Posts by James Butler

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  • Hard News: "Creative" and "Flexible",

    Not to mention how the liberal Left in this country has bought pretty much wholesale the neoconservative arguments about trimming the fat and using the market to support anything that moves.

    I wonder if this is fallout from the historical accident in which New Zealand's liberal Left and neoconservative Right were the same people for a few topsy-turvy years...

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report

  • Hard News: Auckland: where only one man votes,

    I do not represent the ACT Party in any manner whatsoever while espousing opinions on this blog

    I think that's for us to decide.

    Strong words. Is everyone posting on PAS required to wear all their hats? Or just those chosen by a quorum of senior members?

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report

  • Hard News: Standards Matter,

    Do universities even take individual grades at 7th form/year 12 (or whatever) in to account anymore for entry into specific papers?

    Depends on the paper. I remember MATH 113 as the one with the entrance requirement (in 2002) - I just squeezed in (thanks to massive scaling of the Bursary exam results, but that's another rant), and failed the paper miserably in a year when I got B+ to A in everything else. Protip: the requirement was there for a reason.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report

  • Hard News: Standards Matter,

    the Prussian Officer selection matrix

    You seem to be implying that energetic + competent is the optimum - in the version I know, energetic + competent is good for administrators, but for officers in command you need lazy + competent.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report

  • Hard News: Do Want?,

    I don't know what Apple have been doing with CUPS behind the scenes, but at least they've sprinkled some UI magic on the old puke-green web admin page.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report

  • Hard News: Do Want?,

    The point is that most folks find it easier and more enjoyable to do it with Apple.

    I appreciate and understand why Unix/Linux etc is superior but I still can't be bothered with it.

    Let's pretend I'm not geekily pointing out to you how OS X is Unix.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report

  • Hard News: Do Want?,

    Why read books on this and not actual books?

    Project Gutenberg. Probably 50% my contact time on my Touch (ie. not just listening to music) is spent reading Public Domain works with Stanza.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report

  • Hard News: Do Want?,

    There's no multitasking in the OS at all

    That's not strictly true - the OS is multitasking all the time - it's just that Apple won't approve any 3rd-party apps that try to make use of it.

    If I open a terminal on my (jailbroken) Touch and run 'top', I can see a whole screenful of processes running at once. Even Safari is left running when you aren't using it (presumably to make it appear to start up more quickly).

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report

  • Hard News: Space for Ol Dat I See,

    A cycle route that is constantly crossing a well-used road is a major FAIL.

    But isn't the recommended solution generally to treat bicyclists like first class road users, not funky semi-pedestrians?

    The important distinction is "constantly crossing" vs. "constantly part of". For utility cycling, a cycle route that is properly integrated with a major road is a wonderful thing; one that requires you (in theory) to constantly dismount, cross as a pedestrian and remount (hello, Green Lane/Great South Road) is worse than nothing.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report

  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    "Prominent", as in "Prominent Entertainer", or from a few years back "Prominent New Zealander".

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report

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