Posts by James Butler
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OnPoint: Budget 2011: Radioactive Space Donut, in reply to recordari,
Since we seem to be on an operating system, browser comparison thread, any thoughts on Macrohard buying Skype?
I'm waiting for them to discontinue the Linux client...
Right. Budget. Sorry. Mmm, yes, anyone?
Oh sorry, I thought the thread was about data visualizations.
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OnPoint: Budget 2011: Radioactive Space Donut, in reply to Keith Ng,
Dear People: Chrome is superfast. Kicks the pants off Firefox 4.
I have to concur – I have reluctantly moved to Chrome despite my geek misgivings about privacy and its development model, and I don’t regret it. Having already moved from FreeBSD to Linux helped, though – Firefox for all its flaws is still the only full-featured browser which builds on the niche platforms.
(Yes, I’m calling Linux mainstream #hipstergeek)
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OnPoint: Budget 2011: Radioactive Space Donut, in reply to recordari,
Middle what? It’s what you’re used to I suppose. And my mice have no middle. In fact my Macbook have no mice. (Plural effusion)
I'm sure either squiggle-click or compost-click does the same thing (as does control-click on pleb computers).
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OnPoint: Budget 2011: Radioactive Space Donut, in reply to recordari,
Warning: Open in new Tab has moved to 1st position on right click list in FF 4. In my experience, it will initially drive you to distraction.
Who still opens a link in a new tab any other way than middle-click?
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Hard News: Budget 2011: While you wait, in reply to Sacha,
I better get my mound of headless, exsanguinated kittens or else.
Brash may have scarfed those backstage already.
Well, duh, that's why they're exsanguinated. So hard to secure a supply of human virgins these days.
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Southerly: That CERA Rumour, in reply to Stephen Judd,
A skillset of indecent breadth... now there's a thing to conjure with.
"Never mind the quality, feel the breadth"?
/coat
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Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to Rob S,
Labour introduced a specific local petrol tax [aimed at benefiting Aucklands rail network] for just this purpose.
Oh I'm aware of this, but I'm afraid it was too little, too late - hence National was able to kill it before it was implemented. LGv5 seemingly discovered the necessity of public transport investment very late in their final term, missing their chance to undo some of the damage of LGv4. Who knows, a little more strategic infrastructure investment might have been an even better use of some of Dr. Cullen's magical surpluses than paying down debt, as the current gov. might have found that kind of gain harder to reverse.
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How nice to see your opinion as an engineer so well served by your skill as a writer. The world would be better off if more people could do both.
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Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to bmk,
I hope Working for Families will also be looked upon fondly as I know my own family and many others would have struggled to get by without it. WFF was the only thing that allowed us to afford the escalating rent, food and petrol prices that occurred from 2005 onwards.
Indeed, and I can't help but notice that implementing a CGT, which is something I otherwise support, would probably push rents even higher (although part of my own problem is having put down roots in Mount Eden, we now can't afford to stay). And petrol prices would have been less of an issue had any government in recent years put enough investment into PT infrastructure (yes, Labour, I'm looking at you).
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Hard News: People Take Drugs, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
Medicines are subject to a multi-phase clinical trial process that costs tens of millions for each substance. It's not clear to me whether such a process would even be ethical - is it acceptable in medical research to test a substance that isn't planned to be therapeutic on humans?
Most of the proposals for decriminalisation include variations of "let's decriminalise a few well-known, well-understood drugs to start with, in the hope that availability will discourage people from moving on to the harder/less safe ones". The top of the list is usually weed, which is pretty well understood - at least partially from trials specifically intended to establish therapeutic usefulness. It's a concern all right, but it's surmountable for at least the few best-known decriminalisation candidates.