Simon Schama's doco on Rothko (screened here recently)

And Boing Boing has an interesting post on the copyright law...

"Yesterday, I blogged about New Zealand's new DMCA-style copyright legislation, saying that it mirrored the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Copyfighting law prof Michael Geist sets me straight -- the Kiwis put one over on old Uncle Sam, crafting an anti-circumvention rule that's "probably the best anti-circumvention implementation anywhere in the world with a complete exclusion of access controls (ie. region coding), a positive right to circumvent for permitted acts, and even a system to allow 'qualified persons' to circumvent on behalf of those less technologically adept. "

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/10/new-zealands-dmca-is.html

Nice mention of New Zealand in the Doctor Who special...

Don't forget the Extras Christmas Special (Thursday, December 27, 9.00pm - BBC One). Should be on a torrent the next day.
Ricky ends up on Doctor Who....

Inspired by Eating Media Lunch's superb interruption of Christine Rankin's minute silence - I think that all Aucklanders should have a minute's silence (and a big intake of breath) to compose ourselves for a term with John Banks (and Cameron Brewer) and Christine Rankin in the ARC...

So are Family First now more "dangerous" than the Exclusive Brethren?
I am appalled that anyone would consider reintroducing capital punishment.

I was caned within a few weeks of starting Third Form at Shirley Boys' High.
The "crime"?... running in the Science lab.
The teacher, Mr Groves, enjoyed the caning a little too much I think and I believe now that the school definitely saw caning as a way of scaring as many third formers as possible... as initimated in the beginning quote...

Two key moments....

1. 1981 or 1982 I think. Shirley Boys' High. The Gordon's playing a lunchtime set with a reasonable amount of volume (for a school assembly hall) to the utter horror of all the teachers - and the delight of many of us...

2. A year later or so. Fetus Productions at The Gladstone. Didn't know what I was getting myself in for - music + video! complete with shocking visuals. I bought the cassette and booklet at the gig and still have it in the bookshelf... the images of deformities inside are still pretty shocking... but I was becoming hooked on zombie movies anyway...

Looks like they are adding to it/updating it on the fly. Placeholders have gone and there is more content being added...

Ditto for me with My Sky issues.

I've had monthly lockups that have required unplugging from the wall since I got it in Jan, but there has been more some new bugs since just before Labour Weekend.

I recall they did some upgrade didn't they which required you to reset all your series link choices as it would have one episode listed but then would also record anonymously the replay (e.g. The Soup)

Over Labour Weekend it stayed red continuously for 12 hours - locked on one programme and had to delete the episode to "unlock" the unit.

Most other times it won't let me live pause programmes or record them... and all you can do is hard reboot as it were...

But I can cope with most of this... cos' I just love series link, live pause, and fast forward.

My daughter has a "library" of Dora and Hi-5 and I am going through my second screening of the excellent BBC "Soul Deep"...