Posts by Ben Austin
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It comes down to simplicity – a legislative / pricing regime needs to be as simple and reasonable as possible if it is to be effective. Sure there are many examples of complicated laws or pricing, but usually one can only get away with that when the subject matter is essential – like say taxes.
Widespread consumer revolt is going to be the result of this stupid amendment bill – why bother even trying to preserve some legality when it is so dammed inconvenient? I confidently predict we will adopt a progressively stronger culture of IP piracy.
The Copyright Amendment Bill sadly has only one good thing going for it – it has not succumbed to the trend of extending the life of copyright. I think the 50 year rule is at least twice as long as it needs to be, but it is far better than say 70 or 90 years like it is in some other jurisdictions.
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As a person of Scottish heritage I find it very difficult understand how, with the bitter knowledge of the land clearances, fellow "colonists" of Scottish heritage don't have more sympathy for the plight of colonised people anywhere.
Ancestral origin surely should have little or no relevance to a reasonable adult forming an opinion over the morality of a particular action, or at least so I hope. Or were you referring to the actual Scots who colonised New Zealand, not we, their post colonial descendents?
If the former, well, I’d wager that a fair chunk of most colonising movements have their origins in the colonising population being put under pressure by some other group.
I am sure that many people do awful things with a heavy heart, regret tingeing their actions. But rarely does it actually stop them from doing this thing that they know is wrong.
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Interesting discussion.
I think we can all agree that Statistics New Zealand needs to re-evaluate the way it presents quick summaries of census information so far as it relates to ethnic classifications. They need to make available easy to find charts and tables referring to actual rather than theoretical ethnicities, so when the casual surfer, reporter, or politician comes a visiting they do not find the most misleading information first.
So far as the discussion of being indigenous, spiritual and the like go, well, it has been an education reading this thread.
Personally I don’t really get spiritualism, except to say that I usually feel better for some reason when I return to certain areas I identify with strongly, specifically the land my family has farmed, and the areas they settled at, upon arrival, whenever that was. As an avowed monist I’ll attribute this to positive memories of experiences had in that area and a constant reinforcement of identity as it relates to this particular area by family, friends, the media and of course, educators. Oh, and it looks nice as well.
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It is a great marketing scheme - Good Morning has news, interviews, lifestyle, weather and an infuriating talk back host - it is all things to all men, a true example of synergistic 21st century programming.
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I decided to look at Stats's methadology, and found a report on how they classify ethnic groupings. The citation at the bottom of the page. It seems that there is a multi-level hierarchy of ethnic classifications - starting off with very broad classifications - of which "asian" is one, but then so is "Middle eastern/Latin American/African". The next level allows for more detail, one could then claim to be Chinese or Indian. The level below this then allows for one to claim to be from a paticular state. So it seems that there is a lot of scope for customisation of one's ethnicity, according to Statistic NZ's classfication material. Of course level one does have incredibly broad classifications, of which Asian is one, but there are others which are equally or even more misleading.
So my thoughts are that Statistics is quite aware of the different ethnicities, and makes allowances for such diversity within the broad classifications. However for some reason the most easily found reports from Statistics refer only to these first level groups. Then what is originally just a term of convenience can then be taken out of context and used as an exercise in demagoguery.
"An ethnic group is made up of people who have some or all of the following characteristics:
1) a common proper name
2) one or more elements of common culture which need not be specified but may include religion, customs or language
3) unique community of interests, feelings and actions
4) a shared sense of common origins or ancestry, and
5) a common geographic origin." -
Was at the Back Bencher today, where I found out that Key's dish is a lamb madras with lemon rice pilaf.
Any soothsayers amongst us able to divine something of import from this?
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The DSE site looks interesting - if I read rightly albums would come in at $17, which is a price I'd pay.
DSE have done something like this in Australia for some time, or at least when I last looked at their website two years ago they had. So has Telstra's Big Pond service
Interestingly they also sell iTunes vouchers on their Australian website, with the following sales description:
"With iTunes Music Cards, you can purchase and 'legally' download your favourite music, music videos, audiobooks, podcasts and more, from the iTunes Music Store."
Not sure why legally has been given quote marks. What are they trying to say?
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Agreed Danyl.
Why should someone who has spent his life using a methadology of repeatible, verifiable research ever want or need to delve deeply into the depths of theological discussion. All he simply wants is for someone who believes to provide to him a repeatible, verifiable test that beyond a reasonable doubt proves a god or gods exist. No such test exists, therefore Dawkins cannot be convinced.
(lHowever looking at citations in say the God Delusion, Dawkins has made a reasonable effort to read theological or religious works)
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One of the refreshing aspects of Dawkin’s recent book, the God Delusion was his vigorous attack on religion’s oft-asserted monopoly on morality.
There are few things I find more annoying than being judged by a Bible literalist as being amoral due to my atheist position.
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I have no illusions about the Democrat’s new control over the Houses of Congress being some sort of universal curative, but it will offer at least one clear benefit. That being that the people of the World now know that a majority of Americans do not actually agree with the policies and actions of their President. This election result indicates that political opposition to the leadership is not just an isolated group of naturally contrarian Democrats, but in fact is representative of the entire country. That makes me, at least, feel a lot better about the US and it’s future prospects.