Posts by George Darroch
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
We need more of these kinds of adverts just so the self-appointed anti-PC crowd hoist themselves on their own petard
I do think that New Zealand is somewhat advanced on that matter. The less suggestive of these images (fairly SFW) went up on 20ft billboards in public locations around Auckland and Wellington and I heard no outcry. I imagine Wendy Francis would be spluttering.
In Phil’s case,I imagine it’s called ‘Know Your Enemy’. Most of these fundie wingnuts are hardcore anti-Labour types and the parliamentary party is more socially liberal than ever.
I hope so, and I'm prepared to believe that. But realistically, I have no idea. Since his speech in which he stated that Labour had focused too heavily on social legislation at the expense of the rest, I haven't heard a firm word from him in public. The rest of his caucus I have much clearer ideas about.
Anyhow, I'm glad to be having this conversation. I've got to run but I'll pop back later.
-
Ooh, we have a Twitter button? Shiny new toys!
-
I should say a few things.
Firstly, Craig Young has written a series of useful An unhelpful column about cannabis on the subject. It would be remiss not to mention these.
Secondly, Parents Inc, the religious parenting organisation headed by Ian Grant was recently handed a $2.4 million contract by the Government, without the least bit of due process or scrutiny. Many questions remain unanswered. (But I’ve been able to answer any of them, so I left this out – I like to point to what I know, rather than join incoherent dots). We can infer that there are a strong confluence of views between the organisation and the Government, but I don’t want to go beyond that.
And thirdly, I don’t begrudge the PM or Leader of the opposition meeting with their constituents. Everybody has the right to participate in politics, no matter how disturbing we find their ideas. Unfortunately, Russel Norman seemed unable to make this distinction. I hate the Exclusive Brethren with an absolute vengeance – my own grandfather was blocked from entering his brother’s funeral, but I do not think this disqualifies their right to act politically. The same goes for Family First and the Australian Christian Lobby. What is a problem is hiding that contact, and leveraging one group while pretending your views and positions are different.
-
There has been a lot of work put in to Lake Road, Quay Street and the Newmarket viaduct, though, to name three big road I can think of off the top of my head. Although that may all be accounted for in last years budget.
The Government is throwing billions at new mega-projects, but they've actually significantly cut road maintenence budgets.
-
Also the case in London.
Very much the case in Indonesia. The hive-mind is at play there, and it's completely unsurprising to see someone driving down the wrong side of a street. There are no lanes in practical terms. The expectation is that they'll make room for you, and you'll make room for them. It works, apart from the small percentage of the time when it goes disasterously wrong.
If everyone drove there like they do here (assertively, giving nothing), the roads would be clogged with accidents.
-
basic pothole and surface repair will continue to deteriorate unless voters wise up or ratepayers pick up the slack in your area.
I've noticed that, actually. Big potholes appearing in roads in Auckland, and not being repaired. (Although it may be that I was looking for it, in the knowledge of cuts). Roads that fall apart are a pretty good visual indicator of the state of public spending in a country.
-
“we clean gutters, not roads”. Yes, that was the response when I asked why the street sweepers didn’t clear the broken glass & other detritus off the roads/cycle lanes.
Well, clogged gutters mean clogged pipes, which is a cost to them. Glass on the road is only a cost to the general public. You can see what they're thinking...
-
I dont think a discussion on head impact mitigation devices is completely out of line here,especially if it gets more folks on their bikes
I think it's more important to build the infrastructure, create some more culture, and then when more people are riding and cycling is seen as safe again, deconstruct the culture of fear and misinformation about the benefits of helmets. However, given current circumstances, I think it's a misdirection of advocacy energy. Christchurch is being rebuilt, that's a given. Other things, less so. It also changes things from being positive - this is what we should do and look how beautiful it can be - to negative (this is wrong and harming us). Given the opportunities the former affords, I don't think the latter works right now. Let's take David's enthusiastic proposals and run with them.
-
Steve, did you even look at the page you were linking to? I do not think it means what you think it means.
ETA: It appears you are endorsing Thompson, Rivara & Thompson 1989, rather than the counter-arguments made by BHRF on that page an the rest of the site, but I can't be sure. I don't want to assume.
-
The safety of cycle helmets is something that people take as an article of faith. They are a small bit of polystyrene, covered with a plastic shell, no less, no more. What that polystyrene is designed to do is decrease the force of impact, firstly by compressing and then shattering, and secondly (although they are not particularly optimised for this) by distributing those forces across a greater area of skull. They do this to some extent, although it is not huge. This is a benefit. Tthey are tested simply with a weight dropped straightforwardly from a height. They are not designed to prevent rotation, which they are proven to worsen. Rotational injuries are very severe. They mean that a straightforward force on the brain is turned into a torsional one, and instead of a localised injury, large parts of the brain can be injured. This is not a benefit.
I don't claim to know if the harm prevented is less or greater than the harm caused. I do think that the balance against helmets is pretty clear when all other factors are considered however.
Sorry to go into detail, and I want this to be about infrastructure rather than helemt wars, but Lilith's post really couldn't go uncommented on.