Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Electrickery

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  • andrew llewellyn,

    my trick is ask a question you know the answer to

    My wife's is to feign ignorance, and the shop people oblige with information (usually usefull).

    For instance, when buying a camera, she entered a well known photography shop & announced "I've just been reading about digital cameras - I know that they all come with pixiebells, but what I want to know is how many pixiebells do I need?

    The man solemnly corrected her "Megapixels, madam"

    We got a cool camera though.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    For consumer humiliation in an electronics store, its difficult to go past this:

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Jim Cathcart,

    Or the Japanese tycoon in the mid-90s who went to Akihabara to buy himself an internet.

    Since Nov 2006 • 228 posts Report Reply

  • Bennett Row,

    Craig,

    You're totally right. Mebeki and co, should be be held to account like many others.

    I just haven't heard all Wright's talks so I'm not sure what his approach to people suffering from AIDS would be.

    Since Mar 2008 • 8 posts Report Reply

  • James Green,

    I don't blame the staff. It's an inevitable consequence of the bewildering array of products, and the piss-poor pay. These days I only use such places as a way of getting a look at a product, then back to the net to research it, and find the cheapest source.

    This is certainly my strategy these days. The information is pretty woeful. But sometimes I could really do with some help. I'm still not sure that I've quite grasped the whole hi def TV thing (and not for want of trying). I'm quite excited by Freeview HD (and things like Russell's new show), and was looking at some big LCDs over the weekend, when I realised that most of them have *fewer* pixels than the resolution of the new terrestrial service. I'm quite confused as to why the TVs don't have better resolution. For the time being I give up.

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    if the HIV virus was some kind of CIA plot to exterminate black folks they really went FUBAR

    Indeed, it's a fairly repulsive thing to be constructing conspiracy theories around. The truth of the Reagan response is scary enough.

    Dr. C. Everett Koop, Reagan's surgeon general, has said that because of "intradepartmental politics" he was cut out of all AIDS discussions for the first five years of the Reagan administration. The reason, he explained, was "because transmission of AIDS was understood to be primarily in the homosexual population and in those who abused intravenous drugs." The president's advisers, Koop said, "took the stand, 'They are only getting what they justly deserve.' "

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Danyl Mclauchlan,

    But, OTOH, I don't agree with every bloody word that comes out of the mouths of the drivelling pisspots that pass for the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference. If that makes me a bad Catholic, tough, because I've also known Catholic clergymen who have been (yes) spiritual mentors. And damn good people.

    I think that might by why this whole Wright thing hasn't been the disaster that 'everyone' predicted. I suspect many Americans thought about the religious leaders in their own lives, pondered on how batshit crazy they'd appear if you spliced them into a two minute youtube clip and shrugged and moved on.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Admission - I did ask about Blueberries once and was directed to the neighbouring cafe.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    You're totally right. Mebeki and co, should be be held to account like many others.

    I just haven't heard all Wright's talks so I'm not sure what his approach to people suffering from AIDS would be.

    Ah, Bennett... sorry for going off, but I just go nuts at the ignorance and utter complacency around. Sure, new drug regimes have greatly expanded the length and quality of life of HIV-positive folks (assuming, of course, you have access to these drugs and qualified doctors who can monitor what are often enormously complex drug regimes with potentially enormous side effects), but it's strikes me as infinitely preferable not to get infected in the first place. And its not really rocket science.

    I'm a big believer in the notion of 'Garbage In, Garbage Out'. If you really believe HIV is a genocidal invention of the racist CIA, its no leap at all to come to the conclusion that safe sex is a con, and so is treatment. After all, Big Pharma is just part of Amerikkka Korp, isn't it?

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I suspect many Americans thought about the religious leaders in their own lives, pondered on how batshit crazy they'd appear if you spliced them into a two minute youtube clip and shrugged and moved on.

    Who among us wouldn't come across as a couple of kumara short of a full hangi after a You Tube makeover? At least I pay for my cigarettes and an occasional binge buying expedition to JB Hi-Fi out of going nuts in three minute increments. :)

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

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    On an earlier thread I asked the question

    I have been looking at usb tuner dongles. Question, if I get a usb dongle that supports just mpg2 will it be useless for NZ's mpg4 broadcast? Or what about the WinFast DTV2000 H pc card, this one will do dvbs and dvbt but only mpg 2 again or do I have to get a mpg4 card or is that just the recording format? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!

    I still haven't found the answer,(even on geekzone). So far I haven't spent the money I was very happy to part with over the weekend.I thought Customer service was bad but on last try ,I got a nice camera:-)Still would appreciate an answer if anyone does know."Should work" isn't convincing enough.
    I think management (and there always is someone)can encourage their staff to be more helpful . That is what good management skills are. That is why their wages are higher.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • James Green,

    I still haven't found the answer,(even on geekzone)

    Ditto. Pretty much. What is clear is that the MPEG4/H.264 has much better quality, but that it will eat your CPU for breakfast, unless you have a video card (not video not tuner card) that can natively decode h.264. I think. Or maybe if you're tuner can turn it into some other thing that gets sent to your TV?? I dunno.

    Uh anyway, apparently if you get a motherboard with the AMD 790G on board graphics, it will do the H.264 decode. Still haven't worked out how to get the signal to there yet.

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • James Green,

    sofie -- feel free to email me if you want to swap notes

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I still haven't found the answer,(even on geekzone). So far I haven't spent the money I was very happy to part with over the weekend.I thought Customer service was bad but on last try ,I got a nice camera:-)Still would appreciate an answer if anyone does know."Should work" isn't convincing enough.

    Try won't work. An MPEG2 tuner won't decode MPEG4 broadcasts, and there aren't equivalent MPEG4 solutions yet.

    I think.

    I still wasn't sure after I read this.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Curtis,

    The whole Obama/peacher thing is a sham.

    Obama has basically very little religious beliefs and attends church to advance his political career.

    At least Bush doesnt attend church regularly for his shallow brand of Christianity
    As for the dodgy pastor for Hillary. What nonsense.
    She has allways followed a liberal Methodist line and her principal spiritual advisor Don Jones

    http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2007/06/bernstein.html

    Aside from her family, Hillary’s Methodism is perhaps the most important foundation of her character. As one of her aides said during the winter’s night of the Lewinsky epoch, ‘Hillary’s faith is the link.' …It explains the missionary zeal with which she attacks her issues and goes after them, and why she’s done it for thirty years. And, it also explains the really extraordinary self-discipline and focus and ability to rely on her spirituality to get through all this [Lewinskiy, impeachment, etc]….She’s a woman of tremendous faith. Again, not advertised

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    I think.

    I still wasn't sure after I read this.

    Thanks I'll have a read and James I was kinda where you are at which didn't convince me but thankyou .

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Obama has basically very little religious beliefs and attends church to advance his political career.

    Really? I undertstand, from all the pious outrage going around, that Obama has known Wright for over twenty years. I've heard of long-term planning but this is utterly ridiculous.

    And if he was cynically pimping faith for votes, you'd have to wonder why he didn't become a Catholic or Baptist (the two largest Christian denomination in the US).

    Just for the record, Steve, I'm NOT going tit for tat with you on this. As one thing God didn't endow me with was long-range telepathy, I have no idea about the depth and sincerity of the religious sentiments of either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama. But it's entirely far comment to say both Clintons have been quite happy to be seen with, and dance attendance on, some reiligious figures who are every bit as noxious as Jeremiah Wright when it was politically convenient to do so. Sorry if the truth hurts, but suck it up.

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

  • tussock,

    I figured the widespread official distrust of HIV treatments in Africa came down to political pragmatism.

    Until quite recently most of the governments couldn't afford the treatments regardless of their efficacy, and the people were deeply suspicious of foreign medical intervention when the early mass vaccination programs had quickened the spread HIV and other blood-borne diseases in many African nations. So the politicians played up the local mistrust.
    It probably didn't help that they could only get international funding for public education programs if they didn't tell people about condoms. Bush has tied up huge amounts of unrelated funding since 2000 with his fundamentalist "abstinence only" programs.

    Of course, encouraging public ignorance for short-term political gain has had some terrible run on effects.

    Since Nov 2006 • 611 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Oh, and FYI when you, members of your family and political associates are talking to Carl Bernstein (!) on the record for a biography that's not any reasonable definition of "not advertised".

    Personally, I'd love to see a RW presidential candidate repeat word for word this memorable speech from the (sadly fictional) Arnold Vinnick:

    Senator Vinick: "Look...I respect Reverend Butler, & I respect his church too much to use it for my own political purposes. That's exactly what I would be doing If I went down there this sunday. The truth is that it would be an act of political phoniness. I may be wrong but I supspect our churches have enough political phonies in them."

    Reporter: "Senator, do you or do you not..."

    Senator Vinick: "I don't see how we can have a separation of Church & State in this government, if you have to pass a religious test, to get in this government. And I want to warn everyone in the press & all the voters out there, If you demand expressions of Religious Faith from politicians, you are just begging to be lied to. They won't all lie to you, but a lot of them will, and it will be the easiest lie they ever had to tell to get your votes. So every day until the end of this campaign, I will answer any question anyone has on government, but if you have a question on Religion...Please go to church. Thank You."

    But you know something, I've actually read that speech, and both his books and if you really think Obama is an opportunistic phony I'll just agree to disagree and leave it at that.

    But here's something to think about: I believe in the separation of Church (and Mosque and Synagogue and every other house of worship) and State. But if you expect people like me to treat out faith as something shameful, or just STFU when we're treated with sneering condescension you can go screw yourself.

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

  • Russell Brown,

    Obama has basically very little religious beliefs and attends church to advance his political career.

    That seems an odd contention, given what he's said and written. I suspect he's sincere, but I'm open to evidence that says otherwise.

    At least Bush doesnt attend church regularly for his shallow brand of Christianity
    As for the dodgy pastor for Hillary. What nonsense.
    She has allways followed a liberal Methodist line ...

    Ya rly. Apart from that slightly creepy (to me, anyway) conservative Bible-study group she's been involved with for the last 15 years. Gimme a Sunday morning in Obama's church over tea with those people.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Still, perhaps I'm unfair. Clinton's forgiving Methodist nature has seen her bury the hatchet with the original vast right wing conspirator, Richard Mellon Scaife

    As National Review Online's Byron York put it: Hell Has Officially Frozen Over.

    Josh Marshall, however, smells something other than snow:

    Let's game this out. Hillary's saying this wasn't some planned thing. She just got hit with this question and she answered it. But here's my question. You think Richard Mellon Scaife might want to dig into the Jeremiah Wright story? This is sort of like, 'Hey, I go on Hannity and next thing you know he's asking me about Wright and Farrakhan. How was I supposed to see that coming?'

    I don't know just how this went down. But the idea Sen. Clinton and her staff went into an editorial board meeting with Scaife and his lackey reporters without a clear sense that they were going to get at least one choice Jeremiah Wright question just somehow doesn't ring true to me.

    Where do Methodists stand on the ethical and moral imperative not to tell lies?

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

  • Neil Morrison,

    Obama has basically very little religious beliefs and attends church to advance his political career.

    I disagree aswell, his religious beliefs look genuine. Not to say that there isn't a slight amount political calculation invloved but that would be true of almost all US politicians regarding religion.

    Apart from that slightly creepy (to me, anyway) conservative Bible-study group she's been involved with for the last 15 years.

    According to Barbara Ehrenreich. Who I wouldn't trust. The group looks odd but Roosevelt belonged to it and so do other pretty liberal Dems. It's been used as an opportunity for Senators from both parties to meet free from the normal political stress.

    She attends a pretty straight forward Methodist church which is the best indication of her religious beliefs.

    Still, perhaps I'm unfair.

    For once we're in agreement.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    As one thing God didn't endow me with was long-range telepathy, I have no idea about the depth and sincerity of the religious sentiments of either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama.

    I'm glad you said this, because... for goodness' sake. This 'sincerity' thing is between a person and their deity, surely? Plus if Obama was attending church to advance his career, wouldn't he choose a completely uncontroversial congregation, as Craig noted? Picking the church of an Afro-centric liberation theologist hasn't exactly panned out brilliantly for him politically this year, has it?

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Curtis,

    Well this from BO biography... Wikipedia
    Obama completed his law degree magna cum laude in 1991, then returned to Chicago where he headed a voter registration drive and began writing his first book, Dreams from My Father, published in 1995

    Starts his first book in 1995... the guy is a political animal right from the start and his first elected post covers the .... you guessed it .. South Side of Chicago 'Wright' slap bang in the middle of the Trinity United Church of Christ

    Some sources say he first began attending in 1988, which was when he went to Harvard Law School at age 27. I would say political calculation comes into it for an activist of this age.

    Hitchens actually gives the page numbers from Audacity of Hope to support the shallowness of his beliefs
    http://www.slate.com/id/2187277/pagenum/all/#page_start

    And what a shame. I assume you all have your copies of The Audacity of Hope in paperback breviary form. If you turn to the chapter entitled "Faith," beginning on Page 195, and read as far as Page 208, I think that even if you don't concur with my reading, you may suspect that I am onto something. In these pages, Sen. Obama is telling us that he doesn't really have any profound religious belief, but that in his early Chicago days he felt he needed to acquire some spiritual "street cred."


    Hillarys faith was at least consistent as she was strong church goer from College onwards

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Robeson,

    The whole Obama/peacher thing is a sham.

    Obama has basically very little religious beliefs and attends church to advance his political career.

    and yet even with this supposed sham Christianity he is able to be compassionate, humble and humanitarian, and understand being your brother's keeper,

    while the real Christians invade other countries and kill lots of people cos they're evil.

    and while we're on this story. Eddie Izzard's Easter ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XJfRzNOJNE

    Since Feb 2008 • 87 posts Report Reply

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