Posts by Keith Ng

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  • Hard News: Trust. Us.,

    I don't think getting it published is an issue at all. God knows, Fairfax is ridiculously skint when it comes to *paying* for stuff. Cheap bastards.

    But I reckon getting it in all the community papers would be a hoot. Imagine that - community papers outdoing the national papers.

    Chaos!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report

  • Hard News: Trust. Us.,

    The math is easy. Freelance journalists gets paid 40-50c per word.

    Say, for a well-researched 2000-word feature, they earn $800-1000 for one or two weeks' work.

    If you have, say, a modest readership of 5000, and say, 20% of them are prepared to pay $1 each for the article, then you've already matched what the MSM can offer.

    It can totally work...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report

  • Island Life: The Grouse is done to a…,

    Mmmm.

    Crabmeat pie in Chile

    Lobster-sized king prawns in India

    Kina and tuna sushi at the Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan

    But, bless, the fish and chips in Kaikoura still takes the cake.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Don't cry for me, Argentina,

    Thanks guys. <sniff> It's very sweet. And while we're on Douglas Adams quotes:

    "We apologise for the inconvenience."

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report

  • Speaker: Festive Fare,

    Aw, I missed out on Ashes of Time.

    Did anyone else see A Complete History of My Sexual Failures? It was hilarious, if outrageously outrageous. It starts off as a cringefest, but before you know it, it becomes exponentially more obscene and downright upsetting than that naked wrestling scene in Borat. *Exponentially*.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report

  • Hard News: User-generated Speechification,

    If paid content was king, why is it that so many kings work so hard to pretend to be the foot soldiers?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report

  • Island Life: Courtroom 15,

    It's a very lovely story, David. But aren't you the least bit scared that such experiences might make her want to be, you know... a lawyer when she grows up?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Bandwagon Hobos,

    Did anybody else notice that

    $3.22 - $2.62 = $0.60

    which is easily misreported as a 60 percent increase rather than 60 cent increase?

    Heh, that's quite likely, actually. But it's not the reporters' mistake (nor mine). It's right here in the speech notes.

    Still, it never ceases to amazing me how people don't stop and think: "Gee, 60%? That sounds a bit high, don't it?"

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Bandwagon Hobos,

    which is to say you strongly imply that dairy is all we're good at, and all we can be good at, and all we can export profitably. I happen to strongly disagree with you, and that in many cases dairy is an highly inefficient use of some of the best growing conditions on the planet.

    Sure - I'm not wedded to dairy at all. But I'm just saying, growing cash crops where we have a competitive advantage, and using that to trade for other kinds of food is much more reasonable than trying to grow everything (bananas, for example) ourselves.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Sneaky brackets,

    If you mean income-tax payers, then surely having no taxable income, they are not paying tax, and are not 7% of the people paying tax...

    If it means other taxes, I'm surprised only it's only 7%.... GST catches anyone who purchases, no matter how they came by the money to purchase with.

    I think it's people who are registered for taxes, but have no taxable income. For example, I'm a freelancer, and if my (perfectly legitimate and receipted) expenses exceed my income, then I have no taxable income, but I still have to file my tax return, etc. I think that might catch also people who are unemployed, or are otherwise registered taxpayers with no actual income.

    It's no biggie, but I thought it was important not to add an extra 7% to the number of people benefiting from the tax cut.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report

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