Weekend social 15/04/2011

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, April 15th, 2011 - 25 comments
Categories: weekend social - Tags:

Christmas truce 1914

Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever.

No politics, no aggro, why can’t we all just get along?

25 comments on “Weekend social 15/04/2011 ”

  1. Big Bruv 1

    Many thanks to the person who gave me the advice about how to get rid of Oxalis, chopping the heads of the little sods seems to have been a success.

    • chris73 1.1

      Oxalis sounds like an STD which would make the rest of your comment extremely amusing

    • Lanthanide 1.2

      Hmm, I had a huge amount of oxalis to get out a few years back. I spent 8+ hours digging the buggers out. Doing a quick google on it, the advice I’ve found recommends using specialist herbicides. So I wouldn’t be surprised if your stuff grows back.

      • Descendant Of Smith 1.2.1

        We got rid of it in one garden over about five years – digging the soil up, sifting for bulbs, putting the soil back – eventually it was all gone.
        I was ever surprised some places in the world grow it as a pot plant.

    • ak 1.3

      Yep, that’ll do the trick bruv. Last you’ll see of em  

      -gnfff

    • Armchair Critic 1.4

      I saw some stuff in Mitre10 today that promises to kill oxalis, and oxalis only, BB, and sad though it may be, I thought of you.
      Here’s a link for it:
      http://www.omox.co.nz/
      Did you get your winter veggies in?  Mine have sprouted, the onions and leeks much less enthusiastically than the carrots and radishes.
      The tomatoes suddenly got blight and were removed yesterday – anyone have any suggestions?  I have copper sulphate if, in the future, that would be any good.

  2. Descendant Of Smith 2

    Since many of the posters here are male I thought I’d ask a question that is annoying me – though it might provoke some obtuse comments.
    Razor blades
    Apart from being expensive little sods either I’ve grown Superman whiskers or the quality has turned to crap. One blade used to last me a week – for the last couple of years this has got down to one blade every two days.
    It it just me or has the quality deteriorated significantly over this time?
    Just a quiet question to ponder over the weekend.
     

    • lprent 2.1

      I have a generic solution – don’t bother to shave too often.

      • Descendant Of Smith 2.1.1

        I grew a beard once but never got used to the fact that my hair was black and my beard multi-coloured.

        • Herodotus 2.1.1.1

          I am told !! that this is the 1st area to go grey, and tat is in the late 20s if you have the wrong genes. Tis better to go grey than bald, at least grey you have options !!!
          You could always go the electric alternative, but please do not then try shaving in the shower, we dont want to lose a contributor 

          • lprent 2.1.1.1.1

            Thats ok, I am both greyish and have had thinning hair at the crown for a while. That latter down’t worry me particularly as there is enough hair there to prevent sunburn, it is good for summer heat radiation (my brain runs hot), and I can’t see it anyway 😈

        • lprent 2.1.1.2

          I don’t have  that problem any more – it is all tending towards grey anyway.

          But I found that oscillation between clean shaven and a good stubble was the best idea – in other words shave before the beard got too long and harder to shave off. In my case shaving once a week was usually sufficient. Then the act of shaving became art rather than the usual tedious daily chore. It was also remarkable enough an event to be remarked upon (because the event was rather erratic on timing). 

          This it brought more variation to a dull world and I used fewer razor blades.

        • Vicky32 2.1.1.3

          I grew a beard once but never got used to the fact that my hair was black and my beard multi-coloured.

          Reputedly, my grandfather’s was ginger, to his great embarassment! 🙂

    • Wiseacre 2.2

      After your shave, dip the blade in cheap olive oil – helps keep the blade from oxidising so quickly.

  3. big bruv 4

    A question for music fans.

    What significant music event happened on the 9th of February 1964.?

    • Descendant Of Smith 4.1

      Funnily enough I was watching their appearance on DVD only last week – assuming it’s the most obvious one.

  4. big bruv 5

    Ah Smith….you show your age 🙂

    I wonder if any of our younger contributors know the significance of that date.

    • Mac1 5.1

      At that age I was more Rolling Stones and the Kinks before discovering the blues. big bruv, you’re well “of a certain age” yourself to be just discovering gardening. 🙂  I hope the oxalis battle continues, as Armchair Critic advised, with the continual chopping of the leaves. Lovely soft rain and light here at the moment, listening to the Battlefield Band with a wee glass of red.

      • big bruv 5.1.1

        Mac1

        In 64 I doubt that the world had heard of the stones or the Kinks to be honest.
        And..in my defence, I was 6 months old in feb 64, so while I am getting on a bit I am not yet ‘old’.
        Having said that, about once a month I find myself searching on youtube for old 60’s music clips, there is definitely something special about that time and the music that generation produced.

        As for the garden…yeah, well it is always something I have wanted to do, just never got around to it before this year.
        I have my winter crops in the soil, they are just showing signs of sprouting so all looks good so far.

        • Mac1 5.1.1.1
          Big Bruv, The Stones started in 1962 and had hits and their first LP out in 1964, and the Kinks formed in 1964. The Stones had a gig with Ed Sullivan in that year as well. The Stones had their hit “Not Fade Away” and the Kinks “You Really Got Me” in 1964 which I remember clearly.

          Yes, there is something special about the music of that time. I can even recall listening to “House of the Rising Sun” on a crystal radio set late on a Friday night. We had a group while at school in 1966 doing the Stones, Hendrix, and then into the blues at Uni. I have just received a photo of our group from that time from our old guitarist, playing “Early in the Morning,” outside the Stud Ass at a lunchtime concert at Canterbury in 1968. That brought back some very strong memories.

           

           

  5. joe90 6

    The shitty weather meant no work on the ranch today so it’s been sport on the box, www goodness, the Stones and Mink DeVille.

    You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Live 1969)

    There are 2 theories as to the identity of “Mr. Jimmy,” who appears in the third verse. It could be a reference to Jimmy Miller, who was The Stones’ producer at the time, but it might also refer to Jimmy Hutmaker, a local character that wandered the business district in Excelsior, Minnesota, a trendy artist community outside Minneapolis near Lake Minnetonka. Hutmaker, who is known as “Mr. Jimmy,” had some disabilities but seemed mentally sharp most days, although he would talk to himself a lot. He walked miles every day and was cared for by the local shop owners until his death on October 3, 2007. More:

    Venus of Avenue D

    An Altruistic Nation.

    Unearthing Matriarchy

    edit: mods, can you fix the The Venus of Avenue D link that’s embedded itself , ta.

  6. KJT 7

    Lyttelton. Another biggish shake. Power is out and the port closed.

  7. RedLogix 8

    For me, I dragged my aged arse up East Holdsworth in the pouring rain. The tops were miserable but for once I felt calm and comfortable.
     
    I’ve been fine tuning the gear this last year, in this climate the critical thing is multiple layers of breathable wind-resistent clothing. You are never going to stay dry, but you can be warm if the wind isn’t getting you.
     
    It’s a temporary release I know. But for a few hours I am my own man again, responsible for myself, my decisions and my life. One wrong mistake in those conditions and you are suddenly in a world of problems; it teaches humility, focus and restores a sense of what is important.
     
    Virtually everything about who I am as a person I learnt in the hills and mountains of this country, and too often these days they are the only place I feel at home. Much of the rest of New Zealand I really don’t recognise anymore.

    • r0b 8.1

      Hell yes.

      Haven’t been out since January. Time for a Winter wander…

      Oh – and layers? It always starts with merino. Bloody magic that stuff. The gear in general these days is so good. When I think of the massive heavy canvas external frame pack, bush shirt and oilskin that I started my tramping with – shudder! Mind you, I’d go back to them in a second if I could have the young body that went with them.

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