Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: Yes, there is a Media3

WH

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 06:30:35 +1200

2008 was the first time the Democrats had got near the 60 vote threshold since Jimmy Carter, but it was probably a high water mark for the Democrats. They’re probably not going to get near that again soon. There was a lot of talk about using the budget reconciliation process…

Rob Stowell

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:40:45 +1200

I’d forgotten there was even this short, ahm 14-week, ‘filibuster-proof’ majority, after Ted Kennedy died and before Scott Brown was elected.
But it was something less than iron-clad. Independent Bernie Sanders was a reliable vote. Independent (former Dem) Joe Lieberman, not so much. And some democratic senators (ahem, Ben Nelson,…

WH

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 18:11:50 +1200

Thats one way of putting it. Times when the Democrats, if they had cooperated, would have been filibuster proof majority in the Senate

Thanks for that, I was going to look up those dates but had to run out the door.

At the time it seemed that Obama mismanaged the…

Russell Brown

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:41:25 +1200

Sorry for riding a hobby horse again, but before we Middle Earthicans get too smug it might be worth asking how many of us would go stand in line after work on a Tuesday in winter to vote.

Some of them have the further hurdle of voter ID laws whose…

Kyle Matthews

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:23:27 +1200

how many of us would go stand in line after work on a Tuesday in winter to vote.

Greatest democracy on earth my butt. Could be vastly improved with liberal application of twink and biro to a couple of lines in the constitution.

David Hood

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:17:23 +1200

He had a filibuster proof majority for less than two years

Thats one way of putting it. Times when the Democrats, if they had cooperated, would have been filibuster proof majority in the Senate:
July 7, 2009 to August 25, 2009 (Most of this time was the summer recess)
September…

Craig Ranapia

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:06:37 +1200

Or the 45%+ of Americans too disillusioned and cynical to vote.

Sorry for riding a hobby horse again, but before we Middle Earthicans get too smug it might be worth asking how many of us would go stand in line after work on a Tuesday in winter to vote. Hell,…

Sacha

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:40:51 +1200

He had a filibuster proof majority for less than two years

and boy did they waste it

Rob Stowell

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:09:42 +1200

He had a filibuster proof majority for less than two years
Democrats had majorities in Congress and Senate, yes. But I don't think ever filibuster proof (=60+ senate seats.) I'm not even sure that's possible in the US now, the way politics plays out over the 50 states.

WH

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:30:07 +1200

And every story (if you bothered to find them out) will be definitely individual with some common elements perhaps. As for life’s apparent ‘unfairness’ as you put it, the reasons go even deeper.

No doubt. I can't talk about homelessness with any knowledge, but I'm sure we each know people…

andin

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 12:30:18 +1200

I sometimes think about the vagaries of popularity when I walk past homeless people on the street.

The connections in peoples minds eh! Homelessness is a lot more complicated than not being popular. And every story (if you bothered to find them out) will be definitely individual with some common…

Kumara Republic

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 03:54:58 +1200

I suppose it’s why Gore lost to Bush

Don't forget the hanging chads episode. Or the 45%+ of Americans too disillusioned and cynical to vote.

Sacha

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 00:23:39 +1200

why Gore lost to Bush

not sure that's such a good example, alll things considered

WH

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 23:39:22 +1200

yeah but not many voters wanna have a beer with the man

I suppose it’s why Gore lost to Bush, and why Scott Brown might beat Elizabeth Warren. Sometimes it’s better to vote for Pedro.

I sometimes think about the vagaries of popularity when I walk past homeless people on…

Tony Siu

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 14:31:24 +1200

To Graham: FaceTime over cellular networking works for 4S and 5.

Russell Brown

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 13:54:56 +1200

Thanks, Fran.

Anyone who missed the ep can see it online here.

Fran Van Helmond

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 11:10:21 +1200

Thank you for interviewing Phil Kitchin this morning Russell. Can't wait for his next DomPost installment. Thanks also to my friend Bronwyn Pullar for being strong. You're the best Bronwyn! Aon and Catalyst should also be investigated for their ACC endorsed crimes against the ACC levy payers during 1999 and…

andin

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 08:21:08 +1200

Romney’s message is complicated by the fact that Obama inherited a mess that was made by Republicans.

yeah but not many voters wanna have a beer with the man

WH

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 23:34:44 +1200

Romney is not so different from Bob Dole. We’re just some way down the road from when Newt Gingrich tried to shut down the federal government and Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN) re-enacted Vincent Foster’s “murder” with a pumpkin.

Romney’s message is complicated by the fact that Obama inherited a mess…

Craig Ranapia

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 22:18:12 +1200

Word's autosuggest feature keeps urging me to change "Republican" to "replicant". Granted, they both seem to be artificial lifeforms deficient in empathy but it's still creepy.

Kumara Republic

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 18:10:01 +1200

What's scary is that Romney is on the sane end of the GOP, Palin or no Palin.

Graham Dunster

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:13:11 +1200

I read somewhere that Facetime will now work on 3G as well as wifi, which will be great. I'm unclear if this will only apply to the 5 or if 4 and 4S too.

mark taslov

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:00:01 +1200

'Midnight in Paris' utterly charmless

Totally.

Tony Siu

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 13:41:35 +1200

On the way to work, people were hawking the aftermarket version 30 pin adapter to a 9 pin adapter for 40 bucks, which is like 6 bucks back home. I was thinking I could make money from this....

Craig Ranapia

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:58:31 +1200

Quite. Now they’re claiming they’ll make it add up by “closing tax loopholes”, but are refusing to say what loopholes they’ll close.

Which, again, makes Romney's character and judgement the issue — and to be cold-blooded about it, that's a battle he's not winning with his own base. Playing the…

Russell Brown

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:23:07 +1200

And on credibly balancing the budget? Clinton made the point: arithmetic. What plan Romney and Ryan might have- and they’ve been bloody opaque about it- simply doesn’t add up.

Quite. Now they're claiming they'll make it add up by "closing tax loopholes", but are refusing to say what loopholes they'll…

Rob Stowell

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:19:24 +1200

If the US election really was all “about the economy, stupid”, it should be Romney’s to lose.
Except: "Take two tax cuts, some deregulation, and call me in the morning" isn't a plan for the economy. It's similar to the lack of a plan we face here.
And on credibly…

Craig Ranapia

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:01:58 +1200

It's easy to forget how acrimonious everything was back in 1996.

But at least then the GOP selected a presidential candidate who conducted himself with some dignity and good judgement, and ran a campaign staffed with functional adults. Whatever else you say about Bob Dole, he wouldn't have blundered into…

WH

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 22:25:33 +1200

I liked Clinton's speech, but I liked Obama's too. Each gave the speech their place in history allowed them to give. I don't think people wanted another high flown speech about the audacity of hope.

The trajectory of Obama's presidency is looking a lot like Clinton's: a period of early…

Andrew R2

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:29:18 +1200

Is media 3 going to be available on iTunes?

andin

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:38:35 +1200

muse on the US Presidential race
My muse says WTF! in a tired kinda bemused fashion. I think she shakes her head left 2 right…left 2 right…as well…. and hums lala lala laaaaa

Russell Brown

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:42:58 +1200

NBR has a roundup of the first hands-on reviews. Wired's is quite good:

"The iPhone 5 is the greatest phone in the world. It has top-notch hardware with a zippy new A6 processor and amazing four-inch display. Its new operating system, iOS 6, is slicker than slugs on ice. And…

Sacha

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:34:47 +1200

obseleting all my 30-pin peripherals

..shows how it's hard to make compelling news from it

Russell Brown

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:20:12 +1200

I feel something is missing, today.

Heh. (a) I was travelling, and (b) I'm nowhere near interested enough to think about obseleting all my 30-pin peripherals.

I'm more interested in the forthcoming iMac rev and, possibly, the big TV play.

Sacha

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:19:30 +1200

that's a sign in itself

Rich of Observationz

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:15:21 +1200

I feel something is missing, today.

Public Address

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:15:21 +1200

Discussion from blog post.