Comments on: Movember

By: Kevyn

Kevyn — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:58:47 +0000

Toad, If only local architects and property developers would spend their holidays in European cites or villages we might see urban densification done with enough style and panache to overcome the “shoebox” objections. And why do we insist on living in sprawling single story houses? So energy inefficient, so land inefficient. The backyard on “Men Behaving Badly” is probably as big as anything in most Kiwi suburbs. Terraced housing is a fantastic way of minimising infrastucture costs per household and shrinking travel distances to shops and schools.

By: toad

toad — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:26:09 +0000

Yes, Kevin, we do need greater housing density, especially on major public transport routes like the Auckland and Wellington rail networks. We also need greater housing density to avoid the ever-expanding city syndrome that results in people having to live further and furher away from where they work.

By: Kevyn

Kevyn — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:06:20 +0000

Toad, public transport is a waste of time when government’s have legislated for densities of less than 10 dwellings per acre. You must start with infill housing, infill housing, infill housing. Then apertments, apartments, apartments everywhere. Then, and only then, will you have solid foundations for effective and efficient public transport.

By: jh

jh — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 09:56:56 +0000

jh said: We must act but not at the moment….

I meant that as a typical response as governments don’t want to bite the bullet.

By: toad

toad — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 09:21:05 +0000

jh said: We must act but not at the moment. … “the greatest missallocation of resources in the history of the world�?… people need fuel to go to work etc…

I agree with the second part, jh , but not the first. We must act now to rectify the misallocation. Let’s start with public transport, public transport and public transport!

By: toad

toad — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 09:17:29 +0000

Nick C said: we have had the first home invasion by CYF for smacking by a normal parent in a normal family

Now, Nick, that’s a bit over the top. It has all worked out as I predicted it would. The Police & CYFS were informed of two incidents relating to the same child, in each case they invesigated by interviewing the parent responsible and considered the assault to be inconsequential, no further action was taken, no charges laid, no-one criminalised, no-one’s children removed.

Good to see the Police doing their job properly BTW, given some of their other activities that have been highlighted in recent months. No “home invasion”, no warrant, just a run of the mill interview conducted with consent of the interviewee. This whole story is a beat-up (pardon the pun), instigated by McCroskie and his fundy Christian brethren (small “b”).

By: jh

jh — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 07:57:41 +0000

It’s just like the climate change debate Toad. We must act but not at the moment. The difficulty is selling the message to the people… The US (and NZ) has painted itself into a corner as Knustler says in End of Suburia : “the greatest missallocation of resources in the history of the world”… people need fuel to go to work etc… there’s no sinister plot, [no I’ll revise that] …there is a sinister plot from vested interests but there is a counter acting force and we can thank the institution of free speech and democracy for that..

By: Nick C

Nick C — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 07:35:29 +0000

Not a democrat anyway toad. First of all Hillary is more interested in playing identity politics (vote for me, im a woman). Obama wants to invade Pakistan (seriously). I would say that we need a real conservative to sort out America’s problems, Bush is too tarnished by the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina etc. Guliani or Romney will do the job nicely.

And speaking of rampant social engineering by the green party we have had the first home invasion by CYF for smacking by a normal parent in a normal family. Apparently she smacked her son on the hand and the school dobbed her in. Her family will be torn to pieces by the media

And so it begins. Now off to watch CSI.

By: toad

toad — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 07:25:14 +0000

So who’s the next FDR who will rescue the US for its blinkered self interest, jh? I can’t see Barak Obama or Hillary Clinton taking your “step back”, any more than Hillary’s husband did.

By: jh

jh — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 06:52:03 +0000

I think the difference between us is that I (for example) see the US as having gotten into its present position through pursuing a blinkered self interest , but there is enough divergence in thought from the top down to eventually take a step back (ie even the craziest neocon can only go so far). The left seem to see more of a dark force (capitalism?).