Hard News by Russell Brown

Read Post

Hard News: Don Paul

86 Responses

First ←Older Page 1 2 3 4 Newer→ Last

  • Che Tibby,

    gives out free beer in the Koru lounge, without too much drunken rioting from the frequent flying classes

    that about says it all really. you can't imagine the members of the koru-club doing beer-bongs and descending into a drunken brawl.

    although... the other week a well-oiled acquaintance did explain in no uncertain terms to jonah lomu that he is a "has-been". made me realise how patiently good-natured the big fulla is.

    and qantas still provides free food and booze on the auckland-wellington run. i thought i'd woken up and it was 1995 on the last trip down.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    and let's not to forget their able application of that great leveller of complex ideas, "the wedge".

    "iwi - kiwi" was particularly despicable.

    I agree. Although all parties, Labour included, are guilty of similar sins, I find the Ansell approach particularly worrying (living in Australia however, it's instantly recognisable however). All spin and no substance, designed to polarise and certainly not to inform.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • Rob Hosking,

    I'm not so sure you'd appreciate the influence of Mr Pointy on a Ranapia Administration. Seriously, I was one of those kids who school reports were endless variations on the theme "does not play well with others". The whole non-existent brain/mouth filter thing isn't a good fit with modern retail politics either. :)

    I suspect most people who have regularly contributed to the blogosphere have probably ruled themselves out of a political career - a successful one, anyway - at least, those who contributed prior to becoming, say, an MP or a candidate.

    I don't know what the Mr Pointy referred to in the above post is, and I'm not going to risk clicking on the link.

    If I didn't think he'd take it as a deadly insult I'd say...oh what the hell, I'll say it anyway...I think Craig would make a fantastic newspaper columnist. Yes, seriously.

    I shall now retire to a safe distance and write about interest rates.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report

  • Christopher Worthington,

    Quick reply to Terence:

    1. Yes there is an income effect, however there is a rich body of literature estimating the elasticity of labour supply and the usual finding is that it is low but positive. So on average higher taxes leads to a (small) reduction in hours worked. However, although the income effect reduces the negative impact on GDP, it doesn't change the fact that there is still a dead-weight loss to social welfare from the income tax, and as you said, it's the latter that we should be concerned with. A fuller explanation is here

    Since Jan 2008 • 25 posts Report

  • Emma Hart,

    I don't know what the Mr Pointy referred to in the above post is, and I'm not going to risk clicking on the link.

    Dude, s'alright. Without visiting the link, I can tell you that Mr Pointy is a special stake that Kendra gave Buffy during Series 2. My daughter also has a stake she has christened Mr Pointy.

    Now I'll be over in the Sad Geeks' corner.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    He'd have been a disaster as Prime Minister.

    strong words Russell, can you qualify that?

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • Terence W,

    Christopher,

    Thanks. Off home now but will have a read. I'm not at all sure about the dead weight welfare losses you talk about though: wouldn't these presume that there was no such thing as diminishing marginal utility and also that the real world was at least approximately close to one in which rational market actors were perfectly free to make welfare enhancing choices with no externalities? (Kindof a world as stylised in Arrow-Debreu if I recall correctly).

    Ok - I'm outta here...

    YesWeCanberra • Since Mar 2008 • 41 posts Report

  • Terence W,

    having reconsidered:

    I withdraw the second half of my last comment. I think that diminishing marginal utility is sufficient counter to the claim of dead weight welfare loss.

    YesWeCanberra • Since Mar 2008 • 41 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I don't know what the Mr Pointy referred to in the above post is, and I'm not going to risk clicking on the link.

    Rob, give me some credit -- as a courtesy, I don't ambush folks around here with NSFW linkage. I assault them up front with lurid and tasteless turns of phrase.

    My daughter also has a stake she has christened Mr Pointy.

    Damn right. Screw diamonds -- a sharp stick is a girl's best friend. But no killing people: Just blood sucking politicians and demon lawyers.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Ethan Tucker,

    And why should they not? They've paid large amounts of money (my season ticket was GBP300 a month at one stage) to travel on the railway - why can't they have a bit of refreshment on the journey home

    Because we have already established a direct correlation between Englishmen drinking on public transport and the likelihood of them dressing up as man-sized beer bottles or streaking? :)

    Seriously though, you've got a point. Middle-class Johnny Banker types are not likely to cause a great deal of woe on their way home unless there's a squadron of them travelling together and getting raucous, which would be uncommon. Or if they were schooled at Eton, in which case they seem to start shouting the minute they get near alcohol. Which would be the opposite of common, but still annoying.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 119 posts Report

  • Che Tibby,

    Screw diamonds -- a sharp stick is a girl's best friend. But no killing people: Just blood sucking politicians and demon lawyers.

    during the first season of buffy (which i only saw a little of) a friend had a turn of phrase i always heard as "that skinny b*tch needs to get a steak in her."

    it was ages before i caught up with her tv veiwing habits.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report

First ←Older Page 1 2 3 4 Newer→ Last

Post your response…

This topic is closed.