November 26, 2009
Shared streets
A post at the Auckland Transport blog on the shared streets and people-friendly spaces in urban planning got me inspired to look at how the streets rated the most expensive in various editions of the board game Monopoly look like in real life.
Here's the Nieuwstraat in Brussels:
And here is the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam:
Normalmstorg in Sweden:
And a stunning look Paseo Del Prada in Madrid:
And here is Queen Street in Auckland (you have my permission to weep):
And just imagine what Queen Street could look like if it was redeveloped like the Meir in Antwerpen:
Here's the Nieuwstraat in Brussels:
And here is the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam:
Normalmstorg in Sweden:
And a stunning look Paseo Del Prada in Madrid:
And here is Queen Street in Auckland (you have my permission to weep):
And just imagine what Queen Street could look like if it was redeveloped like the Meir in Antwerpen:
Labels: urban planning
November 22, 2009
Relight my fire
Now those Swiss gnomes have re-started their doomsday machine, time for a re-post a year later:We all like to enjoy a big bang from time to time and a tiny black hole on occasion, so I'm unconcerned by all that worry around the world about some particle collision machine. Doomsday it ain't.
I'd have fancied they called it the Voltaire machine, as that illustrious French philosopher lived in that very area. He flitted back and forth across the French-Swiss border to escape from the French authorities too keen to put a damper on his enlightning mind.
Labels: science
November 20, 2009
Belgium rules Europe
You could call it the revenge of Belgium. After being ruled for more than 2,000 years by various empires and foreign potentates, now haiku hewing Herman will take the reigns of Europe as the new EU president, coming out on top of Luxembourgeois and the Netherlands' Prime Ministers. Just think, wouldn't they have made a marvellous triumvirate, Roman Republic-style?
And the Foreign Affairs Representative is Baroness Catherine Ashton from the UK. There's nothing like a dame to send on foreign missions.
And there's nothing a combined effort between a Belgian and Brit cannot achieve (in me extensive experience) so that all bodes well for the EU.
Intrepid roving news reporter Hamish MacDonald from Aljazeera made a great impression as Tintin at the event.
And the Foreign Affairs Representative is Baroness Catherine Ashton from the UK. There's nothing like a dame to send on foreign missions.
And there's nothing a combined effort between a Belgian and Brit cannot achieve (in me extensive experience) so that all bodes well for the EU.
Intrepid roving news reporter Hamish MacDonald from Aljazeera made a great impression as Tintin at the event.
Labels: Belgium, European Union
November 13, 2009
Underground detail
Here's a game (via Diamond Geezer's annual Tube Blog Fest) that will have you hooked for hours if you are a London Underground map design fanatic, like most of us are who have ever lived in London. Now you can create your own mug/t shirt/mouse pad design with bits and pieces from the iconic map. And if you like it enough you can even order it at exorbitant, but in happily devalued pound, prices.
Here's my collection:
And I could make one for Auckland too:
Here's my collection:
And I could make one for Auckland too:
Labels: art, design, Underground
November 11, 2009
Auckland governance ward system
I got a reply back from the Local Government Commission on my submission on the ward and electoral system for Auckland City:
Thank you for your submission. The Commission has completed an initial information gathering phase in its work to assist it prepare draft proposals for consultation. These proposals will be released on 20 November with submissions invited until 11 December. In relation to your email, I should point out that the Commission's tasks are prescribed by the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 this includes a requirement that there be a maximum of 20 councillors all elected by wards and that the electoral system will be first past the post.So all we can make really a submission on is how the wards should be gerrymandered to suit the powers that be, and we are not allowed to speak truth to power.
Labels: Auckland, policy wonking
November 01, 2009
Been visiting
Here is where I have been in the world and Europe. I didn't include stopovers involving waiting at airports only.
The world map is a bit small to see the small countries and territories I have been to, such as Hong Kong, Macau and the Cook Islands.
create your own visited country map
In Europe I still need to do a lot, including Andorra, Monaco, the Channel Islands and Iceland. But I've been to Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Corsica. From Belfast to Leipzig and from Narvik to Gran Canaria.
create your personalized map of europe
The world map is a bit small to see the small countries and territories I have been to, such as Hong Kong, Macau and the Cook Islands.
create your own visited country map
In Europe I still need to do a lot, including Andorra, Monaco, the Channel Islands and Iceland. But I've been to Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Corsica. From Belfast to Leipzig and from Narvik to Gran Canaria.
create your personalized map of europe
Labels: travel
October 30, 2009
Submission on the ward representation system for the Auckland Council
Proposal background: The Auckland merged city structure should be governed by city-wide visions and policies. The new Auckland Councillors will, after all, represent the total population of the isthmus, not parochial interests. The way they are elected should reflect this, and electors should be given the chance to vote on policies for the city rather than be distracted by personality politics and contests.
Electoral system for Auckland City: The city should be established as one constituency, not split up into wards. All Auckland electors can vote to elect Councillors from one ballot listing all tickets and candidates.
20 Councillors (but preferably more, say, 50) should be elected from ticket/party lists applying strict proportionality in the voting system: 5% of the valid vote yields one seat. In the case of 50 seats the threshold falls to 2%.
Voters choose one candidate on the ballot (organised in ticket lists of maximum 20 candidates - independents can stand too and be subject to the same threshold).
When votes are counted the total of all candidates on each individual list will be tallied to determine how many seats the list is awarded on the Council: 1 seat per 5%.
All individual candidates who clear the threshold hurdle will be automatically elected. If more than one seat is won by the list, they go to the highest polling candidates on that list.
Note that this does not mean your placement on the list will trump votes received by another candidate on your list - list leaders will thus not automatically be elected when the list clears the threshold.
Independent candidates outside the lists will need to clear the threshold in their own vote to be elected. The "leftover" effect of the lists means that independents are actually encouraged to organise themselves into lists in order to profit from the same effect. This will benefit voters as lists will emphasise policy and vision instead of glamour or single issues.
The system is easy to understand and administer, does not distort vote weight (all votes are equally valid) and lists will have space for a wider variety of candidates than under any other system based on ward representation.
There is also no need for separate reserved seats for Maori or any other group because a low threshold will ensure a possible wide variety and proportionality of representation.
There is even no need for a separate election for mayor. Like in the parliamentary system, the largest faction elected on the Council should have first dibs on forming an Auckland government with its leader as Mayor. This will greatly help integrating the mayoral office with the power structure on the Council.
Electoral system for Auckland City: The city should be established as one constituency, not split up into wards. All Auckland electors can vote to elect Councillors from one ballot listing all tickets and candidates.
20 Councillors (but preferably more, say, 50) should be elected from ticket/party lists applying strict proportionality in the voting system: 5% of the valid vote yields one seat. In the case of 50 seats the threshold falls to 2%.
Voters choose one candidate on the ballot (organised in ticket lists of maximum 20 candidates - independents can stand too and be subject to the same threshold).
When votes are counted the total of all candidates on each individual list will be tallied to determine how many seats the list is awarded on the Council: 1 seat per 5%.
All individual candidates who clear the threshold hurdle will be automatically elected. If more than one seat is won by the list, they go to the highest polling candidates on that list.
Note that this does not mean your placement on the list will trump votes received by another candidate on your list - list leaders will thus not automatically be elected when the list clears the threshold.
Independent candidates outside the lists will need to clear the threshold in their own vote to be elected. The "leftover" effect of the lists means that independents are actually encouraged to organise themselves into lists in order to profit from the same effect. This will benefit voters as lists will emphasise policy and vision instead of glamour or single issues.
The system is easy to understand and administer, does not distort vote weight (all votes are equally valid) and lists will have space for a wider variety of candidates than under any other system based on ward representation.
There is also no need for separate reserved seats for Maori or any other group because a low threshold will ensure a possible wide variety and proportionality of representation.
There is even no need for a separate election for mayor. Like in the parliamentary system, the largest faction elected on the Council should have first dibs on forming an Auckland government with its leader as Mayor. This will greatly help integrating the mayoral office with the power structure on the Council.
Labels: Auckland, policy wonking
October 26, 2009
No sex in the news
Earlier this year there was a sensational but rather dubious story about sailors aboard HMAS Success keeping a ledger book about their on-board conquests of female ship staff. But now it turns out, our raised eyebrows at the time were justified: It had all the ingredients of a good story, involving sexual peccadilloes at sea, but it wasn't true, say Australian Opposition politicians, who called on the Navy yesterday to apologise to three sailors sent home following allegations that they competed to sleep with female officers and lesbians. Opposition defence spokesman David Johnston claimed yesterday that it exonerated the sailors. He said the Navy knew within two days that the allegations were unfounded.
Labels: Navy, sex in the news
October 19, 2009
Flying by the seat of his pants
News from Timaru:
Timaru is one of those one horse towns in the South Island facing Antarctica, so it is hardly a subtropical paradise where sans-culottes is de rigueur as town wear. You would need a few stiff drinks first before your private parts can stand up to any southerly blast.
Police say a trouser-less man who was knocked unconscious when he fell of the back of a ute in Timaru, was drunk at the time.Not before they took some pictures for his Arsebook profile update, I would like to think.
The 21-year-old was not wearing any trousers when he fell from the back of a moving ute yesterday afternoon, as it made a low speed, sharp turn from Stafford St into George St in the South Canterbury town.
Constable Brent Rissman says the man was standing, when he lost his balance and fell onto the road.
Friends who were at the scene of yesterday's incident had covered his lower half with clothing when the ambulance arrived about 3.45pm yesterday.
Timaru is one of those one horse towns in the South Island facing Antarctica, so it is hardly a subtropical paradise where sans-culottes is de rigueur as town wear. You would need a few stiff drinks first before your private parts can stand up to any southerly blast.
Labels: nude news
October 05, 2009
Paw Justice!
Not only is New Zealand famous for its domestic abuse and child abuse, it is also a champion in animal abuse.
But now you can do something about it:
Oh, and it's not just pets that New Zealanders like to have a go at
But now you can do something about it:
Oh, and it's not just pets that New Zealanders like to have a go at
Labels: animal rights
September 24, 2009
AVE
Spain is fast becoming the country with the longest high speed railway network in the world.
A lengthy report on the BBC uses the story to highlight the lack of progress in the UK and the tentative steps in the USA to get cracking on high speed rail.
As you know, we went on the Madrid Atocha to Cordoba AVE service (and the then decrepit Madrid to Barcelona train) in 2003, which was absolutely brilliant.
A lengthy report on the BBC uses the story to highlight the lack of progress in the UK and the tentative steps in the USA to get cracking on high speed rail.
As you know, we went on the Madrid Atocha to Cordoba AVE service (and the then decrepit Madrid to Barcelona train) in 2003, which was absolutely brilliant.
Labels: public transport, Spain
September 17, 2009
Sex in the news
A new slant on cargo cults:
A cult leader in Papua New Guinea fled naked into the jungle after being confronted by police over allegations that he'd forced followers to have sex in public, with the promise that it would boost the banana harvest.Good things come to people who have lots of sex. That's hardly news. Maybe it could be adopted by Wall Street bankers to get out of their crisis.
Labels: sex in the news
September 14, 2009
The gayest road video game ever
September 05, 2009
300,000
300,000 visitors to this blog since January 2005.
I'm marvelling at the indicators of what you are coming to look for here and that you keep on coming.
I hope you have found what you are looking for.
I'm marvelling at the indicators of what you are coming to look for here and that you keep on coming.
I hope you have found what you are looking for.
Labels: blog stats
