Posts by Kyle Matthews

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  • Hard News: Pamphleteering,

    They were scandalous, and I think it took Amanda Millar a while to recover from the impact on her credibility from appearing in them. I might be wrong, but I can't recall Labour doing anything quite that bad.

    No, not that bad. But they're still quite happy to head down the same track.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Hard News: Pamphleteering,

    This is not unlawful in itself, and the material is not political, but if information pamphlets were to be used as core campaign material it would not look good.

    I really hate the way political parties use our money through government departments to basically advertise themselves. I can't remember if the Kiwisaver and WFF leaflets do that, but I clearly remember National's empty operating theatre TV adverts, and Labour have done stuff along those lines as well. It's just dishonest.

    I'm tempted to suggest that all large advertising campaigns from government departments should be checked by an independent commission to make sure that that it's actually needed and unbiased.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Hard News: All the cool kids were there,

    And the best part of the whole evening was a former Navy helicopter landing on the pitch to deposit the match ball then taking off again. Those things are huge.

    I wasn't aware that Auckland's transport problems had gotten so bad that they had to fly the balls in rather than bringing them in via the motorway.

    Which reminds me of a game I once saw at Eden Park - Auckland during the Ranfurly Shield era I suspect - where both match balls went into the crowd and didn't come back down, despite the referee going and asking for the second one. In the end the announcer publicly shamed the twerp and he threw it back onto the field, and the game continued after about a 5 minute break.

    I could point out that I know more about those bands than you ever will

    Friend of mine rented a house in port chalmers which apparently housed various members of the 3Ds at some stage. I say this only to bring up the fact that I have, sitting beside my stereo right now, a tape with a typed sticker on it - 'Hellzapoppin By 3D's. Pre-release sample cassette." There were a dozen or so of them sitting in a box in the basement. Good album.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Hard News: Intellectual Properties,

    And again I say, I don't see how you can be sure this will happen. I can't be sure it won't either. That's all I'm saying. Spores and seeds can travel great distances on the wind or carried by animals.

    Actually scientists can be quite clear on why this is a problem. Plant environments have developed over millions of years. Plants have evolved to deal with certain climate, soil, other plants, animals. Plants themselves help create this environment through their decay. If you shift plants 500 km south, that's not necessarily going to work out very well, even if the temperature remains largely the same as they're used to. Birds and insects have a very important role in fertilising plants. What happens to a forest of plants when the bird that has performed this role migrates south permanently?

    Your theory about plants just moving doesn't pan out. Ask why there are native plants in one place, and not in another, even though the climate is similar. There are natural barriers to plants - deserts, mountains, swamps, sea, large rivers. One of things that climate change might lead to if it gets severe is human-assisted migration of plants and animals to maintain their environment.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Hard News: Speaking freely,

    It is quite possible, as some are saying, that we are already hitting the bottom of the cycle, and things will pick up from heronin

    I'm not sure if injecting drugs is going to do it actually.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Hard News: Intellectual Properties,

    A warmer climate with more CO2 in the air might actually be more conducive to life on the planet.

    Except for life within a few metres of the sea level. Which will start to find increasing levels of moisture and salt in its diet.

    AL and a few of his scientific mates whom he is the mouth peice for think a bit of pre emption on climate change is in order.

    Yup. War in Iraq and climate change clearly need similarly timed responses. Now if only we could match their budgets.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Southerly: A Very Short Stroll Through…,

    What's with this focus on the duo? I mean all fine, but what about the Goodies? Nothing you've listed can match the mighty MPFC. Or Rowan Atkinson before he decided to break into the wider market by deciding that it'd be OK for Mr Bean to be funny in a stupid way. Both Fry and Laurie as subsidiaries in Blackadder. That intellectual foursome, the Young Ones?

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Hard News: Speaking freely,

    Does anyone else find the ondemand versions just stop working halfway through the clip. Seems like it hasn't downloaded the last couple of minutes, so it just stops playing. No way to get it going again, you have to go back to the beginning.

    And the windows media one plays the ad at the beginning, but not the actual clips. Flash one seems to work better.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Hard News: Speaking freely,

    Off topic but interesting given recent and not-so-recent debates here on PAS:

    Climate change forecasts 'invalid' - researcher. The article is about two academics, what it doesn't mention is that one is in management, the other in marketing.

    DomPost charged over 'terror' story. Dom post plays the expected price for their story, though it's looking like the price won't be too high.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Island Life: 49 Chinese to Replace John Campbell,

    If, as would seem likely, he refuses, then there will be an early election. National will have limited ability to spend its warchest or dream up some policies. NZF (and to some extent National) will get most of the blame for forcing the election date. Labour might just win, but if National wins, they're straight into the teeth of the recession, with a new PM and questionable coalition support. The public will see it as the Nats screwing up after 8 good years with Labour.

    Because Helen Clark wants to end her political career, and 9 distinguished years as prime minister with a Muldoon-ist tizzy holding a snap election over some imaginary constitutional crisis.

    That's what she wants people to remember her for.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

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