Posts by recordari
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It was not a wasted decade at all.
Damn, Ben. You seemed conspicuously absent here over last week or so, and then you wander back in and go Bam! Still soooo much to learn about all this.
I could sum up my decade similarly; 3 beautiful children, etc (although we travelled in the 90s, so the OE list would look pretty short) but now it would just be copying.
I started programming in 'hairy-chested' HTML in 1995, and the promise of a connected world at that time seemed almost limitless. If anything it has already surpassed my wildest dreams, as engaging in life-changing, or at least affecting, discussions with people I haven't yet met was not something I foresaw.
And if you are responsible for keeping large quantities of spam out of my life, then frankly you should be on the Honours list.
Look forward to shaking some hands at some PA event next year, but if I have to wait another decade, so be it. God, this sounds like a cheese ad.
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He got the equivalent in 2004 and was one of the few to turn down Key's knighting last year - not surprising considering the backdrop of The Trowenna Sea is our shameful colonialist history.
Now you mention it, I do remember that. Bit slack on doing my homework. Interesting to compare what was thought/said at that time with what has resulted from the TS debacle. But this debate has been exhaustively covered, so my apologies for dragging it up.
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I reckon we need something like scout badges;)
Russell as Scout Master. Can I get a tie with a toggle? Sorry, I see a thread Jack on the horizon.
Back to the honours list...
Having benefited in a very tangible sense from the work they have done, Dr Richard Fisher and his colleague are extremely worthy recipients, IMhO. We had healthy, beautiful twins, so he can get all the awards he likes, thank you very much.
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If I get nothing for my 10,000th I'm outta here.
If you want your bunnies to hop, we need carrots!
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Just got my own copy of Encircled Lands by Judith Binney. That's some heavy material. No, I mean it weighs 2.4kgs! Yes I weighed it, so?
Also got Glenn Colquhoun & Nigel Brown's North South. Discovered Dr Colquhoun after reading a transcript of a talk he gave at a conference entitled
The Therapeutic Uses of Ache, which was reprinted in Scoop in November. Reports from the conference were that people went out searching for tissues, and could be heard sobbing in the bathroom.Lovely illustrations in the new book too.
By the way, over here Russell mentioned an article written by Sir Doug Myers which said;
...he declared that libraries were not a public good, and that it was of no benefit to him that some poor bastard read a book.
Brewing beer, which built his empire extracting money from these poor bastards - good. Reading books - bad.
Hmm, something fundamentally wrong with this argument. Sorry for the thread merger, but as we were discussing Libraries, thought it seemed apposite.
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...he declared that libraries were not a public good, and that it was of no benefit to him that some poor bastard read a book.
Did he really say that? Guess we should wait for Witi's forthcoming Knighthood then. The Plagiarists and Pugilists New Zealand Disorder of Demerit.
Some of the others I didn't mind so much.
PS 100th post. Are there prizes? Guess with all the 1000+ people on this thread, probably not.
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Just keeping the thread alive, as per earlier instructions.
Sarah it took 5 years*, but we now have three, and it was all worth it.
On the love theme, this drying puddle at Muriwai today was shot as you see it.
Arohanui & Happy New Year.
*Unintentional David Bowie reference. Noted, and moving on...
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Sorry to jump in on all the Flying Nun love. Yes, fabulous and looking forward to new oldness, or is that old newness?
Dragging up the Wiggles mentioned earlier (must you?), can I recommend the Juno soundtrack as an alternative. Our three (all under 7) can sing just about every song on the album, and Tree Hugger is now our top family singalong song.
It makes a pleasant change from the Thomas CD we once had, the High 5 nausea, and their all time favourite, Mamma Mia, which I tried, unsuccessfully, to get banned from the neighbourhood.
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Thank you Jolisa. This has been a pretty cool place to hang out over the last few days. Although, having provided some inspiration by accident (which, in spite of my TCFS response, really had me all 'Yusss', and Kungfu all over the lounge), the depth of literary knowledge amongst this crew makes me realise that although I read more than most blokes I know, during the bookmarked period I need to read, and re-read, about 1000 more books to catch up.
I leave you with The Cocteau Twins doing Frosty the Snowman, with Calvin and Hobbs in support. The casserole one is a favourite.
Arohanui. -
While debating whether to enter this discussion I found this from the Vatican; "The Church distinguishes between just and unjust discrimination." and...
"There are areas in which it is not unjust discrimination to take sexual orientation into account, for example, in the placement of children for adoption or foster care, in employment of teachers or athletic coaches, and in military recruitment"
... and this from the UN president in discussion over the UN resolution on decriminalization of homosexuality;
“[T]hat matter is very sensitive, very touchy,” Treki said. “As a Muslim, I am not in favor of it … it is not accepted by the majority of countries. My opinion is not in favor of this matter at all. I think it's not really acceptable by our religion, our tradition”
“It is not acceptable in the majority of the world. And there are some countries that allow that, thinking it is a kind of democracy … I think it is not,” he added.
...and also the proposed law in Uganda, and now Rwanda*, that would see outed gays imprisoned, or if convicted of an 'aggravated act', executed.
I can't help thinking that examples of discrimination in sport, or any area of society for that matter, would be lessoned considerably if those in positions of authority and responsibility could be held to account.
*Rwanda does not have the same death penalty law as Uganda.