Posts by Dinah Dunavan
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Years ago I did some post graduate study with a group of other 'mature' students. One of them was a fairly recent immigrant from Holland. He said something that many of us found quite offensive. One woman in particular was very upset. I quietly suggested to him that he apologise to her. His reply was "no offense meant, no apology necessary".
I thought at the time it might be a cultural thing. (Or a MCP thing.)
Over the years I've thought about his comment a lot.
If he apologised, believing what he said to be true or inoffensive then he would be apologising for the other person's feelings being offended, not for saying something that he believed was offensive.Of course later he might have come to see why what he said was offensive and been truly sorry. Who knows.
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Last year I was driving a friend's ute so that it could get some time in town with its "For Sale" sign. They got an offer from a local man so I delivered it back to them.
A month later they got a bill for a (supposed) parking ticket from a privately run car park in central Dunedin.
Of course they suspected me! Moi?!
On careful checking of the details it turned out that the ticket was issued on the day after I returned the ute to their place (some 80kms away) and that the ticket was issued for a parking area I haven't used in 5+ years (since the supermarket it used to be closed).All I can assume is that the parking company had managed to write down the wrong rego, and matched the rego to car description at a later time. They couldn't produce the original ticket. I wouldn't be so crass to suggest that it is their practice to manufacture bills for parking tickets in the hope that unsuspecting punters will forward a cheque without checking.
If a council (or that private company mentioned above) sends me a letter telling me to pay a parking ticket I will bloody expect to see a copy of the original ticket so that I can verify it.
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I enjoy George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series all the more for the historical (etc.) annotations/footnotes.
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Have watched Grand Designs a few times and find it a tad irritating. Rich people farting on about sustainability and then building massive houses. The episodes I've caught have all been about houses built several years ago. Maybe they're being sold in mortgagee auctions now.
I'd rather watch a show that gave some tips on how to build a really sustainable house at a low cost. -
Having lived in a few NZ towns I don't think there is anywhere that is more or less racist. I've heard racist comments all over NZ (although nothing to match the former NZer in Queensland who rented us a car). I'd like to think that most NZers are more tolerant than not.
The poor of small town Otago are not a lot different from the poor of small town East Cape. Except the northern poor get more rain, and are probably warmer a lot of the time.
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sculpted Nick Smith out of shit
That explains a lot.
I can almost see how you could get the sculpture to walk and talk (although the mind boggles) but how did he get it so pasty white and red? -
Perfect way to fund a stadium. Privatise water and then flog it off.
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like Winston Peters or loathe him
I miss him. The recklessly nostalgic part of me is thinking of giving NZ First my party vote next time just to get him back on my radio. ACT and the Maori party are capable of some seriously wtf media releases and comments but nothing beats Winston for obfuscation.
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Not sure where to post this question.
Has anyone else heard of igovt? I just read about it.
https://www2.i.govt.nz/
Is it just me or is this a bit insidious? -
I couldn't help feeling sad for young Germans growing up and feeling guilt at the levels described for something that happened half a century ago.
When I think of Germany and Germans I think of the largest economy in Europe, the Green Party, subsidies for people who generate electricity and sell to the grid, the Germans I've met, the fat red ones on the beaches of Spain, maybe the wall that once was. I've learned about the war and taught it in history, I've seen the movies and read the books, but it isn't how I define modern Germany.
Pirates were a damn unpleasant lot but every other kid wears a pirate costume to parties these days. I think dressing up as a Nazi is more about dress ups than portraying Nazis. Which is not to say that it isn't offensive, just that not everyone is going to be aware of the level of offence. I uderstand that Ka Mate could be considered quite offensive in Otago but it doesn't stop every other group from performing it here.