Posts by Idiot Savant

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  • Hard News: Ready to Fly,

    So, how long is it till I can get a workable decoder again? The ads during the launch yesterday made me crave real TV.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report

  • Hard News: Slumpy Cashflow,

    What absinthe does do is get you extremely drunk very quickly.

    Only if you drink it fast.

    It's not called the "green hour" for nothing...

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report

  • Hard News: Slumpy Cashflow,

    making cows-millk cheese is easy.

    making it *well* is another matter.

    Perhaps you could show us with another one of your cookbook posts?

    And I'll second daleaway's comment about a vege garden. Not that I have much of one, but I (try to) grow a few things, and its nice to have them there when I want them.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report

  • Hard News: Slumpy Cashflow,

    Out of interest - is he getting in the milk, or does he own animals of some sort?

    I think he's using ordinary milk.

    My copy of The Destitute Gormet (number 2) says you can make marscapone from non-fat milk, cream, and white vinegar. Maybe I'll try it next time I go overboard and make tiramisu.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report

  • Hard News: Slumpy Cashflow,

    dramatic reduction in diary consumption

    A friend of mine has started making his own cheese - though I'm not sure whether its because its now economic, or because they want marscapone and mozzarella on tap...

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report

  • Hard News: Slumpy Cashflow,

    According to a source (who may want to reveal herself), Bohemian absinthe does make you hallucinate. The Czech republic never banned it, so they're still using old recipes in the old way, doing whatever they used to do in the C19th (while still being subject to the EU thujone limit).

    I'm tempted to try and get some, except I suspect it would be illegal to import.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report

  • Hard News: A business most feral,

    I would suspect having local district health boards, with elected officials, would be more likely that things like this would get local attention.

    It would, if they had control of their budgets. But they don't. The services they provide are contracted by Ministyr of Health, and if MoH doesn't think a region needs a psychologist, or so many hip ops, then they don't get them, EOFS. I'm not even sure if the DHB can legally run a cake stall to raise additional money to pursue local priorities.

    This is why I hate the system. Democracy implies accountability, and we can indeed "hold DHBs accountable" by de-electing them. but when you look at it, there's actually not much they're really accountable for. Given this, it would be far more hinest just to appoint regional managers and be done with it; DHB elections simply exist solely to distract us from where true responsibility for our health system lies: with people in Wellington.

    (Of course, there's another option: give DHBs real authority to set their own budgets, so those elections and accountability are meaningful. but I can't imagine any NZ government doing that).

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report

  • Hard News: A business most feral,

    In the context of a drug trial, I think any academic journal would not publish on the basis of a peer review commissioned either by a pharmaceutical company with a very direct interest in publication.

    Academic journals use blind peer reviews. But they're interested in academic quality, not natural justice.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report

  • Hard News: A business most feral,

    Are they just there to give the government someone to blame when things go wrong?

    Yes.

    (And yes, while I'd be happy enough to do away with this parody of democratic accountability, I'm not under any illusions it would save us money. Sure, we'd save on the board-members salaries, but the rest of the staff - the people who pay salaries, predict demand, sort out contracts etc - all do stuff that needs doing. Their jobs would just be folded into MoH or local hospitals)

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report

  • Hard News: Leaving the bunker,

    it's a safe labour seat! he has nothing to fear.

    We have MMP now. Every (party) vote counts.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report

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