Posts by JackElder

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  • Legal Beagle: Three strikes (w/ updates),

    A relative of mine used to work for the police and had a good line in conversation about the things you need to consider when constructing things like holding cells. He had a number of interesting stories about stuff like the maximum height above the floor that you can have anything sticking out that someone might be able to hang themselves from.

    And as I recall, one of the arguments for the flatscreen TVs was that it was easier to reinforce/protect them from damage. Makes sense to me.

    The one time I was in the back of a police car, I remember being quite surprised by the lack of cushions or handles on the inside of the door. Thinking about it, it made sense, but at the time it was a bit disconcerting.

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report

  • Hard News: Mac Ouch,

    fully functional set of rosary beads...

    Out of interest, which functions are we talking about? Was it like, before the beads were smashed, God could hear you fine, but after they'd been smashed He kept having to ask you to speak up?

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Casino,

    You could even bet on the Madison -- although I assume you'd run into the usual problem of having no effing idea who was winning the thing.

    Well, since the Madison was originally created as a way of giving gamblers at Madison Square Gardens something to bet on, while circumventing annoying laws prohibiting proper six day races, I'm sure you could run a pretty good book on it. But like I say, the keirin would be a better bet (if you will), because once you get past the whole "why are they following the guy on a motorbike?" bit, the actual finish is easy enough to follow (first one over the line wins).

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Casino,

    A Madison! With fireballs!

    In Japan, keirin racing is the main betting sport, and the national organisation is known to throw a few bob at anywhere else that takes it up (there is much speculation that this is why Keirin was introduced to the olympics recently). I'm sure Sky City could get a few bob to put a velodrome in if they arrange for a few Keirin races. I'm sure all the fixie-riding hipsters would be glad of a chance to get official NJS kit.

    I don't gamble. At all. Because I have a slightly compulsive (or, as we like to call it, "focussed") personality. My limited experience with gambling when I was younger lead me to the conclusion that I could get very, very focussed on it - to the point that I could easily do very financially silly things. This is also why I avoid other forms of behaviour that lends themselves to disfunctional compulsions (WoW, drug use, etc), for precisely the same reasons. I don't particularly object to the more interactive versions of gambling (poker being the obvious example); but I do think that pokies are, pure and simple, designed to be a way to harvest as much money from the addicted over as long a term as possible.

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report

  • Island Life: There is no depression in…,

    Pfft. If you've broken the axle, you've broken the axle. Yes, your drivechain is probably stuffed, but as long as it still works OK (shifts alright, chain doesn't snap too often) you can thrash it a bit more. The problem is that as components become significantly worn, they "wear into" the current set up - so, for example, a rather worn chain will still work fine with your chainrings/cassette, but if you swap to a new chain you've got a world of pain. In those cases, yeah, you need to replace the lot at once. But as long as you don't mind that you'll need to replace it all en masse eventually you can probably squeeze some more performance out of it.

    New cranks? Really? Have you snapped one and not noticed until they told you or something?

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Two wallops of wonk, with a…,

    A cycleway the length of NZ! Be still my heart!

    Bet it still won't go over the Auckland harbour bridge, though.

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report

  • Island Life: There is no depression in…,

    $300 bucks? What'd you do, snap the frame?

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report

  • Island Life: There is no depression in…,

    I'm going to stand up here and say that I can't stand spa pools. Any excessively hot immersion, bubbles or not, I can last for about five minutes.

    I just smile genially at the other people in gyms. It seems to work; I quite often get asked to spot people. One good thing about being a cyclist is, you get used to sweating heavily while doing something ridiculous in public wearing unflattering clothing. I burned out most of my shame glands a long time ago. This comes in handy in a variety of social situations.

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report

  • Island Life: There is no depression in…,

    All you need is one sign, block caps:

    DON'T
    FUCK

    I know a bloke who could print you up one of those lovely, for cheap.

    Slight diversion: at one point, my gym partner won Mr Gay Wellington. I mentioned this to a couple of other friends who didn't know the bloke in question, and they were horrified that I went to the gym with, you know, one of them . "Aren't you worried about him ... looking at you?" they asked in a morbidly curious tone. "No," I replied, "I'm not his type."

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report

  • Island Life: There is no depression in…,

    I thought the Lone Star was a steak house.

    You've never asked for the special, clearly.

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report

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