Weekend social 24/08/2012

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, August 24th, 2012 - 50 comments
Categories: weekend social - Tags:

Christmas truce 1914Weekend 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?

50 comments on “Weekend social 24/08/2012 ”

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  1. aerobubble 1
    24 August 2012 at 3:08 pm

    This is inspired by my neighbor who still feels its cool
    to run a loud car down the side of my home (albeit rarely),
    though council have told him he needs to keep noise to a minimum.

    Recommendations to lower carbon emissions, since the car fleet
    is so large, old and abused for car displays,
    i.) since loud noise is associated with anger, car owners
    caught with louder cars should go to anger management…
    ii.) schools, companies, whose employees, parents who use
    loud cars to drop off kids, or to get to work, should be fined by
    council (use the traffic wardens) for unnecessary noise creation,
    iii.) ACC levies should rise for those who use off road
    vehicles to shuttle kids to school and goto work (unless
    of course they are farmers who actively go off road),
    iv.) universities should down grade students of engineering
    whose cars are carbon inefficiently when running,
    v.) all cars should be fit for purpose, excessive power
    in a commuter car should pay even more for priority lanes
    and not be allowed into car pooling (as its a form of imposed
    consent on those who are anti-carbon subsidizing excessive
    carbon usage).

    Oh, and if you havent worked it out yet, those without cars,
    who use buses, mopeds, cycles, have more disposable income
    and so will of necessity buy homes closer to towns, while
    your car enthusast will be pushed out to the suburbs
    (all things being equal, as petrol prices rise).

    vi.) more innuendo like the end of the recent american dad
    animation, where the hippi van turns into the chitty chitty
    bang bang and he says he making up for a small dick.
    Car aggression means more kids run over in driveways,
    more kids seeing speed and noise as cool, and smashing into
    trees and power poles, it means higher ACC levies to pay for kids
    who have their leg amputated when a car goes up on the curb
    to run them over. There is nothing cool about a attention
    seeking driver of excessively loud powerful vehicle.

    Bravic is a insane mad child killer, not a sane nationalist trying
    to save Norway from Muslims, anyone who thinks harming
    kids is cool, helps their cause, is insane. Driving a vehicle
    is a responsibility not a lifestyle.

    I like again to thank my neighbor for this inspiration rant.
    They should name the new law after him, he is a genius, moves
    in next to a Green who rants politically on the web, to
    start up a cause to increase legislation of his precious.
    Image of Gollum falling to his death as he grabs hold of the ring,
    finally.

    • prism 1.1
      25 August 2012 at 9:24 pm

      aerobubble
      There is probably not much you can do about getting your right to some quiet. You might be able to get your own back if they leave the vehicle on the road for a while and it’s got an overdue wof or registration. You could phone up the council and say you think it may be an abandoned car. When they come they will take note and send a bill to the owner. This should be able to be done totally anonymously. Revenge is sweet.

      • aerobubble 1.1.1
        27 August 2012 at 12:46 pm

        Actually there are things that you can do. Council has a duty under the local government act
        to investigate noise nuisance. Also properties, like cross leases and unit titles do have clauses
        which council lays down and so cannot ignore when investigating noise (especially when the
        local government ombudsman is watching). Then there’s the internet, by making noise pollution
        a problem akin to graffiti, councils are motivated to deal to aggressive driver culture by lowering
        speed limits and putting in road calming. It would be stupid to use the power of the state to rid
        society of these boring dandies with their useless lifestyle. I hope they threaten me so I can put
        a trespass warning on them, using a car to threaten their neighbors might actual cause them to
        lose access to their place! But yes, initially its a call to 555 with the rego.

  2. bad12 2
    24 August 2012 at 4:07 pm

    The Banana Bread is in the oven, the light is on, the timer sez 10 to go, i drool in anticipation which is different entirely than my normal drool…

  3. TheContrarian 3
    24 August 2012 at 4:33 pm

    After some seriously heavy weekends I plan to spend this one in front of the playstation.

    But, I did get a new bed delivered on Wednesday so maybe I’ll spend the weekend wearing in my ‘groove’.

  4. Rosie 4
    24 August 2012 at 4:46 pm

    Have accquired some excellent new music this week from old and new artists. Am looking forward to second listens and appraisals this weekend. Queitly though. Wouldn’t want to be a pain like aerobubbles neighbour.

    Other than that it’s a return to rock breaking to ready the ground for more tree planting! Joe90, I owe you a thank you, if you’re out there. I invested in a wrecking bar after you suggested it (great name) and even though its really hard work and you get sore shoulders, it has been able to get through the rock. I’ve just got a pittosporum and an 8 year old pohutakawa to plant but have hit a brick wall re resources. No $$$. I am going to have a go at propagating once I can get my hands on some plants/shrubs/hedging plants. Am after rosemary, corokia and kapuka for starters but where to go? The raised garden bed for herbs and veges is another challenge.

    There are free plants in the pipeline though. I have some harakeke coming from the council for the berm outside the front fence. That was easy to organise. Wellingtonians: if you want to plant your berm or you have a bit of a skanky council reserve near you that you want to take responsibility for jazzing up you can arrange it through the Wgtn City Council. Usually you have to order in January and they supply in September. Native plants are grown to order in their nursery. I was lucky that they had a little surplus and am able to get plants next week. You can always try your luck:-)

    • joe90 4.1
      25 August 2012 at 12:16 am

      a thank you

      Thank you Rosie, so pleased I could help.

      but where to go?

      Council plantings, under most every one there’ll be plantlings galore.

      • Rosie 4.1.1
        25 August 2012 at 10:09 pm

        Cheers Joe90. “plantlings”. I’ll keep a furtive eye out for those little darlings amongst the plants on the roundabout near me….

    • prism 4.2
      25 August 2012 at 9:31 pm

      Rosie
      We have a good flea market. There are usually some reasonably priced natives. If you have a community garden they are likely to have some natives potted up. Is there a free ad column in your paper. Something you can sell but only these native trees accepted in exchange.

      • Rosie 4.2.1
        25 August 2012 at 10:05 pm

        Cheers Prism.
        The new area I live in has a massive void of community heart, spirit and action. No handy and helpful flea markets as you and others have in their areas, hence no natives plants to swap or trade for. The turf overlords are property developers that, as I have discovered, have a disturbing amount of clout in neighbourhood activities and actions. I discovered this though my interest in supporting and protecting the natural environment and wildlife, particluarly bird life, as they have been so affected by the infringment of humans on their homes and surrounds. My attempts to arrange a meeting just to discuss the issues that they deny exist have been met with derrison and mirth. So yeah, no local flea markets going on here. I would happily lend an ear and some good cooking and baking to those who are happy to trade some cuttings for propagation ( or just to give without expectation!) but alas it not how it goes in these parts, yet……

        • just saying 4.2.1.1
          26 August 2012 at 12:02 am

          Ask on Freecycle.
          It’s online. Loads of people have self-seeded natives they’d be only to happy to pass on.
          Reserves are good for seedlings too. I used to take a bag, years ago, and dig them out of the paths where they’d only be sprayed anyway.
          Akatarawa Valley is good for that kind of thing, (from memory I think you are out Wgton way). Even the little reserves closer in – Haitatai, Karori, Mt Vic….

        • prism 4.2.1.2
          26 August 2012 at 4:40 pm

          Rosie
          You could try to join or start a Neighbourhood Watch group through the police. People are usually interested in their properties and limiting unsatisfactory things around their place. Then you can speak to them informally when you’re having coffee or give a short request and background.

          Also the Council is usually interested in the environment in their area. Phone and get onto someone interested in helping the residents improve it. That hasn’t been wiped out of their responsibilities by the NACT barbarians yet I don’t think.

          Is there a local free paper? A sign up at the library suggesting a meeting for people in your area at some designated place and time, with a phone number. One on the supermarket notice board? But watch out for free-loaders, word it carefully, in my experience. There must be some people with soul around.

          When I look at some of the developments though I think that there would be a soul vampire lurking in those lumps of concrete that are said to be houses. They fall into that unhappy gap between being a house that looks welcoming and pleasant to live in, or being a modern severely sculpted edifice with interesting design strategy. That just might be good to live in too even though it’s different. Sort of Wellington Ian Athfield style.

          • Rosie 4.2.1.2.1
            26 August 2012 at 5:49 pm

            Hey Prism, thanks for all the thoughts. Hope your weekend is tip top.

            Your suggestions are helpful and along the lines that I’ve been thinking of. I’ve had a bit of hesitation to start the process of ‘gettin’ involved’ as I’m new here, don’t want to tread on toes and I’m on the hinterland of the development, not deep in to the surburben neurosis risk area. I also have a bit of trepidation about going into the lions den of certain voters around here. All that aside it needs to done and I have the number of a residents association dude that I want to use as a sounding board for ideas and the best way to proceed. Its kind out of it, dealing with folks that are your opposites and finding a way to work together. Finding that common ground is the best start, like you alluded to with the neighbourhood support.
            I have one of the council dudes from parks and gardens coming next week with my plants, he’s one of the boss guys so I’ll chat with him re the environment and how the council might be able to contribute further.
            Have taken note of your words re freeloaders. Lol, I always get hangers on so must learn to have a few more boundaries.
            Soul vampires, well that’d be the voters. The houses I must say are excellent design, both imagnitive and clever as well as being highly insulated. Just got to get folks on board and build the heart in the hood……..

            • prism 4.2.1.2.1.1
              26 August 2012 at 6:58 pm

              Rosie
              You had a good collection of helpful ideas. This is the blog that does it all eh! Glad you think mine could be helpful.
              Thinking of soul-less. I had in mind the two storey edifices that speculators have erected in South Auckland. Uniform, falsely imposing with a high portico and taking up the width of the section.

  5. Frank Martin 5
    24 August 2012 at 4:54 pm

    So you want a memorable weekend? I recommend watching the movie Amelie, (Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain (original title)) described by IMDB as “an innocent and naive girl in Paris, with her own sense of justice, decides to help those around her and along the way, discovers love.” I consider this film the best in the history of modern cinema. Jean-Pierre Jeunet, “is a self-taught director who was very quickly interested by cinema, with a predilection for a fantastic cinema where form is as important as the subject.” Amelie was released in 2001.

  6. Ianmac from Vietnam 6
    24 August 2012 at 6:04 pm

    Here in Ho Chi Minh it is not the noise of car cowboys Aerobubble, it is the constant booming of thousands and thousands of small motorbikes and scooters that take getting used to. If they ever turn motorbikes into car transport there will be gridlock of huge proportions. Somehow little kids sleep with their heads on handlebars while Dad drives the motor bike, and Mum and another one or two kids sit pillion.

    And if you by any chance think of coming here, for heaven’s sake pay the $19US for an on-line firm to set up the entry Visa. (Can be the Embassy.) Then get the documents downloaded or the airline won’t let you board the plane travel. Pay another $25US on arrival in Vietnam to get the one month visa put in your passport. Really tricky! But fun in a traumatic sort of way. Still think the airline robbed me.

    • TheContrarian 6.1
      24 August 2012 at 6:22 pm

      Vietnam is an awesome place. I loved Ho Chi Minh city, such chaos

      • Ianmac from Vietnam 6.1.1
        24 August 2012 at 6:37 pm

        Totally agree. Somehow amongst the chaos especially the apparent traffic chaos I have yet to see/hear a cross word. Somehow it all works! As a lone European walking the streets and markets I have been left to do my thing and somehow the cheerful locals are so willing to help if you ask -with sign language. “How much?” and they show you on a calculator or show you the notes they want you to present. Bought a pork/noodle lunch with flat bread, salad and a Japanese beer for 65,000 dong. That is about $3NZ. And with courtesy and a smile.

        • TheContrarian 6.1.1.1
          24 August 2012 at 6:43 pm

          My first night in Ho Chi Minh I didn’t realise it was Independence Day and we were walking down on of the main thoroughfares when everyone, stopped and watched this huge fireworks show. The street was jammed with scooters, hundreds and hundreds. Was pretty impressive – organised chaos.

          EDIT:
          ” Somehow it all works! As a lone European walking the streets and markets I have been left to do my thing and somehow the cheerful locals are so willing to help if you ask”

          Totally agree – I went from Cambodia to Vietnam and the difference was amazing. In Cambodia I was nearly assaulted for turning down a tuk-tuk ride. In Vietnam I was just left alone but treated to friendliness when I asked for assistance.

    • r0b 6.2
      24 August 2012 at 6:32 pm

      You do get around! My son was in Vietnam last year – hope you get/got to Halong Bay…

      • Ianmac from Vietnam 6.2.1
        24 August 2012 at 6:42 pm

        My wife, who is currently working in Ho Chi Minh, is the driving force. I couldn’t possibly have afforded the Malta, Spain, Vietnam trip this time, on my own meagre resources and while here I worry about who will feed the sparrows at home or what if John Key phones me for my advice and I’m not there!

        • rosy 6.2.1.1
          25 August 2012 at 10:28 am

          Nothing quite as exotic as Vietnam, it’s Berlin for me this week. Really, really interesting city, but it’s impossible to talk Berlin without talking politics so I guess I’ll leave it there…

          • Ianmac from Vietnam 6.2.1.1.1
            25 August 2012 at 3:02 pm

            And yet most ordinary citizens seek similar things regardless of city or country. For some its enough food or someone to care or recognition for effort. It is just the materialistic bits that vary so much.
            Autumn must be just around the corner Rosy? Got your eye on your winter woollies?

            • rosy 6.2.1.1.1.1
              25 August 2012 at 11:12 pm

              Yes, there’s more in common among places than is different, when you talk to the people. I reckon.

              And no winter woolies yet- the background temperature is cooling, but another heatwave is happening (the 7th this year) so I’m glad to be in Berlin just at the moment. All of a sudden the temperature will drop 10 degrees and that will be the beginning of the end of summer.

    • aerobubble 6.3
      27 August 2012 at 12:50 pm

      There’s a complete different set of circumstances. Your ears adapt to the noise level, so when you
      have some clown in a car break the morning silence with a rock band blaring from the car, or
      a boom box, thumping out, then you get a larger Decibel change. In a city the background noise
      is constant and so your ears have shut out a lot of the noise, in fact you can survive more noise
      from jackhammers, and building sites, that would be intolerable in the backblock.

  7. prism 7
    24 August 2012 at 9:32 pm

    Ianmac
    Ha ha. Jokey Hen’s too busy cackling and running around in circles. Better to stick with Vietnam, it’s dynamic and thriving. Not like here.

  8. prism 8
    24 August 2012 at 9:34 pm

    Felix
    Say if you are interested in the list of ideas on following a dog’s approach to life. I had the idea you might be interested and if so I’ll put it up.

  9. prism 9
    24 August 2012 at 10:29 pm

    Kindly contributed by Mr Hubbard from his cereal packet series –

    Things One Can Learn from a Dog
    1 Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face
    to be pure ecstasy.
    2 When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
    3 When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience.
    4 Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.
    5 Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
    6 Take naps often and stretch before rising.
    7 Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
    8 If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
    9 Thrive on attention, and let people touch you.
    10 Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

    Priceless I think and if followed would probably lessen the
    need for Sigmund Freud’s attentions. It has the simple
    directness of the Desiderata.

    • Ianmac from Vietnam 9.1
      24 August 2012 at 11:10 pm

      I’d like to have a dog Prism so that he could teach me tricks from his list. Like number 5 for instance. Improve marriages immensely.

      • McFlock 9.1.1
        25 August 2012 at 2:49 am

        My sister’s dog has a trick where it sits in front of me for a pat on the head and somehow manages to casually fall down onto its back for a belly rub. Works every time.
        Now that’s a trick I’d love to learn 😉 

    • vto 9.2
      25 August 2012 at 8:59 am

      .
      Bob Dylan: “If dogs run free, why don’t we “

    • felix 9.3
      25 August 2012 at 10:23 am

      Nice one prism. The dog around here displays all of those behaviours, particularly number 3.

      • Anne 9.3.1
        25 August 2012 at 5:40 pm

        Without so much as a flicker of an eyelid, a dog can psyche it’s owner into walkies anytime of the day or night. I would love to have such an ability… but not necessarily for walking. 🙂

  10. prism 10
    25 August 2012 at 5:36 pm

    I thought you would like it. All very practical. Perhaps it’s not too late for me to pick up some tips myself. McFlock I have never had a massage. That would be a good way to get a rub down. I’ve never tried it though.

    Blokes can get away with a lot if they eat with gusto and enthusiasm…and then help with the dishes Ianmac. I’m sure you do already!

  11. prism 11
    25 August 2012 at 9:11 pm

    Some choice scratchings from my graffiti book.

    There is no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle. seen in Hampstead.

    Hang the extremists. from University of Lancaster

    Feudalism: it’s your count that votes. from University of York

  12. McFlock 12
    26 August 2012 at 12:44 am

    Just saw Iron Sky – limited screening. Loved it!
    One for the DVD shelf.