Public Address - Hard News (Home)

Signs and ensigns | Nov 23, 2006 10:51

Public Address reader Alst has spotted yet more proof of the impending launch of a New Zealand iTunes Music Store: It's the stars on the flag, see … Fascinating. I guess we'll find out soon enough if Bono's going to lend his face to the launch while he's in town. This just in: launch date pushed back from Nov 28 to Dec 7. Looks like Bono will be freed of iTunes duty ...

Now here's one to make you stop and think: a group of researchers has induced an embryonic chicken to regenerate a part of a wing they had removed, by activating a genetic signalling system that lies dormant in higher animals. The work suggests that the potential for such regeneration exists innately in all vertebrates, including humans.

The same method could potentially be used to "dedifferentiate" existing cells, so they turn back into "stem-like" cells and regenerate into muscles, blood vessels and bones. But wait: there's a catch. The Wnt system is associated with cell proliferation in general, and if it is left "switched on" for too long, the animals develop cancer. Now there's a tricky little technology.

More problems at Ihug: an apparently compromised SMTP relay on its network is causing email rejections from organisations using the Senderbase blacklist.

Meanwhile, a bold attempt to extend the boundaries of human experience by rolling and smoking the world's biggest joint - weighing half a kilo and measuring 1.5 metres - has had to be cancelled on advice of the police in Amsterdam. Organisers had figured that if 100 people each brought along five grams (the quantity tolerated for personal possession) and chucked it into the, er, pot, that would be alright. Not so, advised the friendly local Plod.

Meanwhile, a clue to the effect of marijuana on short-term memory: it appears to desynchronise the firing of nerve impulses in the hippocampus; a phenomenon also seen in seizures. The hippocampus is also associated with hallucinations and religious experiences.

This is funny: Jon Safran on Mormons. It's not the belief system, it's the knocking on the fscking door on a Saturday morning. Old eps of Safran's Speaking in Tongues are still available, as both Real streams and podcasts.

Warning: Stadium commentary ahead:

Well, if the waterfront stadium gets nixed and Eden Park is anointed as the World Cup final venue, it'll be situation normal: the cost of a regional asset will fall on Auckland City ratepayers, because no other bugger's going to pay. And right now, there's a $175 million shortfall, on top of the $50 million Auckland City has already committed. Brilliant. I'm not entirely sure that the Auckland City ratepayers polled grasped that part.

If the waterfront proposal fails either at council or in the courts, I am very strongly opposed to so much money going into such a dead venue; and one in private ownership. If it has to be Eden Park, my preference would be for the cheapest possible options for temporary seating there, even if it looks shabby, which it will. That would still be an unfortunate waste of an opportunity; and probably the only opportunity to make public space in that part of Auckland's waterfront for the next 30 or 40 years.

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Let's be hearing it | Nov 22, 2006 09:10

I was critical of the way Nicky Hager sprang his Corngate book, Seeds of Distrust, in 2002. I didn't think the possibility of an injunction was real enough to justify the way that story was handled. It appears I was wrong.

Perhaps Dr Brash really did take out his wide-ranging injunction in good faith, and in the belief that a forthcoming book was to lay bare personal matters, exposed in leaked emails, that are no concern of the public.

In which case, he should act with dispatch to have his gag order on Hager's Hollow Men: A Study In The Politics Of Deception, lifted. The author and the handful of people who have read the book say this is not the book Brash claims to have feared, and that it concerns matters that are in the public interest.

So let's find out, promptly. From what little there is to go on - interviews, and pictures of the contents pages - the book touches on issues that have been matters of public discussion at various times, and things I've grumped about myself: National never really acknowledged the extent of co-operation with the Exclusive Brethren; during last year's election campaign, there were wider alliances that weren't apparent to the public; the political culture around Brash's leadership is unhealthy and cynical.

So what is the merit of the claims? I expect I'll actually take issue with some of them, or with the way the information is characterised, and in her introduction to the book Marilyn Waring writes that "many of the events and communications recorded in The Hollow Men were legitimate, written by people going about their lawful business," and that "There's not too much conspiracy in some of the letters quoted from old politicians. I once wrote to John Banks agreeing with something he had said, but I certainly wouldn't want anything to be inferred about my political ideology from that!"

She also says: "I would expect to see much of the evidence set out in the book reported to the Electoral Commission, Parliamentary Services, the police and the Auditor-General."

National and its friends have used some very, very strong language this year on the "corruption" of other parties. It's hardly acceptable that the party and its leader should now be able to duck scrutiny of National's actions by muzzling their source.

Brash himself was all over the gaff yesterday. He gave a weird, awkward impromptu press conference, where he repeatedly declared that "I never saw any emails from the Exclusive Brethren." (well, duh - they don't use computers, do they?); insisted on Checkpoint that a few emails were a leak, but lots of emails were theft; refused to go on Campbell Live and face the only interviewer who'd read the book; and eventually chose Close Up, where he appeared to say that he would clear the way for the book's publication. Sort of:

"I'm keen to see the book exposed to daylight," he said. "I'm not keen to have it under wraps."

But he said he was "also keen to protect the privacy of those people who have written to me by email".

He did not explain how he planned to achieve both goals, but said he would talk to his lawyer today.

He seems to be still drawing the same, unworkable line today. Meanwhile, the spin machines started whirring loudly, and David Farrar tried to rope me into the effort in a rather desperate way. Feel free to read it and make of it what you will. Discussion also at No Right Turn, and copies of everything currently fit to print at Scoop.

Still, at least Dr Brash has some solace. Sean Plunket seemed to conduct his interview with Brash this morning from the same side of the mic, with a comforting arm around the National leader. He opened by chummily suggesting that Nicky Hager "can't be bothered going back to his publishers and having the book reprinted".

Eh? Has Sean been a civil servant for too long? Out here in the wilds of capitalism, it's simply not viable to suggest an independent publisher should have such a book rewritten, paginated and reprinted, and more to the point, he shouldn't have to.

The way forward is clear. The barriers to the publication of The Hollow Men must be lifted - without Brash and his team being allowed to inspect, let alone approve, its contents before the rest of us - so its claims can be heard and their merit tested. And soon.

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Music in Parks | Nov 21, 2006 09:49

A little follow-up from yesterday. Mr D. Dobbyn of the parish of Grey Lynn, responding to Murray McCully's tacky little burp about an alleged insult to the Queen by dint of the performance of his song 'Welcome Home', advises that: "The Queen officially approved my lyrics ahead of the honourable memorial engagement."

And might I say that ma'am showed notable good taste in doing so.

Perhaps Mr McCully could apologise and try and make sure he knows what he's on about the next time he takes a cheap shot.

I could also add that Dave said: "We should build the best stadium in the world - per capita - with the highest values in architecture, art and technology. The alternative is deeply boring." But I'm trying not to mention the stadium …

Meanwhile, the Australians have popped out another one of their interesting digital laws: this time, copyright legislation that appears to radically lower the bar for criminal prosecution of ordinary people doing ordinary things via a new "strict liability" standard.

Professor Brian Fitzgerald, head of the Queensland University of Technology's school of law, says it's "a fundamental reshaping of consumer law through the guise of copyright," and amounts to the "criminalisation of copyright infringement." And the Australian Internet Industry Association is very loudly sounding the alarm. Similar unease on Slashdot, as you would expect.

Ironically, one aim of the new law was to create an exemption for format-shifting of music, so you're not breaking the law by loading your iPod. Which it does - really badly. If you rip legitimately purchased CDs into iTunes and then listen to them on your iPod, you're for it:

Section 132AL(2) of the bill provides that a person commits an "indictable offence" if they possess "a device, intending it to be used for making an infringing copy of a work or other subject-matter".

This is the most serious offence for an individual technology user, as it means they've intentionally broken copyright law. It is subject to a penalty of five years in jail, a fine of up to $65,000, or both.

Yikes.

Other forms of unconscionable criminal behaviour to fall under this law include the despicable practice of 12 year-old girls recording video karaoke clips in their bedroom and putting them on YouTube. Singing in parks might be a bit risky too.

One interesting difference from official thinking (as expressed in MED position papers) in New Zealand, and what the Australian government has sprung is the attitude towards Technical Protection Measures. If you bypass a TPM merely to gain access - rather than to illicitly copy or distribute - the MED ain't too bothered. In Australia, it's a bad thing. They can say goodbye to their region-free DVD players if this goes through.

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Assault by Monstrous, Cancerous Used Condom Destroys Auckland. And so on ... | Nov 20, 2006 10:25

I had to think twice about venturing again into the waterfront stadium issue - it's just all a bit mad, frankly - but I do feel bound to point out that we appear to have a new height for anti-waterfront stadium hysteria, from yesterday's meeting of the margins of the political right and left. Enter children's author Tessa Duder:

"That gently glowing, translucent, floating white cloud will certainly be a 10 to 12-storey wall along much of Quay St - a monstrous, cancerous protrusion into the harbour."

In a voice choked with emotion, she said she would have great difficulty taking her grandchildren to North Head or Mt Eden and trying to explain the object marring their view.

"I will have difficulty holding back my tears."

I'm sorry, but isn't that just a bit silly? How exactly will the view from Mt Eden be spoiled by a 37m-high structure replacing an ugly private wharf? To "loud applause", Duder also said that this "latest assault" would bequeath an "environmental disaster" which would "fatally compromise the gradual redevelopment already under way."

Okay, I do want to know how this impacts on plans for that part of Auckland's waterfront, so I went and downloaded the Auckland Waterfront Vision 2040, which scopes out the next 30 or 40 years of the waterfront.

And, so far as I can see, there aren't any plans. There's a plan to develop a plan - an update of the old plan from 1989 - but any change in use of that area is "a medium to long-term consideration until port operations consolidate eastwards." And Captain Cook Wharf will be used for port operations "for the foreseeable future." The report holds out the slim hope that:

"There may be a shift over the long term to non custom-bonded activities (such as tugboats) which would give the public access to the area."

Well, whoop-de-doo.

Yes, there are unsatisfactory elements to the waterfront stadium plan, particularly as regards process, but I really don't understand the hysteria that leads to a national stadium being described as a "cancer" or (from ARC councillor Robyn Hughes) a "giant used condom". And I think that stadium opponents skip very lightly over (a) the waste of money implicit in spending $400m upgrading a badly-located, privately-owned Eden Park whose future potential is virtually nil, and (b) the reality of plans to open up Auckland's waterfront. From what I can see, I may well be dead before anything happens, and I don't plan on doing that any time soon.

Interestingly, the Weekend Herald's three flagship op-ed columnists all came out strongly in favour of the stadium on Saturday. Fran O'Sullivan's column concluded thus:

What is surprising is that Mallard's political opponents have done their volte-face and bought into the nay-saying arguments.

Just days ago National's Murray McCully was saying his party would support the project with provisos but it certainly was not a deal-breaker. Now National's leader Don Brash has turned into the party pooper.

I wouldn't be so concerned about Brash's reservations over the stadium's costings and deliverability in time for Rugby World Cup 2011 if I was convinced there was not an ulterior political motive at work in spawning this week's negativity as far as some of his colleagues are concerned.

My soundings disclose that some of Brash's colleagues want to use the stadium controversy to cause the Government political embarrassment. Defeat the project and give Helen Clark another bloody nose, is how one National MP described the tactics.

Some other Auckland-based National MPs would rather champion the project but don't want to embarrass Don in case it is read the wrong way.

Meanwhile, more of what's wrong with the National Party, from (of course) Murray McCully:

Helen Clark continues to suffer from the affliction that brought so much trouble over the pledge card affair: An inability to distinguish between public property, and that of the Labour Party. Last week's ceremony to unveil the Armistice Day memorial in London was a classic. In earlier times, such events were treated as occasions for bi-partisanship. But having grudgingly invited Dr Brash to the London event, Clark's people ensured he was carefully away from the official action.

Neither did the best turnout of royals for a New Zealand event in many decades (the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Princess Anne) deter our anti-monarchist leaders from having a cheap shot. The lefty-muso Dave Dobbyn, noted for his adherence to the Clark cause, was engaged for the event. And from the dozens of songs he could have selected for the event, Dobbin sang "Welcome Home". Noted, of course, for the line "the empire is fading by the day." How very very classy.

Would it be rude to point out that the day anyone needs lessons in "classiness" from Murray McCully will be a strange one indeed? That anyone who could write the passage above has a bit of a nerve complaining about a "cheap shot"? And that, when the final accounting is done, Dave Dobbyn and his songs will find a more elevated place in the hearts of New Zealanders than Mr McCully ever will?

PS: Someone else who needs lessons in decent behaviour: Deborah Coddington. Keith Ng writes a detailed, measured - and in the circumstances, quite good-humoured - critique of her lazy and inaccurate 'Asian Angst' story for North & South. How does she respond? By claiming to have been the subject of intolerable ad hominen attacks, then dismissing her critic as an "insane blogger" who no one listens to anyway (yes readers, you have spotted an irony there). Not only does she fail to address any of the legitimate criticisms of her story, she introduces more "facts" that aren't really facts at all. I hope the pinot growing in the Wairarapa goes well for Ms Coddington - because she's certainly stinkin' up journalism at the moment.

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