone. Not everyone, in fact very few acts, want to be niche no matter how big the niche and that's an inconvenient truth that is usually sidestepped.
-
The Dutch exploit low poduction costs in China for profit.
You still don't get it Angus. Perhaps you are being a tad narrow. I'm well aware of your argument but it avoids the obvious point that all parties see an advantage in it and have an obligation thus. The Chinese allow the Dutch to exploit the low production costs because they see a profit too. It's a pragmatism that is very Chinese.
It was an off the cuff remark from me that seems to have confused you. Best we leave it.
-
...no don't tell me let me guess.
You have a small ceramics workshop and want to do a large plate run. Do the design and have them Made in China for 20% of the price. You'll fire your staff, recieve carbon credits by shutting your NZ kiln, airfreight the plates back, discount 25% off, double your profit and (here is the best bit) blame the dirty f*%king Chinese for polluting the planet.
Steady Angus...my response was simply to your inaccurate statement that the profits go to Holland. It was, and remains nonsense. There is a profit derived by all parties from the transaction.
-
Profits are Dutch
The Chinese factory owners do it for zip? Maybe Angus can point me in the direction of these benevolent folks? I need....
-
Coming into Auckland is the only time I've had trouble at an airport, and even then no-one was particularly unpleasant; we just wasted an hour having our luggage pored through by a fairly apologetic customs agent.
try having a bunch of stamps in your passport from known terror warned (© MFAT) / drug producing nations. Although to be fair that has only happened once. My major gripe with Auckland is the ordeal of repeated queues followed at the end of each queue by an unwelcoming walk-shorted sharp snarl as often as not. It's an airport I seriously dislike going through.
And both Brisbane and Auckland seem to have a variance in attitude towards anyone with a non Western face. I'm often arriving with folks from Asia and am appalled and embarrassed at the way they are treated by Immigration, MAF and the Police.
-
The common denominator with countries that hassle visitors seems to me to be speaking English.
English speaking and western just to add another qualifier. The most unpleasant nations in my experience to enter (and I've traveled a fair bit) are 1) USA 2) Australia (especially Brisbane) and c) NZ if arriving via Auckland.
The most welcoming are a) Malaysia (no forms anymore) b) Singapore (they smile and offer you sweets), c) Hong Kong which are all English speaking and non Western.
-
Funny thing is, LAX was vile long before the current panic.
My first experience of the joys of LAX came in 1983, transiting thru to London. It was being rebuilt for the '84 Olympics and was mostly shut. We were herded off NZ1 into a big thing that looked like half an airship. We were told to stay there for the transit time...about 2 hours. There were no bathrooms and any attempt to leave was met with a snarl by a big guy with a gun.
-
Careful there, Simon, you're making me homesick.
that explains the swarms of Italians everywhere here
-
consequently I went to the dodgy corner shop and picked one up for £1.
Here in the world's most illogical country you are required to register your pre-paid via a bit of software on every SIM before it works. The thing is you can send back any sort of information and it works fine. My daughter's is registered to Harry Potter.
I had to provide more detail of course to get a number on account but the strangest request was for me to draw a picture of my house so they could find it if required! I drew a primary school styled square box with windows and flowers and they seemed happy.
I believe I was supposed to register with the police within 24 hours when I visited China in 2006, because I was staying with a local family.
I think I was supposed to declare myself when we went to stay in hotels as well, but the question never arose.
All common throughout Asia. In parts of Java one needs a wedding certificate to share a room with one's spouse.
We need to register any guest who stays overnight with the police and we have to report to the Kantor Polda ourselves once a year to renew our address.
You get rather used to bag and car checks by, often, machine gun toting polisi or guards. But it's mostly for show..to keep the ockers happy with their tourist dollars and travel warnings. I drove into a mall a little while back with a huge wooden crate on the back seat. The guard looked in, said "Security Check, bapak" checked under the car with the mirror and waved me through without a second glance at the crate.