Posts by Damian Christie
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Hard News: MegaBox: From f**k-all to zero, in reply to BenWilson,
It raises the profile, if successful, of the owners and major contributors.
This assumes that the model works better wherever it is the now-high-profile person moves to, and will continue to do so - especially when you're talking about moving into newspapers, TV, or other traditional forms of media. Better to try and get the model right where we are, rather than assume the main 'profitable' purpose is some form of CV-padding. Not that I disagree with your analysis in that regard.
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Your rights as a creator do not extend to parasitizing my brain space, or to dictating how I experience and interact with your product
I can see two sides to this - in a sense AdBlocking is just a modern version of getting up to make a cuppa when the ads come on the TV. MySky's 30x FF is another.
But at the same time I/S you seem to be claiming that you have a right to experience and interact the content, which you yourself refer to as product. Would that right extend to hacking or in some way defrauding a paywall? Or photocopying a book?
To my mind, if someone spends time and effort to create something, and says "okay, I'm making it available on this site, the deal is, if you want to read it you have to read it here with these ads - feel free to ignore them", then that's the implicit contract. If you don't want to see the ads, don't read the content; if you take the content and actively engage software to remove the ads, then that breaches that contract, and (at least in principle, if not in law) is a breach of copyright, just as it would be if someone simply copied the material wholesale to an ad-free site, or a site with their own ads on.
I'm not saying I wouldn't do it - just as I admit to downloading pirated material from time to time - but I wouldn't claim that Hollywood was "dictating" to me by asking me to rent the film I'd just stolen.
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I certainly hope your little stretch of SH16 will be busier - because I'm intending to use it every time I head into town. In um, four years.
I'm right at the end of the current SH20 in New Windsor. It's 12 minutes-ish to the airport. Not sure what the travel time to town will be come 2017, but if it's roughly the same as that, it'll be brilliant.
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Can I add, because I think it's incredibly important to acknowledge the positive when it happens, rather than bitch about the negative...
Went to Tin Soldier on Ponsonby Rd the other night. It's similar to Depot and Oyster Inn I guess, schmancy small and large plates all for sharing, a little rack of cutlery on the table to help yourself to etc. All so *now*.
The food was great, and I think better value for money than either of those other two places, very tasty, albeit probably a small step down in 'classiness', if that matters. Definitely not rustic though.
But the SERVICE. Our waiter, Amanda, looked after us incredibly all night. She was honest (no, the oysters are too creamy right now, and the special beer on tap, ergh), great with recommendations, and EVEN THOUGH she forgot to put through one of our small plates, she dealt with it with good humour, and brought us out a complimentary dessert (which was delicious) - in this case the one we didn't order but had been tossing up over.
That's how you do it. So we tipped her of course, because ultimately, a minor mistake like forgetting to put something through doesn't have to ruin your night, even for someone OCD like me... and can even be turned around.
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Cracker: Review: The Oyster Inn, Waiheke…, in reply to BenWilson,
That's only 1 step away from going in and actually cooking it yourself.
That's why I've always objected to those restaurants where they bring you your steak and you cook it on the hot stone in front of you "to your liking". Um, no, I'll fuck it up. *You* cook it to my liking...
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Cracker: Review: The Oyster Inn, Waiheke…, in reply to Islander,
Never been to Waiheke either – thanks Damian!
If you can make it as far as Tamaki Makaurau it would be my pleasure to give you the tour...
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Cracker: Review: The Oyster Inn, Waiheke…, in reply to Marion,
I hope you're right - but as a resident you'll be aware how frequently the restaurants change hands in Oneroa. "Affordable" is pretty subjective - I don't mind spending $100 for lunch on a special occasion (2 of us, a glass of wine each, a main each and sharing an entree) but it wouldn't replace my local cafe as my weekend regular. In the end it's a numbers game, and presumably someone has done the maths as to how it's going to work. I really really hope it's still here next summer.
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I got lent the Velvet Underground & Nico album by my guitarist mate so I could learn how to play "I'm Waiting For The Man". I was already in a band though, so that ruins that theory ;)
I'd been told, and until 5 minutes ago reading this thread, always believed that Nico had died of a heroin overdose. Seemed believable.
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Yes, well done Russell and a big pat on the back to everyone here, bloggers past and present and the PAS regulars (and the lurkers too of course, I love you because you don't answer back ;)
I noticed the anniversary approaching when Maurice Williamson made his comments about the four years bloggers have been on this 6000 year old planet. Even at 10 years we are but a speck, but it's been a really enjoyable speck, and so thanks for that Russell - for asking me to be part of PA as a result (I assume) of my rants on bFM - for explaining what a blog was a minute later - and your infuriating ability to come up with a far more comprehensive, thoroughly researched and well thought-out post on the very thing I'm halfway through writing. Let's just assume that's the reason for you being far more prodigious than I am in output shall we ;)
Seriously though, cheers. I can pretty much trace exactly where I am now to your invitation to join PA. And by that I don't mean sitting in my dressing gown at home waiting until Back Benches starts up next year, I mean all the great stuff that's happened these past ten years. You've been a big part of that. Ta x.
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Guys guys guys... I think you're looking at this whole thing from completely the wrong perspective. You say it's a huge breach of privacy pertaining to beneficiaries' personal information, I say "what are those bludgers trying to hide?" (you can have that one Paula)