Posts by Stephen Judd
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The 5% threshold has some things going for it.
Here's the last election results. If we gave seats for getting 0.8% of the vote (ie 1/120th) you can see that the Bill and Ben party would be in striking distance. One can imagine various extremist groups mustering 0.8% as well, and then using the financial and admin base of an MP to bootstrap a larger organisation. I'm not very upset about barriers to political movements that can't muster 5%.
The experience of very proportional systems (I'm thinking of Israel here) is that sometimes tiny parties in coalitions don't smoothe out or moderate policy from big parties -- instead, they extract isolated crazy concessions.
Frankly, I'd be just as happy to lose the coat-tail provisions that let list MPs come on an electorate win for a sub 5% party. We'd lose Act, United Future, and Jim Anderton's Progressive. Boo hoo.
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Getting back on to the drug theme for a moment: I was momentarily boggled by this story.
In survey of 1200 New Zealanders by the Drug Foundation, 24.5 per cent said they had driven after taking cannabis in the last year.
Just how widespread is cannabis use in the NZ population? That sounds awfully high.
Ah but wait.
The NZDF says the survey was "an anonymous online survey." Their actual report says "rates of driving under the influence from the internet survey should not be interpreted as reflecting the prevalence of drug driving in the general population of New Zealand drivers."
Hardly a random sample. But does the Herald mention that? Does Steven Joyce mention this? No.
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With which would you rather have a drink?
As long as they were unarmed, I should think that would be hilarious good times, as a one-off event anyway.
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Sam: Maximus over at Eye of the Fish thinks we should have more latrines.
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Do you think we can get them at next year's Snerkfest? That'd be awesome.
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Waitakere City gives all residents free car seats for their kids
That's the kind of wasteful socialist rate-bloat that the new super-city will put a stop to.
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Apropos the prams - we too were early adopters of the mountain buggy in 1995. And we did delight in showing it off. Which reminds me, what useful objects is it ok to be visibly pleased with?
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Dude fancies himself as a skeptic, and yet was fooled by Sensing Murder. Either that, or the lure of being on a high-rating program caused an unjustified generosity. Can't say I place much value on his independence of mind.
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grey haired first time parents in their late 40s
You know I was a father by 25 but I'm really tempted to find a co-operative person to procreate with right now* purely to spite you, you vindictive stereotyping so-and-so.
*except this would get me in a lot of trouble with Kathy.
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Apropos ibogaine and lsd as treatments accompanied by talk therapy: it makes sense to me that once your psyche has been given some good whacks with a pharmaceutical sledgehammer, a helpful person can help it re-solidify in more healthy shape.
Of course verifying things that appear to make sense is what we have scientists for :D