Posts by JackElder
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the commonly-encountered attitude to children in England
We lived in the UK for a couple of years in the late 70s, when I was a preschooler. My father was working, my mother stayed at home and looked after us. She didn't have fun. Part of that was just us, boisterous preschoolers that we were, but part of that was stuff like going out to the local shops and seeing signs like "NO CHILDREN ALLOWED. Dogs welcome." Srsly.
OTOH, when we had our daughter in the UK, we didn't particularly notice massive animosity. In particular, I was imrpessed at the number of pubs that had play areas. Often outside in the garden next to the smoking areas, but it still made it easier to combine beer with childcare, which isn't something that I find easy back here.
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I'm going to point out a couple of things, in reverse order:
But for the rest of us, asking us to pay for cycleways? Why not just subsidise the building of a Gothic Cathedral in Putararu?
In a 2005 survey, 64% of accomodation providers operating before the Otago Rail Trail was created reported a substantial increase in turnover due to the trail. In businesses opened after the trail was opened, it's 80%. 82.5% of the survey respondents said that the Otago Rail Trail had a positive economic impact, with nearly half (43%) saying it was a major economic impact. (source)I'd guess that John Key just wants to spread some of that love around the country as a whole. You got to spend money to make money, dude.
But anyway. New Zealand isn't suited to bikes. It is windy. And rainy. And hilly.
No more so than England, say. Or France. Or Germany. Or...
And can I just say, I know a shedload of cyclists, and only two of them are self-scourging ascetics. Seriously, have you tried cycling recently? It's really, really fun.
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Shivers, you mean getting hit by a car is you recurring theme?
Not particularly recurring, but it's happened a few times. To be honest, I've had about as many accidents while taking evasive action to avoid being hit. You get used to it after a while.
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I'm sorry, but given the thread title I can't resist.
Q: How do you titillate an ocelot?
A: You oscillate its titalot.Thank you, I'm here all week.
On topic: my grandfather was a rural GP in Southland. When he died, I found out that he had an MBE. I don't recall anyone ever making a fuss about it, but at the funeral I recall that it was a bit of a source of pride for the local community.
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... yournear death experiences, and how you feared. Did you think: 'No worries, nothing is going to happen"
From my experience in situations where I could die, my thoughts in these situations is usually some variant on "Well, this is going to hurt." Sometimes bulked out with "Hey, that sky is really blue today" (I have a clear recollection of thinking both these thoughts the first time I was hit by a car). I'm still pretty convinced that "This is going to hurt" is going to be the last thought I'll ever have.
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Frankly, my mother thinks we're mad for just having pictures of our daughters on our flickr page. "It's the internet! Anyone could copy them!"
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TBH most missionaries don't annoy me that much (as long as I can get away from them). What does annoy me is the people who insist that everyone has a spritual side. "Oh," they say, "you do have an inner spirituality, even if you don't believe in God." No. No, I don't. I have the spiritual impulses of a brick. I neither believe in any supernatural being nor feel an inner sense of wonder at the universe. And I get annoyed when someone else professes to know better than me about my own bloody mind, thanks very much.
To be honest, often the people with nonspecific religious beliefs are the worst offenders here.
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My wife was once accosted by two Mormon missionaries. She was in a hurry at the time. The conversation went:
Mormon: Excuse me, sir, ...
My wife: Mate, I'm a girl, and I don't want to hear about your dumb-ass religion.At which point, the second Mormon broke out laughing. I think some of them are more committed than others.
We get JW'd a fair bit, the odd Mormon, and I'm a magnet for the bloody Krishnas (it's the beard). I just smile, say "We're not interested" and disengage. Bit rude, but so's proselytising.
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TBH we use Friends Overseas for pretty much every show we bother to watch. Or wait four years and then get them all on DVD at once (currently working through season 3 of BSG).
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I support CSC cycling because of Tyler Hamilton in the 2003 Tour de France. And I wear the replica kit because it's one of the few cycling strips that actually looks pretty good.
It was a common criticism of Brit indie bands in the early 90s that many of them sold more t-shirts than records.