tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61818622009-07-03T20:04:54.564+12:00Where it might go, or where it might not. It is whether it interests me that counts. If it doesn't interest you then come back again because I never know what the next post will hold... Comments if you want to; the_probligo (where he lives) @yahoo.com.auThe probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.comBlogger649125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-64420666880876384722009-07-03T19:56:00.002+12:002009-07-03T20:04:54.575+12:00

Essentially, what Watts (what? Only three wots? That’s not very bright!) should be arguing is that the global financial system got to the point where:• It is self-sustaining and self-replicating.• Self-referential and circular functions had become undetectable and unmeasurable.• Responses of the system to external stimuli were becoming increasingly chaotic as a result.Then it is not a case of

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-72140100780235109852009-06-29T19:49:00.003+12:002009-06-29T19:58:24.356+12:00

The third factor that I want to introduce here is that of “self-referential” systems. Now this is something that is very easy to illustrate. It happens to anyone who uses complex or extensive spreadsheets. All of a sudden things come to a grinding halt with the succinct little message that you have created a “circular reference”; a formula is dependant apon a formula that depends upon… the

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-49164436825355051742009-06-28T17:17:00.003+12:002009-06-28T17:45:47.118+12:00

That is the headline over an op-ed in today's Sunday Star Times by Chris Cherry, "a UK academic and writer living here..." and his "warning concerning the liabilities of trusting politicians.He bases his article on the (now quiescent) volcano of the British MP Expenses raruraru, warning that "it could never happen in NZ" is a very short-sighted excuse for accepting the word of any politician.The

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-86816176557774145402009-06-25T19:40:00.002+12:002009-06-25T20:03:23.438+12:00

The point here is that the output from the systems that Watts is discussing is comparatively, deceptively, simple. It is intended to be so that users – the people who invest money in the system – can understand the levels of risk impinging their investment and the value their investments have earned. It is the Persian carpet that is hung on the wall. It is an agglomeration of pretty colours

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-40745425494561400782009-06-24T19:55:00.003+12:002009-06-24T20:01:37.219+12:00

ust occasionally my old mates at Arts and Letters turn out a truly thought-provoking link – such as this from Boston Globe with Duncan Watts suggesting that systems ( he uses as examples the power grid crises in 1996 in Oregon and 2003 in the Northeast states) can become over-complex for which he suggests the term “systemic risk”. Over the past year we have experienced something similar in the

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-564423704036475502009-06-18T20:16:00.002+12:002009-06-18T20:28:04.600+12:00

TF has written quite a treatise in response to my thoughts on “Wonder”. I appreciate the effort he has put into it. This response is not intended as a criticism of him, or his beliefs, but as an expansion of my own (comparatively half-baked) ideas. The other thing to understand, TF and any others reading here, is that I use “god” (small ‘g’) to indicate any venerated supernatural (including the

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-82167929868626539282009-06-15T19:49:00.002+12:002009-06-15T19:59:01.371+12:00

The good guys at aldaily have had a number of links to the latest (June) issue of Standpoint magazine. Among them is this offering from Alain De Botton.He opines –The most boring question to ask about religion is whether or not the whole thing is “true”. It’s a measure of the banality of recent discussions on theological matters that it is precisely this matter which has hogged the limelight,

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-32578686307326718052009-06-08T20:15:00.003+12:002009-06-08T20:22:25.082+12:00

...is sitting here, thinking of as little as possible having dined very well on my wife's cooking - lamb shanks is red wine - and listening for the first time to El Misteri d'Elx.Beautiful music, written in the 15th Century but the recording made from a Renaissance document.The CD? Veritas 7243 5 45239 2Recommended!

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-49867176442101466162009-06-07T12:37:00.001+12:002009-06-07T12:43:02.737+12:00

I sent this to the Herald today. The chances of seeing it in print - very remote...Sir, My thanks to the NZ Herald for keeping me in contact with the increasing debate on the ActSupercity. What is becoming increasingly apparent are the real reasons - other than the "dysfunction of the Auckland Region" - the true reasons, the political justifications, for the amalgamations and the proposed

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-60075893596971608472009-06-05T19:17:00.004+12:002009-06-05T19:49:21.174+12:00

I’m sorry, but when I come across any headline in ol’ Granny Herald (page 3) like the one announcing that a scientist in the US has “discovered” that the Swine Flu bug originated in NZ it just makes me cringe more than somewhat.A quick probligo review…Scientist makes announcement that SF originated in NZ.What is the basis for this “discovery”? Something to do with the fact that the virus carried

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-67885519458597508692009-06-02T12:48:00.003+12:002009-06-02T13:02:15.703+12:00

The commentators in the weekend papers were somewhat less charitable in their views on the Budget than was I.Some, the more right wing, went off to cry in their beer about the demise of the tax cut programme. No sympathy or concern there; that was a move both signalled and necessary to keep some semblance of fiscal management.To the left though there was a degree of concern that the measures

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-69816322352237368982009-05-29T08:34:00.003+12:002009-05-29T08:46:11.976+12:00

Yesterday was Budget Day; one of the annual highlights of the Parliamentary Year.I had been working up all manner of epithets, mots bon, and suitably cynical ripostes for my response to The English Willie's first budget of this new centre-right government.However, I have to confess to some pleasant surprise!!I had anticipated much of what was in the Budget, but suspected (as any good cynic

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-83171117868728643192009-05-25T11:44:00.002+12:002009-05-25T11:48:20.775+12:00

- when those who promote and persuade on behalf of “free trade” start paying market subsidies to support specific producers.This time around (again) it was kicked off in the EU when the French government started buying dairy products from their farmers and selling it at a loss in the international market. That mechanism, while providing price support for their farmers and depressing the

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-33838991570231096952009-05-24T15:44:00.005+12:002009-05-24T16:08:30.754+12:00

Auckland has its “Harbour Bridge”, a miniscule equivalent of the Golden Gate, or perhaps one of the Manhatten Bridges.For the past few years there has been a campaign to provide for bicyclist and foot access to the bridge. A proposal for a maintenance access to be upgraded for the purpose was declined as too expensive – around $1.5 million and the security (of users) too difficult to provide.

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-70660862693151854912009-05-18T10:48:00.003+12:002009-05-18T10:54:50.457+12:00

If you have a (fairly expensive) digital camera, and you make a practice of downloading images direct from camera to pc...ANDif you are the live-in servants to a 6Kg cat...THENit would be a very good idea to invest in a remote SD card reader so that the cat will not knock your (fairly expensive) camera off the desk during the 15 minutes it takes to download the images and thus damaging the (in

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-64343350674679512542009-05-11T13:01:00.004+12:002009-05-11T13:13:40.104+12:00

My wife “lived” through the feminist years of the late 60s and the 70’s. She was directly involved (at a personal level) in gaining pay equality, and work equality.To explain. When she became pregnant with our first child she held the position of City Treasurer’s Secretary; a very senior position, one which these days might carry the title of “Executive Personal Assistant” or somesuch, with

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-42421581464110116892009-05-07T19:43:00.004+12:002009-05-07T19:54:13.624+12:00

Reading Mr Benjamin D’Israeli’s novel “Sybil” was interesting, it could even be enjoyable if you have that bent for reading Victorian era political tracts. In some respects it was an experience similar to reading a very mild and genteel version of Swift – the difference between a good baccy and menthol or between a Central Otago Pinot Noir and an Aussie vin rouge ordinaire. Essentially, D’

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-85070743277772943522009-05-02T15:44:00.002+12:002009-05-02T15:51:04.706+12:00

This starts with one of Liberty Bob’s articles about the Swine Flu. Not the PC of H1N1 around these parts. Officials and the probligo have decreed that the name is Swine flu; in just the same way as the Geographic Board has decreed that “North Island” and “South Island” are just not good enough, nor do they reflect the “traditional" Maori names, but most importantly of all they have never

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-92128801012813985492009-04-28T06:23:00.001+12:002009-04-28T06:31:38.165+12:00

I have not been writing all that much in recent times, for a number of reasons connected mainly with work (and staying employed) along with several other events in my personal life that will not be discussed in any forum.But there are two events that do inspire some comment, and they are connected; in many ways including that they impinge in a small way on my personal past.The first of these (

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-24363410337308872452009-04-26T07:53:00.004+12:002009-04-26T08:19:24.232+12:00

Today (yesterday?) we remember the fallen.And that triggered a whole series of coincidences.It started with that 2 minute sound-clip of Kerwi-Keith Holyoake announcing that NZ was sending troops to South Vietnam to support our allies, otherwise how could we expect them to come support us in our hour of need, and to defeat those terrible Communists so that Cambodia, Thailand, then Malaysia,

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-84992199235375038862009-04-20T20:49:00.003+12:002009-04-20T20:54:27.028+12:00

Over the two past weeks or so there has been strenuous and strident debate about the RhinoHide announcement, backed by the Jonkey, of the amalgamation of the various local authorities (there are some 8 of them) that "drive" the magnificent metropolis of Auckland.The probligo has had his say with this...Sir, The raruraru about the coming “super-city” structure for Auckland should not be limited

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-66333361887948438882009-04-15T20:29:00.002+12:002009-04-15T20:36:52.286+12:00

The ol’ probligo’s Easter was quite enjoyable - slow paced, relaxing, not too much to be done. A good old-fashioned Easter break.There is only one place that this could be achieved. Opononi, so that is where we headed.Now as a small diversion and because it has relevance at this point, I want to introduce you to a film. It is an NZ classic made by Geoff Murphy (who also made “Quiet Earth”

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-54954496406821284632009-04-07T06:18:00.001+12:002009-04-07T06:24:24.051+12:00

One of the little pastimes in our house is doing the daily crosswords. I get a perverse sense of enjoyment out of the frustration of taking on the cryptic – something I am not at all good at – while my wife tackles the synonym version. There is a fairly heated defence against getting involved in the other’s cross word without invitation (note, that is an acknowledged one-way street). But

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-35521791466603715672009-03-29T11:23:00.003+13:002009-03-29T12:25:11.295+13:00

I was, earlier in the week, going to do a blast about an article that appeared in the Herald. After digging around, it became apparent that the only (at that time) other sources were Ha'aretz and the Beeb. There was no comment in Jpost, apart from one or two rather desultory letters to the Ed that skirted around... All of that seems to have gone, though the Beeb article still eads the

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181862.post-10517739437527553652009-03-21T08:56:00.005+13:002009-03-21T09:09:59.678+13:00

One might remember from last year the fulminating over the totally ridiculous, unilateral, and idiotic little piece of legislation dreamed up by Auntie Helen; the one that masqueraded under the title of the "Electoral Finance Act". As a piece of political suicide it was perfect.It does, however, have its humourous side. I missed this one, my wife drew it to my attention, so it must have been a

The probligohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17882103150181414348noreply@blogger.com1