Posts by barnaclebarnes

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  • Speaker: It's called "planning" for a reason,

    Good to see some more writing about these issues. Interested readers might also want to check out my lovely wife's writings on urban design in Idealog here and here. Hopefully there is more to come from the real experts in this field.

    These issues are too important to play political football with and I long for the day when we have a vision for an Auckland that will help us grow for the next 100 years.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 90 posts Report

  • Hard News: Moving targets, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    Why should former MP’s be stripped of their perks? They signed up for the job (well ran the race to win the job) and accepted it based partially on the remuneration package which included subsidised travel. If I was a former MP I would be pissed that they wanted to take that away and be demanding I was compensated for what is essentially a loss of income.

    We signed a deal with the MP’s when they took the job. We need to honour the agreement unless they agree to a give that up.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 90 posts Report

  • Hard News: Do you like what we've done…,

    One small comment apart from it looks friken awesome....

    PA Radio seems to take a big backseat - You can only access the latest audio track from the home page and it doesn't show at all on the other pages. Maybe a line in the second column below "Public Address System" labelled "Public Address Radio" that takes you to the /radio page?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 90 posts Report

  • Hard News: And some cat from Japan ...,

    Talking of skating...I ran into this yesterday.

    Good to see Levi still ripping it up in Auckland.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 90 posts Report

  • Hard News: Alone at Party Central,

    You're right - The sheds shouldn't be a permanent fixture on the waterfront and we do need to do something there in the long term. The issue I have with this whole temporary structure thing is that there is no real benefit for the money outlaid. It is a boat load of cash for something that will end up just pretty. well, meh.

    The sheds themselves could be tarted up to make a great temporary space - Bring in some shipping containers and make some great popup bars outside (maybe the Justice Department can help fit them out ;-). Get people who know how to run local bars such as Luke Dallow to set up spaces suited to their theme. Maybe a champaign bar at the end, clubbing area, booze barn area, family firendly. Now that kind of thing would actually be shabby chic cool and we could probably get away with it for $5 million. Put the other the other $15 million towards running an international design competition for a proper cruise ship terminal that we can be proud of.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 90 posts Report

  • Hard News: Everyone's a critic,

    restaurant/cafe reviews. That was my idea way back when I registered devour.co.nz. It never came to anything - I'm better at eating food, not writing about it...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 90 posts Report

  • Hard News: Where your money goes,

    What the Charities Commission could do is open up the dataset so we can do the analysis ourselves. I tried to get a copy of the database but under the current law you can't even get a full list as it is written into the Act that set up the commission (This was due to privacy concerns AFAIK)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 90 posts Report

  • Hard News: Rodney's Folly,

    My Take? I think John Key is giving Rodney Hyde just enough rope to hang himself. The global trend for the future is more Green tinged than Hard Right.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 90 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Social Retail,

    It's called terroir living: low food miles + high quality produce and advice = the good life.

    Aren't most Waiheke wines made from grapes from other regions? While some of the wines may be local a lot only have a token splattering of local grapes.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 90 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Social Retail,

    So maybe Princeton, NJ is a little far to go but The Corkscrew is one great wine shop. Laurent the owner is French and loves his rugby so much that after going back the shop after having left Princeton 2 years earlier the first thing he did was gloat about France beating the All Blacks in the World Cup Semi's.

    Oh, and his wine knowledge is second to none (our whites are good, reds are s#$t).

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 90 posts Report

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