Posts by Damian Christie

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  • Hard News: My Year in Culture,

    The only downside of the exhibition? The people who spent more time pointing their damn camera phones at the works than simply looking and contemplating what they had to say.

    Substitute the word "exhibition" for "21st Century"...

    Exhibitions, concerts, weddings, parties... life.... I can't understand people who essentially miss a gig because they decide to capture all two hours on a 1"x1" Nokia screen. Which presumably no-one ever sees, because it is shaky, distorted and to all intents unviewable.

    I've told my Beloved that I'm banning cameras/cameraphones from the ceremony bit of our wedding, because as someone who's done a couple of stints as official wedding photographer, I hate the fact the front row of every ceremony is just a row of aunties squinting at LCD screens. Spend good money on a proper photographer, give everyone physical/CD/email copies of a few key pics, no need to capture your own. Pay. Attention. To. Us.

    Beloved of course thinks I'm being a dick about it, but I'm interested in your feedback.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report

  • Hard News: Where nature may win,

    I gotta say I read (for the first time in a while) the HOS, and found the contrived emotiveness of much of the writing unbearable. Particularly bad was the story entitled It begins as a normal day but ends in fear, which features lines like:

    Marty Palmer trudges out, his shift done. He passes his son Brendon on his way in, helmet on his head, safety pack on his back. This will be a long day. A very long day.

    and

    Talk is easy but facts are scarce.

    and

    At one Greymouth hotel, it's quiet. There are drinkers - but they're quiet drinkers.

    Fuck off.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report

  • Cracker: Dig This!,

    And yeah, my worm farm has gone a bit quiet recently. To begin with they barely ate anything at all, so I scaled back the feeding, then kinda forgot about them. They're still there and wriggling around, but they've gone back to the bottom of the three-tiered wormfarm thingy rather than the top layer where the food is. I'm tempted to add another box o' worms, get a bit of competition in there...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report

  • Cracker: Dig This!,

    I've noticed my lettuces starting to grow upwards rather than leafing out - could be because I haven't plucked much off them lately, or could be they're trying to move towards flowering or whatever it is they do - is it okay to pick the hearts out of them or will that f__k them well and proper?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report

  • Cracker: Dig This!,

    Hopefully will water them more than the citrus we put in, the smallest ones have gotten into a bit of peril.

    I can't overstate the benefit of having automatic irrigation in keeping my herbs and veges alive. Perhap some with a more settled schedule might enjoy the tranquility of spraying the garden of an evening, but mine'd be dead in no time, especially if this summer is as dry as the last.

    I've just put some more irrigation out the front, some ferns that looked almost beyond hope. A week later and there's new fronds popping through, and even though they still look a bit manky, they'll live.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report

  • Cracker: Dig This!,

    I’m glad to discover I’m not the only one.

    I'm a bit surprised at that Russ, what with your most awesome culinary skills I would've thought a bit of grow-yer-own would be a natural complement? Fresh herb at least, surely? Just having to spend $4 every time you need a certain herb for a certain dish (forget about anything needing 3 or 4 different fresh herbs) seems ludicrous.

    I've definitely eased into it. As I say, herb garden. Then a few spring onions, just to see what would happen. Then some beets... now lettuce...

    The crazy thing is, with the likes of lettuce, you chuck it in and do almost nothing (maybe some snail bait) and every day you've got fresh lettuce sitting there waiting for you. It's easier than going to the supermarket - what's not to like?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report

  • Cracker: Dig This!,

    On that basis I got about two punnets of strawberries a week for three months.

    Wow, that's most interesting - my previous dalliance with strawberries I think netted about 5 berries, once the birds had dealt to the other 5. I'd put them into the "small yield" basket, but I may well try again. Too late for this year?

    I forgot to mention, last summer we bought three smallish citrus trees (lemon, lime and mandarin) which we have in big pots on corners of the deck, with individual irrigation sprayers so no maintenance. Very pretty, smell beautiful when in bloom and by the looks of them, year two is going to be very bountiful indeed.

    Amazing how much money can be saved going to wholesale nurseries, or even Roger's (for those in Auckland) as opposed to your Kings, Palmers etc. Those places are appalling overpriced.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report

  • Cracker: Dig This!,

    @Carol - yeah, I hope those sacks are worth it, will let you know upon harvest. At least they are reuseable, and don't take up any room when not being used

    I have baby spinach... does that just turn into spinach when it grows up (serious but dumb question)?

    And @Recordari - what's that photo, some sort of cherry cauliflower? It looks amazing.

    Keep the tips and questions going... I reckon we could do with an ongoing gardening forum here at PA, and this could be it...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report

  • Cracker: Dig This!,

    @Recordari - hey, just looking through my emails, did you note that you won a music tee the other day? Flick me an email and tell me which of the Wordsby tees you want, size, address etc :)

    @Steve Barnes - where you gone? Same goes big nose.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report

  • Cracker: Dig This!,

    @Jackie - yeah that's Teisha, she's been with my beloved for about 14 years, so has been with me for about half that, off and on. Lovely kitty, chincilla, half persian, well-behaved, very cuddly. And still acts like a kitten, schitzing out every night, bolting from one end of the house to the other, chasing her tail in the afternoon... :)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report

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