Posts by recordari

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  • Hard News: The best kind of villain…,

    It's Friday, and I'm in the mood.

    Actually, A Walk Across the Rooftops was one of my major musical influences also. Still play it, and it still matters.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Hard News: The best kind of villain…,

    Sure sounds like one of those life-changing decisions.

    It wasn't long after that I got into Heaven 17, Human League and Ultravox. Different to JD, but also important, IMhO, although not to everyone's taste I'm sure...

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Hard News: The best kind of villain…,

    The power behind these was a guy called Robin Lambert, manager of the Sounds Unlimited shop in lower Queen St.

    Where I bought my first record. Joy Division Closer. Luckily I put the Duran Duran one back.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Cracker: "It says 'Let's b friends', and…,

    One hour Wire? That's like a decaf soy latte. Or a 'why bother'. Having three 3 hour shows with only three DJs during the main listening times of the day doesn't seem particularly sensible. Variety is the spice, and all that.

    I genuinely felt sorry for Mikey listening to that. There have been some great moments in his Breakfast career, and some even happened over recent years, so why not let him move on without the character assassination, as he puts it? I for one have appreciated his music taste, for the most part*. Anyone who loves Jeff Buckley as much as me is Ok in my book.

    Oh, and if they stuff up The Rock n Roll Wire with Troy, then they should get their collective heads read.

    *(playing Bon Jovi when John Key didn't turn up was pushing a few boundaries)

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Wellington Declaration,

    What they have to do is decide which treatments will result in fewer deaths. And then they recommend that government money be only spent on the least lethal treatments.

    I'm guessing Pharmac might prefer to say 'most effective', rather than 'least lethal', but harm minimisation is at least one of their roles, within the budgetary constraints you mention. This is a big area for discussion on it's own, and I can at least see how ACTA the way America sees it could jeopardise this important role. That attitude has done wonders for the needs of the Third World with HIV medication. Not.

    The recipient of the Person of the Year, Ray Avery, has established an interesting model with his nutritional sachets. He sells them into developing countries for 50c (from memory) but packages them as 'Body Builder' supplements for the US where they pay US $25. Clever.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Hard News: Touched by the hand,

    Apropos of nothing in particular, this was funny.
    Apple Death Knell Counter.

    More of a dickhead than me, who never, ever shuts his workstation down voluntarily, because I can't bear waiting 5 minutes for it to come up?

    Get an iPad. It's as close to instant as you're likely to get. Which makes this multi-tasking noise somewhat irrelevant. It takes just as long to switch between apps as it does to switch on a new one.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Cracker: "It says 'Let's b friends', and…,

    Having worked at b in the 80s, and listened ever since, this feels personal, so I'm trying to be careful what I say. In the words of Mozza, 'It's time for a change...' but 'please, please, please, let me get what I want this time.'

    Is that Matt Heath? Not yet. But Hugh when he was calling up people with last names that rhyme with 'muck' to make fun of them live on air used to drive me nuts also. He grew on me. It took time. Marcus, Jude, Dom & Paul will forever be my heroes.

    I am old. I'll go roll my trousers. Oh look, they already are.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Wellington Declaration,

    It has been suggested elsewhere (sorry no refs for now) that any 'Free' Trade Agreement with the USA will demand Pharmac's scalp

    This is what I was afraid of. They are not perfect, but they are at least providing an essential gatekeepers role.

    It still amazes me that when we look at the rest of the world with Free Trade Agreements with the US, that we still want one. Go on, take everything.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Wellington Declaration,

    Er, did you check the date on that one? Little geek humour there ...

    Whoops... The dangers of clicking on links before looking at the 'big picture'.

    Still can't fully understand the link between ACTA and Pharmac as yet though. But clearly my cognitive abilities are compromised at present. Mansplain welcomed, in the circumstances.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Wellington Declaration,

    What is entirely realistic is that US interests could see Pharmac gutted (as was demanded of Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as a condition of AUS-FTA)

    Could someone in the know elaborate on this? Also on what do you base the assumption that this government wants to get rid of it? Seems quite a big leap from what I have read so far.

    And are the Europeans doing themselves any favours when they complain about the use of baseball analogies by saying;

    "These sports analogies are antithetical to the spirit of the open Internet," argued EFF International Director Gwen Hinze."The Internet is much more like the Force, which as Obi-Wan taught us all, 'surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.' Evil Sith-Imperial complaints should not result in an individual being severed from the Force. That's clearly preposterous."

    Hmm, yeah, if you say so.

    Don't get me wrong, I agree with what's been said, and support the initiative, but there's a lot to take in in a short period of time.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

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