Posts by BenWilson
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Hard News: About Arie, in reply to Russell Brown,
Let me assure you that the allegation on Russell Brown’s blog is wrong. It is highly defamatory. It is the sort of allegation that is purposefully hurtful
and deeply unfair.I'm sure she knows it's only defamatory if it's untrue, rather than unfair to her poor beleaguered self. It certainly is true that her statement could be easily taken as a coded message about prison rape. I'd even say that's the most obvious interpretation of her words and that was purposeful.
She'd be very stupid to take any kind of legal proceedings - the last thing she wants is to be on some court stand explaining in weasel words exactly what she did mean in front of the media. For starters, it will piss off the people who DID agree with her sentiment.
-
Hard News: The Thread, It Is Open, in reply to 3410,
Yup, there's general laughter, followed by a counter-roar which might even be approving, hard to say. But hardly stunned silence. Tallies with my memory of ACT get-togethers way back when I first decided that their theory and their reality were separated by a vast gulf. All this theory about liberty etc, then drunken discussions with some racist fuckwit whose only real concern is paying less tax.
-
Hard News: About Arie, in reply to Stephen Judd,
Incidentally, this means we should write to MPs when they do things we like, too. Positive reinforcement works better than punishment: let's do it.
Yup, but don't send them letters. Write it in public, so everyone can see. It's more rewarding that way, and the dialectic that arises might give them more insight too.
I've no doubt whatsoever that opinions expressed in the main political blogs come to the attention of politicians and are actively read by them and their flunkies. I don't have evidence, and expect they would like to downplay that, but seriously, when you need to turn your brain to some task, you only get so far talking to your colleagues. Then you turn to the media, and get the whole mainstream story in about 5-10 minutes, which is not really very satisfying or illuminating. Then you go to the 'net, and find everything you thought is Google searchable to the small teams of people writing stuff intensively, freely, and publicly. Why wouldn't you read it?
-
Big assumption, there. This is one NZer to whom it would not appeal at all, and I know plenty of others.
Of course, but there will be plenty who do like it too. It's somewhere between suburbia and urban living. So they can keep their car, and do all the things that they think they can't do without that are basic in suburbia, but they get a great many of the advantages of urban life too. It's a gateway property drug.
I'm not just imagining this kind of layout. I've lived in it - Melbourne is exactly like that. The low rise inner suburbs were where I dwelt, in apartments, with a car and motorbike in the basement, a 1 minute walk to a tram stop for a 10 minute ride to the heart of the city, and walking distance from hundreds of restaurants, movie theatres, other shopping, parks, the university, the local pool, etc.
I really liked the gated condomium style apartment layout. It promoted interaction with your neighbors, was extremely secure, and highly efficient, with lots of shared facilities, like hot water, garbage disposal, a swimming pool and gym.
I did move to suburbia in the end because I wanted children, but I'm actually less convinced than I was about the wisdom of that.
-
Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Kumara Republic,
Sprawling suburbia on the other hand is marketed as a slice of Ruritania, but in practice it's applied tragedy of the commons - and traffic gridlock is just part of it.
I'm not sure how much "being green" is the reason people live in the suburbs, though. It's because they like living that way, and are prepared to wear the cost. But it would be better if there was more choice. Then anyone who liked urban living could do it. I think more people would if there was more of it available. Definitely moving to low rise inner suburbs would appeal to NZers, not just foreigners more accustomed to super high density living.
-
Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Keir Leslie,
I like tall buildings, and a city no higher than 6 stories sounds painfully boring to me.
It could be. But lots of skyscrapers is no guarantee of interesting architecture.
I really don't see Christchurch being redesigned on some grand scale. NZ just doesn't have enough money for that. The priority is to get it basically functional first. That pretty much starts with demolition, and fixing the underground infrastructure.
This is going to be a long process. Building large buildings takes years and years. If business waits for that to happen, business will die.
The phoenix of industry there will rise from the suburbs. Eventually the CBD might reach its former glory, but in in the meantime life will go on with what survived.
-
Re: Coffee. WTF is up with not being able to get a coffee anywhere on Ponsonby Rd after 12pm on a Saturday night? All credibility as 'cafe central' in NZ totally blown.
-
Or everyone's come down with a Friday case of hair of the dog.
-
Hard News: About Arie, in reply to 3410,
Tell that to Geoff Palmer. ;)
True. What I should have said is "No chance of that if Labour wants to win the election".
-
Hard News: About Arie, in reply to 3410,
Can we please get rid of this clown already?!
No chance of that during an election year.
Personally, I've never ceased to be bitter on the man since he introduced student fees.
Last ←Newer Page 1 … 624 625 626 627 628 … 1066 Older→ First