Posts by Russell Brown

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  • Hard News: Appeasing Osama,

    But of course D’Souza’s remedy of backtracking on liberal values is completely crazy, at least to any liberal.

    It's the sheer extent of the backtracking I find alarming. He really gives the impression that he'd like a sort of theocracy, and one that would severely limit the perceived excesses of Hollywood, the media and democracy.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Radiation: On the PVR,

    Matthew, do the people running TiVos locally have to manually switch Sky channels on their boxes in order to record the different shows? That's the most frustrating thought of buying a PVR

    I've seen a TiVo running locally that has a little infra-red device that sits over the IR window on the Sky box, and programs it that way.

    oh and the EPG problem.

    For the free-to-air channels, there's a basic EPG built into the satellite signal as part of the DVB format. You can buy generic PVRs (my friend has a Topfield brand box) that can read that. Not sure of a TiVo will do that, but the local TiVo community seems to having an ongoing swordfight with Sky involving scraping the listings off the Sky website.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Radiation: On the PVR,

    Good news, fanboys and girls: Nathan Fillion has a new show; and the lovely Jane Espenson has penned an episode of Battlestar Galactica.

    What about the Firefly MMOG? Will it really suck as much as people say?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Yellow Peril: Pinoy ahoy,

    And where are all the safricans on Shorty? A hospital without South Africans and Indians would be a very empty place.

    Good point. For greater realism the safrican character could work in HR. But seriously, that does seem like a little hole in the rich Shortland Street tapestry.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • OnPoint: D13: Insane Blogger vs…,

    The Brown speech is playing fine. Don't forget you can upload audio here too, if that's any easier.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Random Play: It’s Only Rock’n’Roll,

    On the timing of gigs: it was directly related to the extension of opening hours. Bar owners could then make people stay longer and drink more.

    In the 80s, midweek gigs were great - you could grab a bite to eat, see a couple of bands play and still be home in time for the late news. And on 11pm nights, you'd just have to find out where all the parties were. Oh, we made our own fun in those days ...

    Re violence: I think gigs are far less violent now. I actually can't recall ever seeing a fight at the King's Arms. We're lacking the two main contributing elements: boot boys and police. The boot boys were stupid and destructive and the cops weren't much better.

    The team policing units would turn up somewhere like the Windsor at closing time, hassle people, wait for someone to give them some lip, then it was all on and punters were being chucked in the back of vans. It was unforgiveably bad policing: the opposite of keeping order.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Random Play: It’s Only Rock’n’Roll,

    Going to see Black Slate and Herbs at the Town Hall and being one of maybe 20 white guys in the place. Standing in the foyer when a Black Power guy came in an announced "This is our night, brothers!"

    I saw Public Enemy play the Electric Ballroom in Camden - a low-ceilinged basement venue, after they'd been banned from the Hammersmith Odeon in the midst of a media panic.

    At one point, Professor Griff stepped forward to do a rant that revolved around the idea that "white people are wicked". You could have cut the air with a knife, which was actually what made it so memorable.

    Meanwhile, a Maori friend of mine, who was well into the PE empowerment message, got mugged at the gig by three young black guys. He was pretty upset about that.

    Funny thing is, I saw PE a couple of times in the interim, but the best gig was their one at the Power Station, when they were older and wiser and no longer in the headlines. It was such fun, and such a contrast to the first time I saw them. I also got to see Jonah Lomu meet Chuck D and them have a man-hug afterwards.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Wii Too,

    Actually, what there needs to be a Wii sports cricket game. That would rock.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Wonderful athletes,

    Agree totally about Aussie comentators, I always turn the commentary off if they are on, but we're hardly blameless in being one-eyed...might I mention Mexted?

    Don't get me started. Mexted seems incapable of understanding the laws of the game, yet feels able to prattle on about the referees' decisions. Richard Turner's another one. They frequently miss key facets of play and are basically awful at what they're paid to do.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • OnPoint: D11: Chennai to Bangalore,

    I guess I'm interested in how well Sutton acquits himself as our "roving ambassador" and whether he comes across as provincial in this setting as he used to at home.

    As Tze Ming suggests, the absence of China speaks volumes. It might be fun to keep score of mentions of the C-word.

    And I confess I'm intrigued that Dipak Patel is Zambia's former Minister of Commerce. Dare you to do a Norman Gunston and ask him if he misses his playing days ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

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