Hard News: An open thread while I'm down with #OGB
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An open thread you say?
Let me talk about a recent study that shows screening for breast cancer has shown little appreciable contribution to reductions in mortality rates. A family member was just this weekend telling me about how the health trust they're a board member of had bought a very expensive new screening machine. I haven’t had the heart to send them the link yet.
Perhaps not. Let’s frame that as a question: what role should evidence have in policy-making – none, or very little?
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Here’s something from left-field: Al Jazeera English reports on prospects for Auckland as an intercontinental air travel hub -- the "Dubai of the Pacific".
Jump to about 20 mins in the video. Is this something that’s actually been discussed here? Where did it spring from?
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Sue,
animated gifs of cute animals anyone?
http://animalsbeingdicks.com/page/3 -
Russell Brown, in reply to
animated gifs of cute animals anyone?
Lolz.
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If we're going to have a Dubai, it should be in Queenstown. Playfields for the rich, better scenery. Zurich of the South.
Although doing that with the current runway and approach limitations would be hard. You couldn't run ninety six a380s from ZQN, even if you tried. I don't know if you could run one.
Auckland does make a little sense as a transit hub, and acts to a minor extent as a transfer point between South America (~400 million people) and Asia (~4billion people). I'm not sure who else would use New Zealand, other than deliberate visitors to this part of the world. And they already come here, including a rapidly increasing number of Chinese.
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Rich of Observationz, in reply to
“Dubai of the Pacific”
Corruption, torture, slave labour? What's not to like?
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giovanni tiso, in reply to
You forgot "encircled by an unforgiving desert".
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Corruption, torture, slave labour? What’s not to like?
Nitpicker.
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Corruption, torture, slave labour? What’s not to like?
Simon Grigg sent this link a few months ago, and called its description of Dubai cruel, but accurate. Wonderful reading, spectacular pictures.
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James Butler, in reply to
animalsbeingdicks.com
I’m assuming that site has this one, but I can’t be bothered looking for it.
ETA: Oops, of course the upload didn’t work. Sigh. Here.
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Dubai of the Pacific
Not sure what they're getting at, other than a financial hub? Which the PM - being, y'know, that way inclined - has mentioned off and on.
Isn't it some sort of facilitating ultramassive biz transactions, via a micro tax rate on temporary deposits that only stick around for a few days while mega transactions get worked through, and which wouldn't otherwise be handled by NZ?
Either that, or someone's got crazy landscaping planned for the harbour.
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encircled by an unforgiving desert
It's the desert of the real I'm more concerned about.
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Rich of Observationz, in reply to
Except that it isn't on the way, really. (Rio-Bejing = 25% further, Santiago-Singapore = 10% further).
Do we really want to encourage wasteful air travel in this fashion? (I think it's terrible that it often works out cheaper to backtrack via Sydney when off to the US, even).
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Rich of Observationz, in reply to
That's actually a good idea, if you ignore the fact that we're screwing the rest of the world out of legitimate tax revenues. That, and leakage into the domestic tax system (by enabling locals to pay no tax). And inflation. And filling the country with rich scum.
But it'd be good for contract rates in IT.
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Rich, the distances between Asia and South America are beyond the range of even the longest distance airliner (the 777-300ER), so they need somewhere to stop. However, if you were flying Beijing - Santiago it would make sense to stop somewhere less out of the way like Honolulu.
Still, the routes are long and thin, and AirNZ doesn't seem to think the hub model works here. Emirates uses NZ as a minor hub, as does LAN. I think that's the extent of it.
So, better as a tax-haven then.
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Rich of Observationz, in reply to
encircled by an unforgiving desert
North Shore, Howick, Flatbush, Manurewa. Got nothing on a bit of sand..
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Radio New Zealand : Taumaranui set to become cycle tourism hub
I guess if Taumaranui can be a cycle hub, Auckland can become an airline hub. How many bicycles can you fit on a B777?
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Actually, LA and Anchorage are right under the great circle for Bejing-Santiago (which is probably also the real-world cheapest route). For Bejing-Rio, you'd be looking at Rome, maybe.
(Great circles often surprise).
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No one said 'yeah you know me' yet? Tsk.
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you know my preference would be to bust out a witty, forthright and yet measured post about some important thing...
.....so I'm trying to get the flow rate and temperature settings correctly calibrated on my La Marzocco Linea. At the moment I'm cycling at 1.75 bar, but I'm finding that the cycling time is significantly longer than if I had it set to a 1.3 to 1.5BAR setting.
The flow-on effect is that my home-made falafel doesn't taste as good. Does anyone have any advice?
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This article on the economic crisis and democracy in Europe was tweeted by Noami Klein. Asks that same question about why people vote for governments and policies that have already failed them?
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Martin Lindberg, in reply to
Does anyone have any advice?
Rinse your dishes after washing up to remove any remaining suds. Place forks with their tines down in a dishwasher. Pants first, then shoes.
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recordari, in reply to
No one said 'yeah you know me' yet? Tsk.
I totally did, I just didn't post it. So it totally doesn't count.
Carry on.
ETA:
ETA: Oops, of course the upload didn’t work.
What I can see is disturbing enough. I kind of looping monkey moon.
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Actually, LA and Anchorage are right under the great circle for Bejing-Santiago (which is probably also the real-world cheapest route). For Bejing-Rio, you’d be looking at Rome, maybe.
Ah, yes. Unsurprisingly, an increasing number of Brazilian routes to Asia are going through Qatar and Dubai. And agreed on the economics.
Has anyone seen (or ridden) the new (old) trams in Auckland yet? Unless you've got kids, who ride for free with an adult, the $10 fare seems particularly steep.
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Hebe,
What about the subversion of New Zealand's parliamentary system by the both the National and Labour parties refusing to participate in election leaders' debates with the other parties? http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5374955/Key-I-ll-only-debate-Goff
Didn't we choose MMP? Aren't politicians legally and morally obliged to work within that framework? Oh, I forgot, both the larger parties hate MMP because it forces compromise, and Key is gambling on shutting out the Greens this times now they are nearing 10 % in the polls. Wish Rod Donald was still here...wish there was someone with his reach to remind the public that we could well be stuck back in first-past-the-post if the campaign to keep a form of proportional representation doesn't start soon.
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