Posts by Katita
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Hard News: Friday Music: The Music Story, in reply to David Hood,
I'm loving Soundbreaking on Prime
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The “recovery” is presumably achieved by cutting the borrowing beneficiary’s benefit. Which leaves them even less able to afford housing in the first place.
Wow. Just, it’s really staggering …
It's not just staggering, it's criminal. Not only are our social agencies driving people in need further into poverty. They are squandering our tax dollars to do it. FFS, how does 'loaning' money to pay $1200+ a week to a motelier make any kind of sense, fiscal or otherwise?
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Carebnb
Genius
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This in The Guardian today Has convenience turned you into a monster?
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So if Uber isn't making you rich, then
magically, by the power of technology
who is making money off of the drivers?
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Just on the point of helping scientists communicate their messages. AMP is running something called AMP IGNITE for the 3rd time (this year in Wellington).
The premise is for PhD students to 'pitch' their research/idea to a panel of judges and in front of a business audience in 150 seconds using any means they can think up (storytelling, performance art, dance, comedy, music, magic etc.) The students can win $5,000. But more importantly they link up with a group of mentors and get formal media training. The competition has a heavy STEM focus.
I attended the last two events. The standard of the students is nothing short of phenomenal. -
in return for baubles
I love that word, a la Winston 2005 or Nigel
I'm not interested about your nicked knick-kacks. Your burgled baubles bore me
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Thanks for the post Ben, it makes really interesting reading. I worked (many a year ago now) at the Ministry of Transport in the division that licenced and enforced taxi companies/ operators. Believe it or not I used to attend Tribunal hearings where those buying into the business had to front up with lawyers and present evidence that they met the criteria of 'fit and proper'. At that time there were a capped number of operator licences available (of course that all changed under de-regulation in the late 80's).
I'm not an Uber user, these days most of my cab rides are to and from the airport booked and paid for by work. On the rare occasions I take and pay for a cab, I only ever choose the big companies. Rightly or wrongly I just feel safer in them at night.
The other thing I've been wondering about is the concept of disruptive tech vs. parasitic tech. The premise being that these new ventures (Uber and Air BnB) not only have a lower cost of entry, but are attractive to operators due to additional benefits e.g. lower compliance cost, lower taxes etc. However they can cannibalise the market and cause all sorts of unintended consequences. I was listening to an item on RNZ the other week about the Air BnB experience in Barcelona, the net result of which was un-limited accommodation available in the city. Great for tourists (maybe) but these operators weren't paying to support all the other infrastructure that the city requires to cope with hundreds of thousands more visitors.
It left me pondering when is regulation a good thing and when should convenience trump all? -
The whole thing needs sorting out, frankly
Not only does it need sorting out, ensuring that terminally ill people can access the medications that make getting to the end bearable is our duty. End of.
On a tangent ... I have been wondering why we aren't turning the argument on its head? NZ is an agricultural country. We are a nation of gardeners and pot users. Not only should it be legal, we should be supplying to the world's markets. Got to be more stable than dairy ... just saying.
But seriously - can't say enough how much I admire Helen Kelly for her sheer will to take this into the public arena at a time when I'm guessing she'd rather do anything but.
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and next year will mark a scarcely-credible 25 years since Hard News was born as a weekly radio rant on 95bFM
That can't be right ... I remember tuning in on the am/fm radio in my Mini. But if that was 25 years ago, then I'd be 48 now ... bloody hell.
Merry Christmas Russell and the Public Address gang. Thanks for another great year.