Posts by Jolisa

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  • Busytown: Pavlova Paradise,

    This is such a fine discussion, so civil and illuminating. I'm reading every post, even if I am too busy in the kitchen making Christmas mince pies to reply to all...

    Ten days before Christmas, and you want women to do MORE voluntary work?

    Are you MAD????

    What was I thinking! I bet the very suggestion made the baby Jesus cry. On his birthday, and everything.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

  • Busytown: Pavlova Paradise,

    With apologies to all the Jolisa's out there, I'd never come across that name before and didn't know its gender.

    Ha! That takes me back to when I won a prize off the radio (big thrills for a 13 year old), and the package arrived, addressed to Mr Joe Lisa. Guess I did live in South Auckland after all.

    I think it was a pretty rare name when my parents made it up in a moment of wild hippie inspiration, but it's not uncommon in the US -- although both times I've heard it said in public it belonged to a little African American girl. Which might explain why my first American flatmates were politely surprised at the paleness of my skin.

    It is nice to have an unusual name, even if in daily life I generally answer to a diminutive. But ooh, if I had a dollar for every time someone tried to add an "s" to it, I'd be so rich I could write for Public Address for free. Uh. Yeah.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

  • Southerly: I've Turned Gay for Public Address,

    High four (strings on a ukulele)!

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

  • Southerly: I've Turned Gay for Public Address,

    The D-Uke of Hazard!

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

  • Southerly: I've Turned Gay for Public Address,

    Oh David! Ah don't know how to quit you.

    Actually I thought you said you were turning gray for Public Address. Now somebody else will have to be the old fart. Unless you want to double up and be the token silver fox?

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

  • Busytown: Pavlova Paradise,

    no quota necessary

    Ah, but look what it did for NZ Music!

    You're right, it is all about finding someone interesting. And yet for better or worse, even the most conscientious publications are at least three times as likely to "find" someone who is male. See here for some figures for the US (and here and here and here). I'd be fascinated to see somebody do the numbers for NZ... looking for a media studies thesis topic anyone?

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

  • Busytown: Pavlova Paradise,

    I have to say, too, PA System may be the politest forum I've encountered in 14 years of driving on the internet... as an exercise in civil society it's doing nicely. Of course, Tze Ming's point still stands, that it's perhaps too civil in some ways and unsocial in others...

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

  • Busytown: Pavlova Paradise,

    I'm thinking of the nutbars... mmm, peanut slabs...

    Kia ora Islander, feminist because female. I do find it hard to imagine how anyone could live and breathe as a woman and not have that as part of their identity. And it seems to me the ground covered by feminism has enlarged and become more subtle, thus making it harder to define and yet easier to be. Does that make sense?

    And yes to the guest posts. We don't use Speaker as much as we used to, or as much as we could.

    So maybe the common ground here is that we are all huge freaking nerds and eccentric but good citizens? Regardless of our gender, ethnicity, sexuality, urban/rural status, place of employment, childhood background, etc etc?

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

  • Busytown: Pavlova Paradise,

    How do you define feminist and who gets to do that...

    There's the old Rebecca West formula... "I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat."

    Problem is, some versions of the quote continue "...or a prostitute." Which is not very feminist, by some lights.

    Suddenly thinks of new product for David H's catalogue: an actual Rebecca West doormat. Something like this perhaps -- but what does "feminist" spell upside down?

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

  • Busytown: Pavlova Paradise,

    Absolutely agree, Danielle, that there are worse places. I can't say I've ever felt truly uncomfortable here, except when the odd (very odd) hate-mail landed in my inbox and made me second-guess the point of writing anything for public consumption. But I'm getting a thicker skin as time goes on, and could probably even handle the return of school chums with longer memories than mine.

    I'm just raising the question for discussion, since it seems there are many lurkers out there who are not quite as comfortable participating. And some posters who've felt sidelined, or worse. One person's cosy café is another's in-crowd...

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

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