Posts by Nick D'Angelo

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  • Island Life: Burn fat, not oil,

    Pictures and my own bit of drivel on the matter.

    That's good stuff 81st, and another PAS reader (Chris) posted his one
    here. I really should update mine, since I wrote it quickly ... I wanted to get it up asap (and did, by 11.40am yesterday) in the naive belief that the sooner it was blogged the less chance the media would misrepresent what happened.

    By and large I don't think they did, I just wish journalists would ask more questions as to what Transits plan for the day was. It seems it was Say "meh" and shrug shoulders.

    Simon Laan • Since May 2008 • 162 posts Report

  • Island Life: Burn fat, not oil,

    pointless and predictable

    Speaking of, here's what one of my Facebook friends said about the pics I posted:

    Every stupid person involved in this action should be ashamed about the danger they put everyone in, including the kids on the bridge, the motorists and the Police! No excuse at all, shame on you all!!! I hope heaps of people are fined.

    Walking and cycling on the Harbour bridge is the least of the worries, the damn thing is almost falling apart, and when another cossing is built and traffic on the HB reduces it WILL be partly used for pedestrians, decision already made.

    If North Shore people don't like the commute in the mean time, then move to Auckland City or work close to where you live!!!

    When I clicked on his name (cos I didn't know who he was - Facebook is like that) I saw that his status update read 'Protestors should get a job!".

    I considered defriending him, but it's a democracy - I don't mind if he has a different view to mine.

    Simon Laan • Since May 2008 • 162 posts Report

  • Speaker: Grand Theft Auckland,

    Leighton Smith has just said he's against the Supercity because altho' everyone thinks (okay, he's projecting his own desire here) Banks & Co will get in, the reality is that Auckland leans left and Mike Lee and his leftie cronies will get in - and take all the power.

    Actually, I kinda agree with him on the 'Auckland leans left'. By next October 2010 there could be a swing against National...

    Simon Grigg posted this great link on his Facebook page, about how Exectutive Power opposed for Bush is now being mooted for Obama:

    During the Bush years, it was common for Democrats to try to convince conservatives to oppose Bush's executive power expansions by asking them: "Do you really want these powers to be exercised by Hillary Clinton or some liberal President?"
    Following that logic, for any Democrat/progressive/liberal/Obama supporter who wants to defend Obama's proposal of "preventive detention," shouldn't you first ask yourself three simple questions:
    (a) what would I have said if George Bush and Dick Cheney advocated a law vesting them with the power to preventively imprison people indefinitely and with no charges?;

    Simon Laan • Since May 2008 • 162 posts Report

  • Island Life: Symptoms persist,

    Does the Auckland City ad "Big - Little City" cyclist wear a helmet or hat? I can't tell & do tend to cycle at a similar speed.

    Apparently not, according to this story, but it will be corrected. Not sure how they'll correct the fact that he's cycling in the wrong direction down a one-way street.

    Some would should call Grey Power and see if they're offended by this obvious slur (... isn't that how a media beat up works?)

    Simon Laan • Since May 2008 • 162 posts Report

  • Speaker: Grand Theft Auckland,

    but back to topic...

    I'm bemused at by how quickly we've gone back to the old Left vs Right arguments of the 80s & 90s, given that National have only been in power for 6 months. It seems obvious to me that Labour dragged it's heels on the SH20 Waterview connection because they didn't want it made till after the election.

    As to the wider topic of the Supercity -- I'm in the Something has to be done! camp. Such a pity we can't find a benign dictator. (They always seem benign at first, until becoming drunk with power).

    Simon Laan • Since May 2008 • 162 posts Report

  • Speaker: Grand Theft Auckland,

    try cutting and posting <qu0te>text</qu0te> (to the left of the Post Reply box) Kim, and then overwriting the word text with what you want to quote (and I use cut n paste for that too). You'll find it much easier.

    Simon Laan • Since May 2008 • 162 posts Report

  • Island Life: Symptoms persist,

    was there a noticeable "swaying effect" on the clip-ons?

    Short answer: No. Long answer: what David said (esp the bit about the majority being White Middle Class)

    But where is my Madonna reference? There can be no Paglia-ism without someone nattering on annoyingly about Madonna, surely?

    there were lots of pointy orange traffic cones...

    Simon Laan • Since May 2008 • 162 posts Report

  • Island Life: Burn fat, not oil,

    As I've noted on your Symptoms persist thread, there were indeed some strange decisions made by Transit on the day that (for me) indicate skullduggery. The two clip-on lanes were coned off at 7am, but by 8am they were open to traffic again. As the TV1 footage (see RB's link above) clearly shows, the cyclists intitially headed up the two clip on lanes, but the mass spilled over to the two centre lanes because we were directed that way.

    The police would presumably argue that the centre lanes had to be blocked off for reasons of public safety, but I'd argue that. I doubt anyone would be fool enough to jump into those lanes since we already had the two clip ons , and I doubt any motorists would have veered over the berms to cross into the clip on lanes.

    As we returned back to our starting point many of us wondered even then if the only strategic planning Transit had done was post-event spin: if they do break thru we'll just shut everything down and let the traffic back up and then they'll get no further public support.

    And Leighton Smith is certainly playing his part this morning on that front...

    Simon Laan • Since May 2008 • 162 posts Report

  • Island Life: Symptoms persist,

    I have just this second got off the phone with Leighton Smith on Newstalk ZB. Calls are running hot this morning from irate motorists, so I thought I'd try and add a bit of balance from someone who was there. He let me say my piece (much the same as my comments above) but made zero effort to engage with me. When I'd finished talking he said thanks and moved on to his next call.

    Weird, I was expecting him to want to talk to someone who was there, as opposed to those who weren't. Silly me.

    Simon Laan • Since May 2008 • 162 posts Report

  • Island Life: Symptoms persist,

    ahem ... to clarify: we only took over one side - the side heading north. We could have just as easily funneled up the two clip-on lanes on the left if we had not been directed to move over to the centre lanes by the Transit staff.

    Simon Laan • Since May 2008 • 162 posts Report

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