Posts by James Butler
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Hard News: Gaying Out, in reply to Emma Hart,
my “Turns Thomas the Tank Engine into Porn” voice
Trust me, there are things that never made it into the books...
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Speaker: Medical Journal, Chapter V, in reply to Steve Withers,
The human body can’t be improved by human intervention other than a good hair cut, brushing ones teeth, a decent diet and regular exercise
I wasn't looking for improvement ; I was specifically interested in disabling a miraculous (and demonstrably operational) - but inconvenient - function of my body. My body is now no "better" than it was, but it suits the way I wish to use it.
Plus I know that the "brutality" of the operation is less than the prospective "brutality" that my wife would undergo if I were to go without the operation, and later screw it up (so to speak). (Pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood are wonderful things, but the balance of suffering to wonder varies wildly from person to person)
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Up Front: Say When, in reply to Peter Darlington,
Shorts are the big problem for us old men. We look ridiculous in them.
I dunno... there's an elderly gent who comes every now and then to concerts I'm involved in; last time I saw him he was looking very dapper in: sandals, socks, walkshorts (ironed with a crease), a grey suit jacket, Greenpeace t-shirt and silk cravat. I filed the image away in my "how I want to look when I get old" draw.
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Speaker: Medical Journal, Chapter V, in reply to recordari,
Can’t we just go to the cricket and talk about field placements?
But, but, I’ve done that with Emma and Megan before (Ok Hayden was there too), so that’s not sufficiently blokey, all in all.
And I would feel left out, having no idea what "field placements" means.
Now, THERE's a difficult admission to make...
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Speaker: Medical Journal, Chapter V, in reply to Danielle,
I’m glad (in a way) to hear that it actually *is* hugely fucking painful. Uh, woo.
And this is the best answer I can think of to the question upthread as to the use of pain-pissing-competitions (although in the context of kidney stones, that metaphor takes on a slightly different meaning...).
Namely, we are reassured knowing that what we thought was exceptional was, in fact, exceptional, and that we are right to feel as awesome as we do for having been through it and coped. With the help of morphine.
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Speaker: Medical Journal, Chapter V, in reply to Pat Hackett,
Because I was under 30 at time, the Family Planning Clinic deemed that I required a counselling session first.
I was 27, and based on things I had read here-and-there wondered if this would be an issue. In the end the doctor in question (Stephen Calvely, working from the Onehunga medical centre) thought it was a great idea, and enthused about his previous patient taking the responsible step at 23.
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Speaker: Medical Journal, Chapter V, in reply to Russell Brown,
I like the way they don’t fuck about and just give you more morphine for as long as you can keep asking for it though.
Until you reach the point, as I did once last year, where they say "We have to be a bit more careful with the painkillers from now on, as people sometimes stop breathing with this much".
I also had both a vasectomy and a colonoscopy last year; I never thought I'd say this, but having bits chopped out of my... bits... was vastly preferable to a camera up the arse.
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to Russell Brown,
It appears that there used to be a hell of a lot of natural sand there. Far, more, indeed, than there is now. What happened? Or were they re-sanding 90 years ago?
I vaguely recall reading once that the original sand in Oriental Bay, at least, came from sailing ships dumping sand ballast in Wellington Harbour. I now can't find any reference to back me up.
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to Jackie Clark,
It amazes me, still, when I hear about adults being unable to swim.
I learnt to swim last year, after being given a voucher for lessons by a friend. I do remember having lessons at school, and I also remember staying in the "kickers" class for some years and getting progressively older than my classmates. The lessons just never stuck.
Now we are dealing with our 9yo son who, despite in-school and private lessons over the last 3 years or so, still refuses to put his head under water; so maybe it's genetic. Although our 6yo daughter is taking to it with an ease which is typical of her.
Good Shepherd School in Balmoral has a (tiny) school pool still; we got a key for the summer for $50, although we're not allowed to use it between 7pm and 7am (so much for my dream of practising my new-found skill before or after work!).
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Hard News: Holiday Open Thread 2:…, in reply to Matthew Poole,
One of the few things I doubt that Palin has any difficulty using with great competence is a weapon, be it a firearm or a knife.
Your doubt may be misplaced.