Author Archive
The overblown role of religion in conflict
I heard a good radio interview today: Radio NZ’s Kathryn Ryan interviewing Rabbi David Rosen — a conversation which opened with the question whether the long running Israel/Palestine conflict is in any way a religious issue. In essence certainly not. It’s a territorial conflict … a conflict between two national liberation movements: The Jewish national […]
Microsoft helping ‘de-list’ news sites from Google?
Wow. Can this be the future? Microsoft paying News sites to BLOCK their content from Google? (… while, presumably, allowing it to show up on MS Bing)? OK, it’s still just a rumour. Here’s the CNN story and this quote from Lance Ulanoff in PC Mag‘s “online news ice age” what-are-they-thinking?’ reaction — which resonates […]
A discredited profession? — Financial advisors.
About time!
The backlash against the alarmingly greedy pigs on Wall St (“Bail Out People, Not Banks”) was long overdue. Self-inflicted wounds. We’re also familiar with the loathing of the corporate fat cats who showered excess on themselves even as the punctured airship foundered — and, more scandalously, even in receipt of taxpayer-funded bailouts. But now I […]
Nothing ‘new’ under the sun
Great minds think alike?
Plagiarism stigma …
‘Uni needs to address plagiarism’ | Stuff.co.nz: University dean of arts, Associate Professor Jan Crosthwaite, said while concerning, Ihimaera’s actions were not deliberate. Ihimaera said the offending passages amounted to less than half a per cent of the novel, but respected author CK Stead said that was beside the point. ‘It’s really like saying `well […]
Plagiarism looks like…
Link provided by Jolisa Gracewood in her blog post discussing her uncovering of Witi Ihimaera’s plagiarism. Our lawyers prepared a similarly convincing graphic display for our High Court copyright infringement action, which may have helped the plagiarists in our case decide to settle the case last year.
Taylor Swift — self-aware, not self-absorbed megastar
I love the self-awareness this very talented singer/songwriter/megastar Taylor Swift displays with such apparent ease. (Of course she’s wildly talented and works hard.) She makes me smile. UPDATE: Watch the video at YouTube here. (Thanks to AK for the tip.) And an entertaining behind-the-scenes/making-of clip:
The place of questions
I’ve been up to my ears in the physical universe (in a good way, mostly) and just spent the last few days pulling together the course notes for an annual Market Update event. Really good notes. What stands out for me is the wisdom that experience teaches. I don’t mean to say that in a […]
Out-of-date records, poor systems… are a CLUE!
There’s a very interesting article on Securities Industry News regarding the out-of-date computer systems used to fleece ‘investment strategist’ Bernard Madoff‘s victims. A highly secret, largely undocumented computer trading system was maintained and “used solely to create and maintain an alternate reality of trades never made.” Short-lived Madoff IT project manager Bob McMahon said “I […]
Mobile phone bad, GPS good
NZ lawmakers, after much delay and prevarication, and following leads from Australia, the US and others, have instituted a law banning the use of a hand-held cellphone (by the driver) while driving. From 1 November, it’s illegal to use a mobile phone for calls, text or email/web … even while stopped at traffic lights.* See […]
The irresistible urge to “right wrongs”…
Apropos of my recent post “It must be true. I saw it on the internet.” This classic commentary on what drives much discussion on forums and blogs from Randall Munroe: Priceless! (You know who you are.)
Bob Dylan Chronicles vol 1
Just read it. Wow, what a beautiful book. Some of the writing is exquisite, and the insights into his journey, his influences and his drive to be the musician he wanted to be are extraordinary. His homage to Woody Guthrie and later Robert Johnson are brilliantly convincing, and it’s worth reading the book just for […]
