Posts by Rich of Observationz
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Damien, how do you reconcile this staunch support of the "war on (non-corporate-marketed) drugs" with your old job at bFM?
Because, if I recall correctly, they do a lot of promos and sponsorship with The Switched On Gardener and even had a competition to win a hydroponic wardrobe.
Or was that why you left?
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One thing the business people lining up with their special pleading against the ETS don't mention, is that countries which are taking action against global warming are increasingly looking at how they can encourage those that don't.
The EU is considering a carbon tariff on imports for instance. So if we don't implement an ETS that is suited to our economy, the EU will just impose duty on anything (like my consultancy fees) being imported into their continent.
I know which I prefer.
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I think it was a bloody good sting - the dairy owner who clearly knew what was going on, what he was providing, and for what purpose.
Maybe. Or maybe the reporters wound him up a bit and edited it out. And I fail to see what the fact that perfectly legal household substances are available in normal shops is an issue. If an actual drug maker wanted those chemicals, them they could reasonably have said that they wanted the meths to fuel a fish smoker and isopropyl to clean computer screens.
I wouldn't be surprised if the guy is run out of town.
You mean assault, intimidation and possible kidnap.
To me, an interesting story would be why a respectable NZ journalist considers that such activity is "unsurprising" and writes of it with no tone of condemnation.
Personally, rather than see harmless dairy owners hounded, I'd prefer to watch Ms Lewis get her tits out.
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As someone who doesn't believe in drug prohibition I'd take a completely different attitude to the Salvia and P-precursors story:
If people can't get good drugs, they'll resort to what they can get - Salvia (which might or might not be a bad idea) and making Meth out of household substances (which probably is).
It's impossible to control the supply of every possible substance that can be abused (petrol-sniffing is endemic amongst some Australian communities).
Thus, a system of education and control that allows people to make an informed choice of what to ingest is way better than the current failed blanket prohibition.
Also:
grad students ... wouldn't pay over $40 a point
So, rather than turning into Antoine Dixon, people who occasionally do P are still able to pursue advanced study. I think that's more of a story than small shopkeepers selling household solvents.
But you wouldn't see that on Social Control TV...
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In American supermarkets, you can buy isopropyl in one litre bottles. I'm fairly sure you can also get pseudo-ephedrine based cold tablets in American-sized packets, or at least you could until fairly recently. You can also get 5-HTP in the equivalent of Woolworths, which points to a thriving drug culture, I feel.
On a related topic, I taxied through Manukau this morning, and noticed they have a new welcome board and council slogan:
Progressive, Proud and Prosperous (we got the 'P', bro!)Finally on the subject of precursors, according to a Brisbane tourist guide, there is a new bar in that city called __Sassafras__.
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What I think isn't being considered is the massive wealth that even an ordinary house can represent.
A paid-off house of median value ($450k) in Auckland represents $70k of pre-tax income that would need to be earned to pay that mortgage.
It seems to me that a lot more people in NZ are asset rich from houses than have high incomes.
And most of these asset-rich "mass affluent" pay little or no tax, given that first properties are tax free and taxation of investment gains is pretty haphazard.
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So on the positive side, Laws has certainly got the attention of his citizens and brought Wanganui into the spotlight.
Personally I'd be happier with a council leader that keeps the pavements in repair and the garbage collected then a failed national politician / minor media commentator out to boost his own fading self-importance.
I think the elected mayor concept just encourages egotripping assholes (it's just the same in the UK). We'd be better off with leaders chosen by a (preferably proportionately elected) council majority - that way, we'd get someone who could build a broad coalition of supporters.
Plus, why is it considered reasonable for media outlets to employ elected politicians? In a lot of overseas countries, it's generally expected that one should resign from broadcasting (at least) to run for office.
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I believe that, if appropriately qualified, one can work for Stats and be paid to engage in arguments such as the ones above. All day. It palls, apparently.
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On the subject of memes, thank you Robyn.
Although in my defence I don't recall seeing the word in common use until Wired hit the newstands (around 25 years after Dawkins wrote his book), with it appearing twice in every article. I think it was mandated in their style guide, along with ritual obsesience to Nicholas Negroponte.
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