The Crushing Son <<Click Direct Link
March 30, 2016
The Crushing Son
I am pleased to announce the release of my second novel, The Crushing Son. It is set on the Gold Coast, Australia, in the quarrying and concrete industry. It's a business I know a lot about. The story is about family rivalry, intense competition, feuds and the heat that oppresses everyone.
The Crushing Son <<Click Direct Link
The Crushing Son <<Click Direct Link
March 16, 2016
National Scrapping Decile System
It's not confirmed but rumour has it NZ's National led government is planning to scrap the decile funding model for schools.
The decile system works by paying schools more if their parents are poor, and less proportionately if the parents are rich.
Let's be clear about this. NZ's education system is hanging by a thread. If National really want to screw things up then all they have to do is tinker with a funding system that, while flawed, actually works most of the time.
>>Read Here About These Plans<<
If changing the system, instead of scrapping it, all they need to do is make adjustments. I don't know if they take into account the remoteness of a school, its particular learning needs, or the quality of staff. If they don't already then these sorts of things could be added to a funding formula.
But the plans to pay schools more for such things as a parent in prison or if the student or a family member has been the victim of sexual abuse, seems absurd. As a society, we pay taxes to address issues around that in separate ways.
I can see the day arriving where schools pay an enrolment signing fee for vulnerable families. Gangs would be the first to exploit a system like this. Now you might say I'm being alarmist. Really? The drug kingpins would be into it like pigs into the proverbial.
Some background - a state education is free in New Zealand. That means schools can't make you pay a donation. It means parents can't be made to pay for materials used to learn with (unless you take the materials home), and they can't be made to pay for workbooks either. They can't even make the child take a school field trip and if it is assessed, the school has to provide an alternative.
This system works. What doesn't work, the elephant in the room, is teachers don't work.
Teachers make things up as they go along, they're often incompetent and they're not subject to rigorous scrutiny. The answer to improving the quality of education in NZ is to put a blow torch to the teachers.
No government will address what is really wrong. Maybe that's because the teacher vote is important. So long as teachers get a magic carpet ride, standards will continue to slip.
More from me on education:-
http://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2014/08/nigel-latta-tvnz-ncea.html
http://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2014/06/reform-of-nz-education.html
http://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2014/06/ncea.html
The decile system works by paying schools more if their parents are poor, and less proportionately if the parents are rich.
Let's be clear about this. NZ's education system is hanging by a thread. If National really want to screw things up then all they have to do is tinker with a funding system that, while flawed, actually works most of the time.
>>Read Here About These Plans<<
If changing the system, instead of scrapping it, all they need to do is make adjustments. I don't know if they take into account the remoteness of a school, its particular learning needs, or the quality of staff. If they don't already then these sorts of things could be added to a funding formula.
But the plans to pay schools more for such things as a parent in prison or if the student or a family member has been the victim of sexual abuse, seems absurd. As a society, we pay taxes to address issues around that in separate ways.
I can see the day arriving where schools pay an enrolment signing fee for vulnerable families. Gangs would be the first to exploit a system like this. Now you might say I'm being alarmist. Really? The drug kingpins would be into it like pigs into the proverbial.
Some background - a state education is free in New Zealand. That means schools can't make you pay a donation. It means parents can't be made to pay for materials used to learn with (unless you take the materials home), and they can't be made to pay for workbooks either. They can't even make the child take a school field trip and if it is assessed, the school has to provide an alternative.
This system works. What doesn't work, the elephant in the room, is teachers don't work.
Teachers make things up as they go along, they're often incompetent and they're not subject to rigorous scrutiny. The answer to improving the quality of education in NZ is to put a blow torch to the teachers.
No government will address what is really wrong. Maybe that's because the teacher vote is important. So long as teachers get a magic carpet ride, standards will continue to slip.
More from me on education:-
http://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2014/08/nigel-latta-tvnz-ncea.html
http://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2014/06/reform-of-nz-education.html
http://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2014/06/ncea.html
March 09, 2016
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova has been caught taking performance enhancing drugs. Personally I don't like the way she screams, or yells, or grunts when she hits the ball. She's either trying to put her opponents off or disguising the sound of the racket hitting the ball. It's unsportsmanlike. That said, I don't think we need to get upset over the matter of drugs.
I put the reaction from around the World down to anti-Russian hysteria. In particular, this applies to those companies quick to dump her.
There is massive hypocrisy here. I think the whole world is doping. You think I'm over-reacting? Come on people, look at these athletes. Look at the bodies on them, the muscle, the recovery times event to event, the speed. Are people blind? Look at the women, they're hulks.
Rest assured, all world class athletes are on something pharmaceutical. It just comes down to whether what they're doing is allowed or explicitly banned by the authorities. I have no doubt in my mind that most top athletes are assisted with drugs by government agencies. In Christchurch you can go to sport nutrition stores selling supplements and find 'test beater' kits. Do these work? Why would they be selling them if they don't work?
I put the reaction from around the World down to anti-Russian hysteria. In particular, this applies to those companies quick to dump her.
There is massive hypocrisy here. I think the whole world is doping. You think I'm over-reacting? Come on people, look at these athletes. Look at the bodies on them, the muscle, the recovery times event to event, the speed. Are people blind? Look at the women, they're hulks.
Rest assured, all world class athletes are on something pharmaceutical. It just comes down to whether what they're doing is allowed or explicitly banned by the authorities. I have no doubt in my mind that most top athletes are assisted with drugs by government agencies. In Christchurch you can go to sport nutrition stores selling supplements and find 'test beater' kits. Do these work? Why would they be selling them if they don't work?
Degrees in New Zealand
Someone may help here, I've got a few questions about New Zealand's University level degree structure.
I get that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority set a bachelor's at 360 points and bachelor's with honours at 480. Therefore it takes 3-4 years to complete based on 120 points each year. A proportion of the courses, at least 72 points, must be at level 7 and so on.
But why isn't there an outfit offering their courses night and day, seven days a week, all year round. If you break the year into three semesters and 60 points each semester, an honours degree is completed in three years - the first two years for the bachelors, then a final two semesters for the honours.
Is there a rule about how much you can study full-time on one subject in one twelve month period? And if there is, how about 120 points toward one degree with another semester each year spent doing another degree.
Something like this:-
Year One: Semester One: Second Degree, Semester Two/Three: Main Degree
Year Two: Semester One/Two: Main Degree Semester Three: Second Degree
Year Three: Semester One: Second Degree Semester Two/Three: Main Degree
First (Main) Bachelor's - 360 points
Second Bachelor's - 180 points plus cross-credit 90 points (say): 270 points, meaning the second degree could be completed with another year of part-time study.
Usually it takes five years to do a double degree.
I'm completing a novel at the moment so you can see I've got far too much time on my hands.
Thinking about this, BPP University in the U.K. offers two year accelerated degrees, such as an LLB (Hons), studying full time. If I understand right, this school has the largest law student enrolment in England (mostly this is because they do the professional component upon graduation which brings their numbers up). These people come out and go straight to becoming Solicitors or Barristers.
Note: BPP also do an LLB (Hons) [Distance Learning] either full-time, full-time accelerated or part-time. Sounds clever, according to data I checked, they have one person doing this degree in NZ. I wonder who that person is? If you think about it, this is a real option (if perhaps quite expensive).
Consider a case where the person is born in England, or their parent or grandparent was born there. They could get a degree that is fully up to speed upon arriving to work there.
Graduates from NZ will be quick to tell you their qualifications are accepted, well yes, but that degree has to go through a process of equivalence and more courses may have to be taken to bring the person up to speed (maybe EU law and so on). This way the student living in NZ with the right to work in England, has a qualification immediately accepted, no questions asked.
Technology is changing the landscape of tertiary education. The problem with using the internet was how do you stop cheating? Anyone could be on that keyboard, right? And in the past that was true.
But now, without going as far as requiring fingerprint or retinal identification (though somewhere that's probably being done), you could run courses with virtual chat rooms for tutorials and classes, even labs. That way you can see if the student has someone sitting next to them helping. A proportion of the course could be viva voce (oral).
From login a certain amount of required attendance at tutorials, lectures online in real time (some could be missed and caught up with delayed viewing, perhaps 60/40 split as a minimum), seminar presentation, and oral answers to questions.
The student then presents essays and completes assignment questions in own time by due dates. If you do all this I don't see the point in the classic three hour exam, but if one were required then it could be open book with the student at home after log in and video link so the examiner can see the person receives no help.
I think with BPP, exams are held in a room you have accepted by them, somewhere separate, or you deliver yourself to their location. That's fine but with technology the way it is now, I think it is practically redundant.
Columbia University in New York have real time webcasts that are free if you register. This means academic heavyweights talking about complex topics like corporate ethics and transformational thinking. You can see where this is headed, they'll be offering degrees this way next (though New York is seriously out of sync with NZ - ouch - 5am starts).
Or consider our neck of the woods, Bond University in Queensland offers accelerated programmes, such as a Bachelor of Business in two years, or a law degree in eight semesters.
For a law degree think about this; a Bond University law degree started in January 2016, eight semesters taken sequentially has the law degree done in two years and two semesters. Now okay, no student loans for Kiwis over there, but if money is no object then I'd say a Kiwi would have to think about jumping the ditch. They can live and work there, so they would be up and practising while back home their classmates were still studying.
Why doesn't New Zealand offer accelerated programmes?
Edited to add: Found one college in Auckland, offering a Bachelor of International Business in 7-9 semesters, in theory it could be done in less than three years.
I note they have holidays. How Bond University do a similar degree in two years, is they don't stop, they just keep going.
If you think about this, it's totally logical. You could have day and night shifts, with overlapping lectures Monday to Friday and Wednesday to Sunday. Combine real time webcasts, like those done by Columbia University in New York, with face to face lectures and tutorials, assignments, essays and online tests.
Edited to further add: Someone has pointed out how acceleration may work at the University of Canterbury (eg) a student with direct access to Chemistry second year, by virtue of their Year 13 grades from high school, can complete an honours degree in chemistry in 3 years.
I get that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority set a bachelor's at 360 points and bachelor's with honours at 480. Therefore it takes 3-4 years to complete based on 120 points each year. A proportion of the courses, at least 72 points, must be at level 7 and so on.
But why isn't there an outfit offering their courses night and day, seven days a week, all year round. If you break the year into three semesters and 60 points each semester, an honours degree is completed in three years - the first two years for the bachelors, then a final two semesters for the honours.
Is there a rule about how much you can study full-time on one subject in one twelve month period? And if there is, how about 120 points toward one degree with another semester each year spent doing another degree.
Something like this:-
Year One: Semester One: Second Degree, Semester Two/Three: Main Degree
Year Two: Semester One/Two: Main Degree Semester Three: Second Degree
Year Three: Semester One: Second Degree Semester Two/Three: Main Degree
First (Main) Bachelor's - 360 points
Second Bachelor's - 180 points plus cross-credit 90 points (say): 270 points, meaning the second degree could be completed with another year of part-time study.
Usually it takes five years to do a double degree.
I'm completing a novel at the moment so you can see I've got far too much time on my hands.
Thinking about this, BPP University in the U.K. offers two year accelerated degrees, such as an LLB (Hons), studying full time. If I understand right, this school has the largest law student enrolment in England (mostly this is because they do the professional component upon graduation which brings their numbers up). These people come out and go straight to becoming Solicitors or Barristers.
Note: BPP also do an LLB (Hons) [Distance Learning] either full-time, full-time accelerated or part-time. Sounds clever, according to data I checked, they have one person doing this degree in NZ. I wonder who that person is? If you think about it, this is a real option (if perhaps quite expensive).
Consider a case where the person is born in England, or their parent or grandparent was born there. They could get a degree that is fully up to speed upon arriving to work there.
Graduates from NZ will be quick to tell you their qualifications are accepted, well yes, but that degree has to go through a process of equivalence and more courses may have to be taken to bring the person up to speed (maybe EU law and so on). This way the student living in NZ with the right to work in England, has a qualification immediately accepted, no questions asked.
Technology is changing the landscape of tertiary education. The problem with using the internet was how do you stop cheating? Anyone could be on that keyboard, right? And in the past that was true.
But now, without going as far as requiring fingerprint or retinal identification (though somewhere that's probably being done), you could run courses with virtual chat rooms for tutorials and classes, even labs. That way you can see if the student has someone sitting next to them helping. A proportion of the course could be viva voce (oral).
From login a certain amount of required attendance at tutorials, lectures online in real time (some could be missed and caught up with delayed viewing, perhaps 60/40 split as a minimum), seminar presentation, and oral answers to questions.
The student then presents essays and completes assignment questions in own time by due dates. If you do all this I don't see the point in the classic three hour exam, but if one were required then it could be open book with the student at home after log in and video link so the examiner can see the person receives no help.
I think with BPP, exams are held in a room you have accepted by them, somewhere separate, or you deliver yourself to their location. That's fine but with technology the way it is now, I think it is practically redundant.
Columbia University in New York have real time webcasts that are free if you register. This means academic heavyweights talking about complex topics like corporate ethics and transformational thinking. You can see where this is headed, they'll be offering degrees this way next (though New York is seriously out of sync with NZ - ouch - 5am starts).
Or consider our neck of the woods, Bond University in Queensland offers accelerated programmes, such as a Bachelor of Business in two years, or a law degree in eight semesters.
For a law degree think about this; a Bond University law degree started in January 2016, eight semesters taken sequentially has the law degree done in two years and two semesters. Now okay, no student loans for Kiwis over there, but if money is no object then I'd say a Kiwi would have to think about jumping the ditch. They can live and work there, so they would be up and practising while back home their classmates were still studying.
Why doesn't New Zealand offer accelerated programmes?
Edited to add: Found one college in Auckland, offering a Bachelor of International Business in 7-9 semesters, in theory it could be done in less than three years.
I note they have holidays. How Bond University do a similar degree in two years, is they don't stop, they just keep going.
If you think about this, it's totally logical. You could have day and night shifts, with overlapping lectures Monday to Friday and Wednesday to Sunday. Combine real time webcasts, like those done by Columbia University in New York, with face to face lectures and tutorials, assignments, essays and online tests.
Edited to further add: Someone has pointed out how acceleration may work at the University of Canterbury (eg) a student with direct access to Chemistry second year, by virtue of their Year 13 grades from high school, can complete an honours degree in chemistry in 3 years.
March 08, 2016
Bluesen 32" HD LED Television
My old television finally conked out. It was a Sony Trinitron I'd been using for the last 6-7 years and which I bought off Trade Me for $50. Back then I actually went out of my way to get a Sony Trinitron as they have such a good picture. I found one that had rarely been used and had a picture like new.
Now the old style televisions are out. TV's are no longer bulky and heavy. They're now light and flat.
I went down to Noel Leeming Appliances and bought the cheapest 32" I could find in the store. The find was a Bluesen BL32C11NZ for $299.99. I've got no idea who Bluesen are, but I figure for that sort of money I couldn't really miss. The last time I forked out for a new TV, I paid over $1,000.
Setting this TV up was a breeze. I've got a simple but older system and I needed to keep everything in play. It's all set up and working well. I would allocate about two hours to get it the way you like it, including all the fiddling with personal settings.
Firstly, I want to record using my VCR. This is because one of the children has a VCR for playing back tapes upstairs. Tapes are very handy. They're cheap, portable and simple.
To set up the Bluesen I attached the aerial cable to the aerial input on the side of the TV. Turned everything on and the TV found the analogue VCR on channel 1. This took maybe 2 minutes to do. Now I can watch Freeview through the VCR and into the TV. Doing this I can still record shows, but alas as I don't have a dual tuner, can't watch another channel while recording.
Like this - Rabbit ears aerial > aerial cable >Dish TV freeview terrestrial set top box > RCA connector > into back of the VCR > Aerial transfer cable > Bluesen TV.
From source the feed is found under ATV.
Then to connect up the DVD player. This is an old one and does not come with HDMI. It is RCA red/white audio and yellow video like the cables that connect the set top box with the VCR.
DVD > RCA cable > TV audio left and right and video at back of TV. The DVD feed can be picked up on source AV, right below ATV.
Initially I scrolled down source menu too far and got DVD in black and white only on another source feed (which I thought was interesting). Found the colour line right below the TV channel in the on-screen menu - D'uh.
Picture quality is favourable. As this set is Asian in origin, the colours tend toward red, and brightness.
I customised the settings thus:-
From the set top box balanced brightness and contrast. Set HD resolution to Native.
On the TV, for picture, personalised and backed off from Dynamic setting a tad.
Colour temperature, backed off red and blue, enhanced green. The Asian colour palette sees a lot of red and they think blue cools things off. Green and blue are really similar, so I change the green by raising it in proportion to blue. At the moment I have red 40, green 50, blue 40. With a setting like this you get less of a chocolate box effect.
Aspect ratio. The standard setting is to have 1080i HD resolution and 16:9 from the set top box and 16:9 on the TV. I sit quite close to the TV so I went with 4:3 letterbox from the set top box into 4:3 on the TV (anything else on the TV and it distorts, be careful). I noticed a slight improvement in picture quality by setting HD resolution to Native.
Turned off noise reduction.
The picture is acceptable, though nothing can compete with the venerable Trinitron.
Sound from the Bluesen is crappy. Very tinny, lots of treble. I actually went down to zero treble and up to 100 bass, then sat the TV on a soft surface to adsorb sound from the speakers which emit sound from the base and downward. I had noticed the sound was bouncing off the table the TV was sitting on. The sound is better but still not very good. This is the Bluesen's worst feature.
Horrors, when I first turned the TV off and then switched on again, the channel it was tuned in on, just the one analogue feed from the VCR, had been lost. Ouch. Checked online to find this is a common problem with modern TV's. It's the software not loading correctly. Funny thing, while I could retune and all settings were then remembered, I turned the TV off a couple of times and each time I restarted I had to quickly retune that channel in again. It's as if part of the thing had saved but another hadn't.
Solution was to restore factory defaults (which didn't change the clock - funny that). Then when I tuned the channel in after restoring factory defaults, the channel stored in memory and goes to this one channel when restarted. Phew. This could be a glitch and the restoring of the factory defaults may need to be done again. I'll watch for this and if it happens again then I'll be quick to squeal.
[Update @ 09/10/2018: the TV is still working fine. It has turned out to be a bargain. The Dish TV set top box died pretty quickly, turns out they're rubbish. I needed this to receive the digital signal and to convert that signal to analogue so my VCR could record. So I don't do that now, I simply watch the TV alone. It is theoretically possible play back videos on the VCR but I don't do that either as the TV often needs to auto tune the channels in and once I do that I also need to retune the VCR channel and that's just a pain. So videotapes are only watched by the kids upstairs from old stock and we don't record any more at all. Instead we watch DVD's which can be bought very cheaply, especially old movies.]
Now the old style televisions are out. TV's are no longer bulky and heavy. They're now light and flat.
I went down to Noel Leeming Appliances and bought the cheapest 32" I could find in the store. The find was a Bluesen BL32C11NZ for $299.99. I've got no idea who Bluesen are, but I figure for that sort of money I couldn't really miss. The last time I forked out for a new TV, I paid over $1,000.
Setting this TV up was a breeze. I've got a simple but older system and I needed to keep everything in play. It's all set up and working well. I would allocate about two hours to get it the way you like it, including all the fiddling with personal settings.
Firstly, I want to record using my VCR. This is because one of the children has a VCR for playing back tapes upstairs. Tapes are very handy. They're cheap, portable and simple.
To set up the Bluesen I attached the aerial cable to the aerial input on the side of the TV. Turned everything on and the TV found the analogue VCR on channel 1. This took maybe 2 minutes to do. Now I can watch Freeview through the VCR and into the TV. Doing this I can still record shows, but alas as I don't have a dual tuner, can't watch another channel while recording.
Like this - Rabbit ears aerial > aerial cable >Dish TV freeview terrestrial set top box > RCA connector > into back of the VCR > Aerial transfer cable > Bluesen TV.
From source the feed is found under ATV.
Then to connect up the DVD player. This is an old one and does not come with HDMI. It is RCA red/white audio and yellow video like the cables that connect the set top box with the VCR.
DVD > RCA cable > TV audio left and right and video at back of TV. The DVD feed can be picked up on source AV, right below ATV.
Initially I scrolled down source menu too far and got DVD in black and white only on another source feed (which I thought was interesting). Found the colour line right below the TV channel in the on-screen menu - D'uh.
Picture quality is favourable. As this set is Asian in origin, the colours tend toward red, and brightness.
I customised the settings thus:-
From the set top box balanced brightness and contrast. Set HD resolution to Native.
On the TV, for picture, personalised and backed off from Dynamic setting a tad.
Colour temperature, backed off red and blue, enhanced green. The Asian colour palette sees a lot of red and they think blue cools things off. Green and blue are really similar, so I change the green by raising it in proportion to blue. At the moment I have red 40, green 50, blue 40. With a setting like this you get less of a chocolate box effect.
Aspect ratio. The standard setting is to have 1080i HD resolution and 16:9 from the set top box and 16:9 on the TV. I sit quite close to the TV so I went with 4:3 letterbox from the set top box into 4:3 on the TV (anything else on the TV and it distorts, be careful). I noticed a slight improvement in picture quality by setting HD resolution to Native.
Turned off noise reduction.
The picture is acceptable, though nothing can compete with the venerable Trinitron.
Sound from the Bluesen is crappy. Very tinny, lots of treble. I actually went down to zero treble and up to 100 bass, then sat the TV on a soft surface to adsorb sound from the speakers which emit sound from the base and downward. I had noticed the sound was bouncing off the table the TV was sitting on. The sound is better but still not very good. This is the Bluesen's worst feature.
Horrors, when I first turned the TV off and then switched on again, the channel it was tuned in on, just the one analogue feed from the VCR, had been lost. Ouch. Checked online to find this is a common problem with modern TV's. It's the software not loading correctly. Funny thing, while I could retune and all settings were then remembered, I turned the TV off a couple of times and each time I restarted I had to quickly retune that channel in again. It's as if part of the thing had saved but another hadn't.
Solution was to restore factory defaults (which didn't change the clock - funny that). Then when I tuned the channel in after restoring factory defaults, the channel stored in memory and goes to this one channel when restarted. Phew. This could be a glitch and the restoring of the factory defaults may need to be done again. I'll watch for this and if it happens again then I'll be quick to squeal.
[Update @ 09/10/2018: the TV is still working fine. It has turned out to be a bargain. The Dish TV set top box died pretty quickly, turns out they're rubbish. I needed this to receive the digital signal and to convert that signal to analogue so my VCR could record. So I don't do that now, I simply watch the TV alone. It is theoretically possible play back videos on the VCR but I don't do that either as the TV often needs to auto tune the channels in and once I do that I also need to retune the VCR channel and that's just a pain. So videotapes are only watched by the kids upstairs from old stock and we don't record any more at all. Instead we watch DVD's which can be bought very cheaply, especially old movies.]
March 03, 2016
Scott Kelly Sets Record
An example of media bias. Scott Kelly has been reported as having set a record aboard the International Space Station. Most reports are careful to mention that it is a NASA record. Of course, because he set the record along with Russian Mikhail Korniyenko. Does anyone mention that in those reports? Hmm (Okay a few do, buried deep somewhere).
And this 'record' really isn't even a record. The outright record of time in space on the one mission is held by Valeri Polyakov aboard Mir (437 days), and in second place Sergei Avdeyev (379 days). Kelly/Korniyenko are actually in 4th place.
That folks is a wooden medal, not even bronze. Is the USA that desperate for good news?
Oh and the person that has spent the most time in space, across multiple missions, is another Russian Genady Padalka (879 days).
Is all this time in space valuable? On many fronts it is, but getting to grips with zero gravity is another matter entirely. Those on the ISS are actually equivalent to sky divers. They are weightless, falling, not experiencing zero gravity. They experience the same amount of gravity on their bodies as we do on the surface of the planet.
It's an amazing sight going out at night to see the ISS fly across the sky. It looks like a shooting star, except it never burns up. Sometimes though, I wonder why we are told some of the things we hear. Are they after more money? And what do they need the money for?
Mars, I mean really, it's a dead planet. It died because as a planet it is not viable. I don't want to contribute to someone landing on it and I think the taxpayer should not have to pay for any of it either. Doing so would be a waste of time IMO.
And this 'record' really isn't even a record. The outright record of time in space on the one mission is held by Valeri Polyakov aboard Mir (437 days), and in second place Sergei Avdeyev (379 days). Kelly/Korniyenko are actually in 4th place.
That folks is a wooden medal, not even bronze. Is the USA that desperate for good news?
Oh and the person that has spent the most time in space, across multiple missions, is another Russian Genady Padalka (879 days).
Is all this time in space valuable? On many fronts it is, but getting to grips with zero gravity is another matter entirely. Those on the ISS are actually equivalent to sky divers. They are weightless, falling, not experiencing zero gravity. They experience the same amount of gravity on their bodies as we do on the surface of the planet.
It's an amazing sight going out at night to see the ISS fly across the sky. It looks like a shooting star, except it never burns up. Sometimes though, I wonder why we are told some of the things we hear. Are they after more money? And what do they need the money for?
Mars, I mean really, it's a dead planet. It died because as a planet it is not viable. I don't want to contribute to someone landing on it and I think the taxpayer should not have to pay for any of it either. Doing so would be a waste of time IMO.
March 01, 2016
Auction Hunters
Have you seen Auction Hunters on the TV? Wondered if it is real? Well, no, it isn't real, it's totally fake.
The stars of the show are Allen Haff and Clinton "Ton" Jones. They're actors. All the storage units are set ups, seeded with stuff that is miraculously worth money. Often the units have guns in them, and they're often rare collectables. The full list of antique and collectables this and that goes on and on.
I don't know for sure, but I think it's likely the 'experts' supply the stuff to be won at auction. They then buy their own stuff back off of old Haff and Ton. The money changing hands are props, probably not even real notes.
We are expected to believe that these expert traders drive an old van with very uncomfortable seating clear across the USA, coast to coast, and they pop in to all these storage unit auctions, which all have value in them. How about the van is different for each location and they fly in to do the filming, yeah that sounds more like it. At best they transport the same van on the back of a truck. Take your pick.
In a later series they open a pawn shop. I have a screen grab from Google street view of this location. There is no pawn shop at 142 Culver Blvd, Playa Del Rey, CA 90293 USA as at May 2015. Here is the shop...
As you can see there is now an Asian health shop there, Tai Chi type of thing. The location was used as the set for the Haff Ton pawn shop when Auction Hunters was being made. Maybe the shop was empty back when they were filming.
You know what really pisses me off about amateurs like these guys? They don't actually know what they're doing.
Winning at auction is a real art. Many of the stunts Haff and Ton claim to use at auctions are actually illegal. These guys are acting. Rival bidders and auctioneers don't let you get away with the shit Haff and Ton pull. They get away with it because none of it is real.
The stars of the show are Allen Haff and Clinton "Ton" Jones. They're actors. All the storage units are set ups, seeded with stuff that is miraculously worth money. Often the units have guns in them, and they're often rare collectables. The full list of antique and collectables this and that goes on and on.
I don't know for sure, but I think it's likely the 'experts' supply the stuff to be won at auction. They then buy their own stuff back off of old Haff and Ton. The money changing hands are props, probably not even real notes.
We are expected to believe that these expert traders drive an old van with very uncomfortable seating clear across the USA, coast to coast, and they pop in to all these storage unit auctions, which all have value in them. How about the van is different for each location and they fly in to do the filming, yeah that sounds more like it. At best they transport the same van on the back of a truck. Take your pick.
In a later series they open a pawn shop. I have a screen grab from Google street view of this location. There is no pawn shop at 142 Culver Blvd, Playa Del Rey, CA 90293 USA as at May 2015. Here is the shop...
 |
| Location of Haff Ton Pawn Shop |
As you can see there is now an Asian health shop there, Tai Chi type of thing. The location was used as the set for the Haff Ton pawn shop when Auction Hunters was being made. Maybe the shop was empty back when they were filming.
You know what really pisses me off about amateurs like these guys? They don't actually know what they're doing.
Winning at auction is a real art. Many of the stunts Haff and Ton claim to use at auctions are actually illegal. These guys are acting. Rival bidders and auctioneers don't let you get away with the shit Haff and Ton pull. They get away with it because none of it is real.
February 25, 2016
Trump as US President
Is there anything to fear from having Donald Trump as President?
Probably not. The office of President is balanced by Congress and the Supreme Court. If he were elected, it's likely much the same as happened to Obama would happen to Trump; that is, he'll be sidelined and distracted.
Will Trump be worse or better than Obama? That's more interesting, as the two have similarities and contrasting traits. I'll look at them here:-
Education: They were both solidly educated, with both interrupting their first degrees to complete somewhere else. In both cases they improved in moving. But intellectually they're both bright but not rocket scientists.
In their early years, Trump was subjected to discipline at a military academy while Obama hung out with the choom gang in Hawaii. Both played basketball, but Obama came off the bench, while Trump excelled in all departments athletically, not just basketball.
Trump takes the prize here then, he's more applied intellectually, and better athletically.
Writing: Both have written books. Obama's Dreams From My Father is beautifully written but I stopped half way through as Obama is a bigot, narrow minded and conceited. I didn't like him.
Trump's first book, The Art of the Deal, is entertaining and insightful. It's funny and informative. Trump comes across as a guy you'd like to know. The book contains advice every budding businessman should learn. Better learn from a book than the school of hard knocks.
Score this one for Trump.
Academic Rigour: Obama lectured in law, while Trump has hosted The Apprentice.
Score this one for Obama.
Business: Trump inherited wealth but, along with his siblings, built a major brand and real estate empire. Obama came from much humbler origins, but he did okay financially.
Score this one for Trump.
Parenting and Marriage: Trump has had multiple wives but his children are high achievers, he appears to be a really good father.
Obama's daughters are great kids too, but as yet untested. He's been married the whole time to Michelle but has been dishonest in acknowledging his previous live-in lover, an ethnic Chinese woman. Then there are persistent rumours of him being Gay. Divorce papers circulated between him and Michelle.
Trump appears a straight shooter. He marries but if it doesn't work he gets out. He's a devoted father. Obama is more devious, but he too is a good father. Score this one for Trump on the basis of his honesty.
Ethics: Both are unscrupulous. Trump's handling of the golf course in Scotland is an example. But then Obama has been accused of plagiarism or using a ghost writer.
Score this one even.
Politics: Both are neither right nor left. They tend to be populist and harness the media and social media. Obama's hope and change message was brilliant. He out organised Hillary. But Trump is learning that lesson and he's making waves.
Score this one for Obama.
Race and Sex: They're both racists and sexists. Score this one even.
Who is better? I score Trump 4, Obama 2, Even 2.
So this makes Trump potentially the better President, nothing to fear.
Probably not. The office of President is balanced by Congress and the Supreme Court. If he were elected, it's likely much the same as happened to Obama would happen to Trump; that is, he'll be sidelined and distracted.
Will Trump be worse or better than Obama? That's more interesting, as the two have similarities and contrasting traits. I'll look at them here:-
Education: They were both solidly educated, with both interrupting their first degrees to complete somewhere else. In both cases they improved in moving. But intellectually they're both bright but not rocket scientists.
In their early years, Trump was subjected to discipline at a military academy while Obama hung out with the choom gang in Hawaii. Both played basketball, but Obama came off the bench, while Trump excelled in all departments athletically, not just basketball.
Trump takes the prize here then, he's more applied intellectually, and better athletically.
Writing: Both have written books. Obama's Dreams From My Father is beautifully written but I stopped half way through as Obama is a bigot, narrow minded and conceited. I didn't like him.
Trump's first book, The Art of the Deal, is entertaining and insightful. It's funny and informative. Trump comes across as a guy you'd like to know. The book contains advice every budding businessman should learn. Better learn from a book than the school of hard knocks.
Score this one for Trump.
Academic Rigour: Obama lectured in law, while Trump has hosted The Apprentice.
Score this one for Obama.
Business: Trump inherited wealth but, along with his siblings, built a major brand and real estate empire. Obama came from much humbler origins, but he did okay financially.
Score this one for Trump.
Parenting and Marriage: Trump has had multiple wives but his children are high achievers, he appears to be a really good father.
Obama's daughters are great kids too, but as yet untested. He's been married the whole time to Michelle but has been dishonest in acknowledging his previous live-in lover, an ethnic Chinese woman. Then there are persistent rumours of him being Gay. Divorce papers circulated between him and Michelle.
Trump appears a straight shooter. He marries but if it doesn't work he gets out. He's a devoted father. Obama is more devious, but he too is a good father. Score this one for Trump on the basis of his honesty.
Ethics: Both are unscrupulous. Trump's handling of the golf course in Scotland is an example. But then Obama has been accused of plagiarism or using a ghost writer.
Score this one even.
Politics: Both are neither right nor left. They tend to be populist and harness the media and social media. Obama's hope and change message was brilliant. He out organised Hillary. But Trump is learning that lesson and he's making waves.
Score this one for Obama.
Race and Sex: They're both racists and sexists. Score this one even.
Who is better? I score Trump 4, Obama 2, Even 2.
So this makes Trump potentially the better President, nothing to fear.
February 24, 2016
Britain Leaving EU
The date for a referendum on Britain leaving the EU has been set. Should Britain leave the EU and if it does, what should it do?
You know, if an alien had landed on the planet in 1939 and taken interest in the news, he'd have seen that Britain, along with its allies (most of whom comprised members of the British Empire), had declared war on Germany and the Second World War was under way. Let's say that alien then returned in 2016, he'd think that Germany and its axis won the war. Hmm?
What happened? Several things as it turns out but one in particular stands out; Neville Chamberlain died. This was a disaster for Britain as he was its most capable leader in decades. What Britain got instead was a nut-job by the name of Churchill who set about bankrupting the country.
The USA meanwhile lusted after the British Empire, it wanted one of its own. Plausibly, the entire world.
Power here ladies and gentlemen. Compare the two, 1939 and 2016, Britain and the USA. If we take just warships, minesweeper and bigger and count the numbers alone, then the Royal Navy in 1939 was a lot bigger than the US Navy today. Bear in mind that when these numbers are done, you usually get tonnage figures, and of course ships now are much bigger. So the USA looks the biggest ever, right?
Hang on a minute. A gun back in 1939 was still a gun, so power in hands is relative. What I'm saying is that Britain in 1939, was more powerful than the USA today. Heck, they owned most of the planet worth owning.
Britain won the war but lost the peace. Without Chamberlain leading the Empire, the USA took over and reconstructed Germany and Italy. France was effectively subsumed as well (bear in mind they fought on both sides), while Britain got shafted. The USA got their empire. Just look at Australia if you doubt this for one minute.
What can Britain do about this? It's too late to cry over spilt milk. The empire can't be rekindled. What they could do is look around and consider their options. Who, culturally speaking do they have the most in common with? The USA of course.
I suggest Britain leave the EU and join the USA. In time Canada would join too, as would Australia and NZ. This would bring together English common law countries with similar cultures. The Royal family could remain heads of state of Britain and the dominions, within a structure designed for it. The military, which already share on so many levels would combine.
It makes sense, Britain has more in common with the USA than France or Germany.
You know, if an alien had landed on the planet in 1939 and taken interest in the news, he'd have seen that Britain, along with its allies (most of whom comprised members of the British Empire), had declared war on Germany and the Second World War was under way. Let's say that alien then returned in 2016, he'd think that Germany and its axis won the war. Hmm?
What happened? Several things as it turns out but one in particular stands out; Neville Chamberlain died. This was a disaster for Britain as he was its most capable leader in decades. What Britain got instead was a nut-job by the name of Churchill who set about bankrupting the country.
The USA meanwhile lusted after the British Empire, it wanted one of its own. Plausibly, the entire world.
Power here ladies and gentlemen. Compare the two, 1939 and 2016, Britain and the USA. If we take just warships, minesweeper and bigger and count the numbers alone, then the Royal Navy in 1939 was a lot bigger than the US Navy today. Bear in mind that when these numbers are done, you usually get tonnage figures, and of course ships now are much bigger. So the USA looks the biggest ever, right?
Hang on a minute. A gun back in 1939 was still a gun, so power in hands is relative. What I'm saying is that Britain in 1939, was more powerful than the USA today. Heck, they owned most of the planet worth owning.
Britain won the war but lost the peace. Without Chamberlain leading the Empire, the USA took over and reconstructed Germany and Italy. France was effectively subsumed as well (bear in mind they fought on both sides), while Britain got shafted. The USA got their empire. Just look at Australia if you doubt this for one minute.
What can Britain do about this? It's too late to cry over spilt milk. The empire can't be rekindled. What they could do is look around and consider their options. Who, culturally speaking do they have the most in common with? The USA of course.
I suggest Britain leave the EU and join the USA. In time Canada would join too, as would Australia and NZ. This would bring together English common law countries with similar cultures. The Royal family could remain heads of state of Britain and the dominions, within a structure designed for it. The military, which already share on so many levels would combine.
It makes sense, Britain has more in common with the USA than France or Germany.
February 19, 2016
Apple vs FBI
It can be done. Apple can access the Farook phone.
Here's the tech blog post that outlines how to do it. Farook had an iPhone 5C, which doesn't have a secure enclave, making the task much easier:-
>>CLICK HERE<<
Quotes:
As many jailbreakers are familiar, firmware can be loaded via Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) Mode. Once an iPhone enters DFU mode, it will accept a new firmware image over a USB cable. Before any firmware image is loaded by an iPhone, the device first checks whether the firmware has a valid signature from Apple. This signature check is why the FBI cannot load new software onto an iPhone on their own — the FBI does not have the secret keys that Apple uses to sign firmware.
<clip>
Even though this 80ms limit is not ideal, it is a massive improvement from guessing only one passcode per hour with unmodified software. After the elimination of passcode delays, it will take a half hour to recover a 4-digit PIN, hours to recover a 6-digit PIN, or years to recover a 6-character alphanumeric password. It has not been reported whether the recovered iPhone uses a 4-digit PIN or a longer, more complicated alphanumeric passcode.
<clip>
I believe it is technically feasible for Apple to comply with all of the FBI’s requests in this case. On the iPhone 5C, the passcode delay and device erasure are implemented in software and Apple can add support for peripheral devices that facilitate PIN code entry. In order to limit the risk of abuse, Apple can lock the customized version of iOS to only work on the specific recovered iPhone and perform all recovery on their own, without sharing the firmware image with the FBI.
The way I read this is, first you get access to the phone in recovery mode using a signature from Apple, then as there is no secure enclave to worry about on this model of phone, you force your way in, but the hardware key query on each attempt slows things down. It could take years without Apple's help in that regard if Farook used a long alphanumeric. If he didn't use an alphanumeric then it would take minutes or possibly hours.
Here's the tech blog post that outlines how to do it. Farook had an iPhone 5C, which doesn't have a secure enclave, making the task much easier:-
>>CLICK HERE<<
Quotes:
As many jailbreakers are familiar, firmware can be loaded via Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) Mode. Once an iPhone enters DFU mode, it will accept a new firmware image over a USB cable. Before any firmware image is loaded by an iPhone, the device first checks whether the firmware has a valid signature from Apple. This signature check is why the FBI cannot load new software onto an iPhone on their own — the FBI does not have the secret keys that Apple uses to sign firmware.
<clip>
Even though this 80ms limit is not ideal, it is a massive improvement from guessing only one passcode per hour with unmodified software. After the elimination of passcode delays, it will take a half hour to recover a 4-digit PIN, hours to recover a 6-digit PIN, or years to recover a 6-character alphanumeric password. It has not been reported whether the recovered iPhone uses a 4-digit PIN or a longer, more complicated alphanumeric passcode.
<clip>
I believe it is technically feasible for Apple to comply with all of the FBI’s requests in this case. On the iPhone 5C, the passcode delay and device erasure are implemented in software and Apple can add support for peripheral devices that facilitate PIN code entry. In order to limit the risk of abuse, Apple can lock the customized version of iOS to only work on the specific recovered iPhone and perform all recovery on their own, without sharing the firmware image with the FBI.
The way I read this is, first you get access to the phone in recovery mode using a signature from Apple, then as there is no secure enclave to worry about on this model of phone, you force your way in, but the hardware key query on each attempt slows things down. It could take years without Apple's help in that regard if Farook used a long alphanumeric. If he didn't use an alphanumeric then it would take minutes or possibly hours.
February 18, 2016
Apple and the Farook Phone
I find the below embedded BBC article on the issues surrounding the Farook phone compelling. It is a plainly worded article on whether it is technically possible to very simply and speedily hack the Farook iPhone (it is).
This is brilliant marketing by Apple, but is it socially and ethically correct to refuse the FBI's request? I think it is fairly easy to do, won't set a precedent that will impact us all, so do it.
Apple
I won't pretend to understand all the ins and outs, but I have to say I'm impressed with Apple standing up to the FBI. I've never owned an Apple anything, but you know, now I might.
Spark or Telecom NZ
Compared to Apple these jokers are plonkers aren't they?
I've just found out they now charge a 3% surcharge on online credit card payments. Yes I got caught out, paid a monthly bill by credit card, took the embedded link which says PAY NOW. More fool me I suppose, now I'll always remember to send them a cheque by post.
This is a company that provides internet services, like broadband. They're not very clever. Reword that, they're stupid. Whatever you do, don't buy shares in Telecom NZ or Spark or whatever they call themselves.
February 11, 2016
Food
Statement of the obvious, given New Zealand is a major food producer and exporter, how come food is so expensive in this country? Hmm?
A rough back of the envelope calculation on my part to illustrate; if NZ milk producers were to give away the milk they simply throw away, and if every person in the country was to drink their equal share of it, then everyone would die of milk poisoning as they'd be drinking far too much of the stuff (no, I'm not talking about milk that's bad or has gone off).
The point I'm trying to make here is that food should be very cheap, given its limitless quantity.
Why are food retailers also allowed to be wholesalers and so set the prices other competitors must charge (by setting their own wholesale price sometimes higher than they also sell in their own supermarkets)?
I mean, come on New Zealand, wake up.
The first thing this country needs is a food revolution, vote for politicians who are not funded by the big food companies.
A rough back of the envelope calculation on my part to illustrate; if NZ milk producers were to give away the milk they simply throw away, and if every person in the country was to drink their equal share of it, then everyone would die of milk poisoning as they'd be drinking far too much of the stuff (no, I'm not talking about milk that's bad or has gone off).
The point I'm trying to make here is that food should be very cheap, given its limitless quantity.
Why are food retailers also allowed to be wholesalers and so set the prices other competitors must charge (by setting their own wholesale price sometimes higher than they also sell in their own supermarkets)?
I mean, come on New Zealand, wake up.
The first thing this country needs is a food revolution, vote for politicians who are not funded by the big food companies.
February 06, 2016
Top 20 Movies of the 1970's
You hear a lot about which movies were the biggest hits of the 1970's. This was pre Avatar and Titanic, so there is a lot of artistic license exercised when talking about the period.
I looked the figures up and found the gross box office worldwide for each movie. The figures I have are for the twelve months following the year of release. I'm going to stick my neck out and say the order stays the same over time, statistically speaking.
Without further ado, here are the top 20 (click on image to enlarge):-
I looked the figures up and found the gross box office worldwide for each movie. The figures I have are for the twelve months following the year of release. I'm going to stick my neck out and say the order stays the same over time, statistically speaking.
Without further ado, here are the top 20 (click on image to enlarge):-
January 31, 2016
GFC: Why We Are Screwed
I have implied in posts on here, an opinion of where I think things are headed. However, until explaining to one of my children what I am actually on about, I realised I hadn't blogged about my views in full.
Okay, so the GFC, aka the Global Financial Crisis. This started happening straight after the dotcom bubble burst. Things were getting out of hand, banks were lending irresponsibly, blah de blah, you know the rest.
In 2008 things got very bad and the property market crashed, everything came tumbling down. Small businesses were screwed, they had their overdrafts called in, banks could no longer trust one another, the system was broken.
In stepped big mother governments the world over. They ruled that some were too big to fail and bailed those precious few out. Then they started quantitative easing to avoid further collapse. Retired folks saw their incomes plummet. The oldies and small businesses were the biggest casualties globally.
What were the alternatives? Well, a short sharp shock would have worked fine.
What happened is governments rewarded the ineffective, incompetent, stupid and weak. These governments are run by venal and malfeasant cowards who buckled and bailed out their old-school mates. What has resulted from that lame decision-making, has been eight years of bumping along the bottom.
I'll explain this another way. Imagine you break your leg and you are delivered to the hospital by an ambulance that is pedal powered. At the hospital the doctors take a look and decide to not properly knit your bones back together, instead finding it cheaper to have your leg grow back crooked and keep you on painkillers for a few years as their mates own the drug manufacturers and pharmacies.
Get the idea?
Or would it be better for the doctor to say, 'this is going to hurt,' AHHHH, fix your leg properly and have you walking again free of pain in three months?
Hmm? Well the crooked leg and painkiller example is what we got.
What does all this mean? It means we are royally screwed. Governments throughout the Western world are telling us they avoided another Great Depression (they say). How about, what they actually did was put us on a path to extinction. That's what I think.
I've had people tell me that technology cannot be lost. Oh yeah? Tell that to the people living through the Dark Ages, just after the end of the Roman empire. That's where we're headed. I won't live to see this happen, and neither will you, but I think it is inevitable. Crazed loons like ISIL are going to be running the world and they'll destroy everything. This will happen because we promoted stupid and dishonest people and gave up being vigilant and prepared to protect our hard fought freedoms.
What we have now is not capitalism. In a capitalist system you have the absolute right to go bust. No-one is too big to fail. If you promote stupid and dishonest people and entrench them in power, you end up with complete devastation.
Okay, so the GFC, aka the Global Financial Crisis. This started happening straight after the dotcom bubble burst. Things were getting out of hand, banks were lending irresponsibly, blah de blah, you know the rest.
In 2008 things got very bad and the property market crashed, everything came tumbling down. Small businesses were screwed, they had their overdrafts called in, banks could no longer trust one another, the system was broken.
In stepped big mother governments the world over. They ruled that some were too big to fail and bailed those precious few out. Then they started quantitative easing to avoid further collapse. Retired folks saw their incomes plummet. The oldies and small businesses were the biggest casualties globally.
What were the alternatives? Well, a short sharp shock would have worked fine.
What happened is governments rewarded the ineffective, incompetent, stupid and weak. These governments are run by venal and malfeasant cowards who buckled and bailed out their old-school mates. What has resulted from that lame decision-making, has been eight years of bumping along the bottom.
I'll explain this another way. Imagine you break your leg and you are delivered to the hospital by an ambulance that is pedal powered. At the hospital the doctors take a look and decide to not properly knit your bones back together, instead finding it cheaper to have your leg grow back crooked and keep you on painkillers for a few years as their mates own the drug manufacturers and pharmacies.
Get the idea?
Or would it be better for the doctor to say, 'this is going to hurt,' AHHHH, fix your leg properly and have you walking again free of pain in three months?
Hmm? Well the crooked leg and painkiller example is what we got.
What does all this mean? It means we are royally screwed. Governments throughout the Western world are telling us they avoided another Great Depression (they say). How about, what they actually did was put us on a path to extinction. That's what I think.
I've had people tell me that technology cannot be lost. Oh yeah? Tell that to the people living through the Dark Ages, just after the end of the Roman empire. That's where we're headed. I won't live to see this happen, and neither will you, but I think it is inevitable. Crazed loons like ISIL are going to be running the world and they'll destroy everything. This will happen because we promoted stupid and dishonest people and gave up being vigilant and prepared to protect our hard fought freedoms.
What we have now is not capitalism. In a capitalist system you have the absolute right to go bust. No-one is too big to fail. If you promote stupid and dishonest people and entrench them in power, you end up with complete devastation.
January 28, 2016
Cook Strait Tunnel
How about this idea for a New Zealand Cook Strait road tunnel:-
The route: in the below illustration, the approach over land from the South Island is from Picton to just before West Head (subject to survey ).
Possible methods of construction:-
My idea would differ from the above illustration. I would both tether the tube to the bottom and where this is not feasible, due to depth, use submerged buoys; the tube would then hang below.
Power for the tunnel could be generated by tides both ways, turbines could be mounted on top of the main tubes carrying services. I would have three tubes; one dedicated northbound, the other dedicated southbound, with a service tube carrying maintenance, power and cabling.
There is no rail tube, sorry, there just isn't enough rail freight for it to be viable. Rail could use skeletal trailers to bring their freight by road, maybe allowing road trains, they'd then transfer their loads back to rail.
The service tunnel, however, could replace the main inter-island power cable, carry fibre optics, along with the tidal electric generation turbines.
The big cost is in the engineering of the tunnel tubes, and the approaches by road through the Marlborough Sounds and in the North Island. There I'd have the road going north, coming out at Porirua, and another coming in the back of Wellington at about Karori. The Porirua link would speed traffic north to Auckland faster.
Think of the efficiency gains this would generate for the New Zealand economy and the employment it would create.
The route: in the below illustration, the approach over land from the South Island is from Picton to just before West Head (subject to survey ).
My idea would differ from the above illustration. I would both tether the tube to the bottom and where this is not feasible, due to depth, use submerged buoys; the tube would then hang below.
Power for the tunnel could be generated by tides both ways, turbines could be mounted on top of the main tubes carrying services. I would have three tubes; one dedicated northbound, the other dedicated southbound, with a service tube carrying maintenance, power and cabling.
There is no rail tube, sorry, there just isn't enough rail freight for it to be viable. Rail could use skeletal trailers to bring their freight by road, maybe allowing road trains, they'd then transfer their loads back to rail.
The service tunnel, however, could replace the main inter-island power cable, carry fibre optics, along with the tidal electric generation turbines.
The big cost is in the engineering of the tunnel tubes, and the approaches by road through the Marlborough Sounds and in the North Island. There I'd have the road going north, coming out at Porirua, and another coming in the back of Wellington at about Karori. The Porirua link would speed traffic north to Auckland faster.
Think of the efficiency gains this would generate for the New Zealand economy and the employment it would create.
January 22, 2016
Tesla Cars Bad Customer Service
Ever wondered what it would be like to deal with the people at Tesla? Wonder no more as I've just read a horror story.
>>You Just Knew Tesla Was Crap<<
Some excerpts....
Elon Musk, get out of that car and let the man buy the damn thing.
>>You Just Knew Tesla Was Crap<<
Some excerpts....
On the evening of January 7, the day before I was to receive my car, Kevin called me to explain he had a call in with the Office of the CEO at Tesla and was working with his team in Tesla to resolve a problem that had come up — their CEO, Elon Musk, had taken my car and was using it as his personal vehicle to test a new version of autopilot. Even worse, he said he could see all the calls I had made into the Orlando delivery center this past week, and no one was taking my calls because no one knew what to do.
......
Tesla has a strange way of communicating with customers I think is best described as customer service vaporware. That is, they spend more time trying to create the illusion of customer service, rather than actually providing it. There is no mechanism for them to get feedback, as I tried to provide, so its difficult to see how they can improve if they don’t know where they are going wrong.
Elon Musk, get out of that car and let the man buy the damn thing.
January 21, 2016
Ninth Planet Discovered
In the truth being stranger than fiction department, or truth finally catches up with fiction, a ninth planet beyond Neptune appears highly likely....
>>Click Here<<
The solar system appears to have a new ninth planet. Today, two scientists announced evidence that a body nearly the size of Neptune—but as yet unseen—orbits the sun every 15,000 years. During the solar system’s infancy 4.5 billion years ago, they say, the giant planet was knocked out of the planet-forming region near the sun. Slowed down by gas, the planet settled into a distant elliptical orbit, where it still lurks today.
Have you read Jules Verne's short story In The Year 2889? In this story the planet orbits the sun every 1,311 years. Written a long time ago, it's starting to look prescient.
>>Click Here<<
The solar system appears to have a new ninth planet. Today, two scientists announced evidence that a body nearly the size of Neptune—but as yet unseen—orbits the sun every 15,000 years. During the solar system’s infancy 4.5 billion years ago, they say, the giant planet was knocked out of the planet-forming region near the sun. Slowed down by gas, the planet settled into a distant elliptical orbit, where it still lurks today.
Have you read Jules Verne's short story In The Year 2889? In this story the planet orbits the sun every 1,311 years. Written a long time ago, it's starting to look prescient.
January 20, 2016
Azealia Banks On Cultural Smudging
Interesting interview here of Azealia Banks. She rips into Iggy Azalea which is funny in itself, but also; she very intelligently describes cultural smudging. Another way of looking at it would be to describe cultural appropriation.
Her music is worth checking out. It's beautiful, confronting, brilliant. The interview is quite long, give it a chance though, you have to just listen to how the interview unfolds. The DJ on the mic, wow he's a good interviewer, they should teach his technique at broadcasting school.
But will her career implode or stall? I hope not, she's good.
Her music is worth checking out. It's beautiful, confronting, brilliant. The interview is quite long, give it a chance though, you have to just listen to how the interview unfolds. The DJ on the mic, wow he's a good interviewer, they should teach his technique at broadcasting school.
But will her career implode or stall? I hope not, she's good.