Posts by Richard Llewellyn

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  • Hard News: And we may never meet again ..., in reply to Russell Brown,

    Although Gary Steel mentioned a digital-to-analog converter that you can buy as an iDevice accessory -- it bypasses the built-in converter and the results are apparently very good

    What is this wonderful sounding device? If there is a magic box available to make ipod music sound better - do tell!

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Again: Is everyone okay?, in reply to Rob S,

    Did the childs family know about and give permission for the photo to be used in such a way?

    Feel much the same way Rob - yesterdays front page Herald photo of the two teenagers at the very moment they've been told their mother was most likely dead, while an undeniably powerful photo, just felt a bit too much like emotional porn. By and large I think the media have done a fantastic job in very difficult circumstances, but that felt like a misjudged intrusion to me.

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • OnPoint: Election 2011: GO!, in reply to Glenn Pearce,

    Glenn, the Treasury figures citing poor comparative SOE performance against NZX listed companies comes from this Crown Monitoring report (I think). See pg 21. But as to how this has been calculated - dunno.

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • OnPoint: Election 2011: GO!, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    You may well be correct Matthew - just as I am sure there are good examples where the reverse is true, I was just pointing out that different ownership models are not, as far as I am aware, necessarily correlated with good performance (in fact, if I've read it right, the Crown monitoring report is quite interesting in that regard). But happy to be corrected if I'm wrong.

    As to what is a desirable or preferable ownership model from a community and national asset perspective, well thats another matter where political and ideological battle lines tend to get drawn, and I'm not game enough to get into that :)

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • OnPoint: Election 2011: GO!, in reply to Andrew C,

    Andrew - the attached Crown Monitoring Performance report is one source of the SOE performance. Not sure of the accuracy, but it does differ from the figures quoted by Bernard Hickey, and is closer to the average 2% return you had heard, comparing quite unfavourably to the top NZX companies over the same period.

    That said a well-run company is a well-run company, regardless of whether it is state owned, publicly listed, or privately owned.

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to recordari,

    Can confirm Gladstone Primary have a pool, and that parents can pay a partially recoverable fee each summer for a key - and the money raised from parents is used to offset costs of pool maintainance.

    There is an important point here about school pools - I haven't seen the statistics and strapped for time to find them, but I recall seeing someone from Watersafe NZ a couple of years ago draw a correlation between an increase in NZ child drowning rates and an increase in the closure of school pools.

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Do you like what we've done…,

    dunno about the technical stuff, but yes, like the change, and the magazine style format and readability. well done all.

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • Field Theory: Great game of netball or…,

    I couldn't sit, for fear my complacency would lose the Ferns the game.

    Lol - thats exactly how I feel during tense sporting events. And afterwards, I can't help but feel sorry for the vanquished (well, just a little bit sorry in the case of the uber-competitive McMahon)

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Behind the Paywall,

    Re: the Sunday Times. Let me just say that it will be a rather bracing day in hell before I pay money to read Stephen Jones ....

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • Speaker: KICK IT! The Faces of the Defeated,

    doh, sorry, yeah golden ball, Muller wins golden boot by virtue of more assists

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

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