Author Archive
Tax? ‘Quite a good idea’…
In New Zealand, there’s been a lot of, umm, ‘debate’ (heat but not much light) about finding a way to tax residential property investors. Much ado about nothing, we hope. Here’s a brilliant ad in support of a proposed UK tax on banks… I have one or two people I would like to question in […]
A three horse race to rule over the global distribution of digital content … Apple in front by a nose.
Worthwhile evaluation from someone who knows the publishing game better than most — and from more angles. Why Apple’s iPad is shaking things up with Amazon and Google from Martin Taylor’s e-report — digital publishing downunder When Apple launched its long-rumoured iPad tablet computer late last month, it fired a major salvo in the battle […]
Speak up (or shut up) to defend a friend?
I’ve had occasion to reflect on this, one of my habits/traits/addictions: Speaking up for my friends. And, having thought about it: Yup — I’d do it every time. It’s almost involuntary. (Asperger’s?) I’d hope (but not expect) my friends to do the same for me. There’s another aspect, too: A friend of mine was approached by […]
Mark Withers on John Key’s ‘Tax Direction’ speech
“3 bullets dodged but there’s still a round in the breech!” I had a chat with specialist property accountant Mark Withers this morning — ‘the morning after’ NZ Prime Minister John Key’s speech at the opening of Parliament. Here’s a free 13 minute audio interview (mp3) hosted by Empower Education. And here’s a link to […]
More iPad preamble – “a clear window into the software”
“People who are focussed on the hardware are missing the key thing: – software and services” – Walt Mossberg Wall St Journal “One thing you have to understand about this gadget is that the gadget disappears pretty quickly. You’re looking into pure software.” – David Carr NY Times On the Amazon Kindle: “It looked like […]
Intelligence finds a way to express itself
Shon Hopwood, Mediocre Criminal Turned Top Jailhouse Lawyer “A Mediocre Criminal, but an Unmatched Jailhouse Lawyer” Cool story from the NYTimes.com
Johnny Dankworth RIP
Jazz legend Johnny Dankworth dies aged 82 BBC 7 Feb 2010 Sir John Dankworth, a mainstay of the British jazz scene for over 60 years, has died. Saxophonist Sir John, 82, served as musical director to the likes of Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald. Sir John, known as Johnny, died in a London hospital […]
Doctrinaire aggression vs physical aggression
Wole Soyinka: On origins of religious strife… In Mr. Soyinka’s view, the origins of the current phase of the world’s religious strife—including all of the bloodshed in Nigeria—lie with Ayatollah Khomeini and his fatwa against Salman Rushdie, in 1989. “It all began when he assumed the power of life and death over the life of […]
The rise (and fall) of the value of online advertising
Following a report on Apple boss Steve Jobs pitiching the iPad distribution channel to NY newspaper chiefs… The highlighted bit (see below) about online advertising space being (a) infinite in supply and therefore (b) valueless accords with my thinking (although I am not a genius, nor all that experienced). I’ve done some online advertising and […]
Apple’s iPad: “a replacement for computing”
“The iPad isn’t the future of computing; it’s a replacement for computing.” — Mike Monteiro, muledesign.com A vision of the future…. As many others have noted, the release of the iPad might be the cannonball into the consumer device pool the iPhone dipped its toes in. It’s also been referred to as a thing that sits between […]
“Bringing a large dose of common sense into the equation…”
Somebody thinking clearly about the internet copyright ‘three strikes, you’re disconnected’ proposals: An Australian judge has ruled that ISP iiNet is not responsible for its customers breaking copyright laws. (Of course it will be appealed!) Aussie ISP strikes landmark blow in copyright war By Pat Pilcher NZ Herald Thursday Feb 4, 2010 Aussie ISP iiNet […]
More unintended consequences?
How’s this for taking things a leetle bit too far… (It makes a good point though.) Did the US Supreme Court consider that by ruling the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections (on the basis that it’s a ‘free speech’ right!) that it was, in effect, giving corporations ‘human rights’? […]
Social media as high school reunion
What they didn’t know, and never could’ve predicted, was that the Web would also transform itself into an enormous, never-ending high school reunion (See also: hell). … Let’s see, so the digital revolution led us all to this: a gigantic, commercial, high school reunion/mall filthy with insipid tabloid trivia, populated by perpetually distracted, texting, tweeting […]
The state of the media
Oh, this is very funny … a true spoof. The cliches fall like autumn leaves. (Pwah!) I have a serious book somewhere called Bending Reality: The state of the media (James Curran) which, among other things, discusses the compromises and distortions those in the news media routinely can and do make in the effort to ‘package’ […]
