Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Holiday Open Thread 1: Beach and Backyard

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  • recordari, in reply to Lucy Stewart,

    Time to eat the dig?

    Are they now advocating hangi or umu?

    The Christchurch City Council has published these useful guidelines.

    [Pendant]

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    As I recall, there did seem to be authority in their analyses--assessments of energy expenditure vs consumption. Still, they probably didn't account sufficiently for the contradictions and ambiguities of life. Are we really going to stew up Tiddles with a few onions and a clove of garlic, or boil up Rover with a few sprigs of rosemary. There are intangibles they don't take into account eg how living and loving pets can make us better persons, and happier to co-exist with our own species.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    I might eat a dig but not a dog ;-)

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Cecelia,

    Geoff, wrong thread, sorry ... a bit removed from puppy dogs and pussy cats ... I wondered what you thought of the media influence on the Tucson shooter. Just read Kiwipolitico and picked up a nice phrase: "right wing media frothers".

    Hibiscus Coast • Since Apr 2008 • 559 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Is there any question that keeping a cat or a dog for food would be incredibly inefficient? Even keeping actual stock isn't that sensible, unless you're a farmer.

    Hell, even fishing is inefficient, and you don't even have to grow the fish. Cats and dogs and fishing aren't about the money.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    The giant huhu bugs, on the other hand, can be slightly annoying when you get them stuck in your hair and they crawl across your face

    Aargggh!!

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn, in reply to Geoff Lealand,

    Are we really going to stew up Tiddles with a few onions and a clove of garlic

    Known as "roof rabbits" in some places.

    or boil up Rover with a few sprigs of rosemary

    Also done in some other places. We just don't have a history of it - well, not recent anyway.

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    @ Cecelia; there other people better qualified than I to make such assessments...and I haven't been following events as closely as I should. But I worry about the state of America. At times, the bleak view of humanity shared by fundamentalist groups there seem only to be a shade of difference away from the fundamentalism of the Taliban.

    The shootings in Tuscon seem to have their origins in standard-issue conspiracy theories. Dean Ballinger in my department did a great PhD thesis on the nature of conspiracy theories last year and I hope it finds its way into the public discourse.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Ngaire BookieMonster,

    Personally, I couldn’t eat my cat (or a dog), and I’m entirely aware of the contradictions of separating “domestic non-eating” animals from “yummy eating” animals. Pretty sure if I ever befriended a farm animal I might have a hard time eating them too.

    Also, I have this feeling that carnivores are generally not great eating? Isn’t that part of the reason most eating animals are herbivores or largely omnivorous? Or am I wrong?

    On the other hand that’s never stopped Mr Monster and I from referring to the cat as our “backup plan” for when the Apocalypse comes. Got to keep one’s options open when the zombies are attacking. :D

    At the foot of Mt Te Aroh… • Since Nov 2009 • 174 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn, in reply to Ngaire BookieMonster,

    Chooks are omnivores out in the open - they eat all sorts of things - snails, bugs of varying sorts, and one's lettuces (I always wondered why my lettuces never grew - daily cropping!) If they're unfortunate enough to be raised in a factory farm, they'll eat the bodies of male chicks, kindly mashed up and mixed with other stuff. Whether they would if they had a choice is questionable.

    Fish also, eat other fish.

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Oh, I look forward to coming up when you have an inside toilet. That is all, Sir. And @ Lucy, I wish I knew why vets were so expensive. We have the original $10,000 dog. (Probably more, actually). She used to get grass spurs in her ears that had to be removed surgically, at $200 a pop. And then there was the time two of her vertebrae crumbled - $5000 thanks. And of course, there were the aural haematoma (several of them) that required surgery. That was probably $300 a go, and it happened about 5 times. And then. And then, she was diagnosed - with the aid of a $250 blood test - with diabetes, (insulin - $80 every 4 weeks, test sticks $50, every so often, the syringes are free - and hypothyroidism (pills are $36 every 3 weeks) and possibly hypoadrenalcorticism. The last has cost us nothing yet, because there is a very expensive blood test - again, about $250 - and then if she has it, which we are pretty sure she does, the treatment is chemo every 6 weeks for the rest of her life. At which point - she is a 10 yr old dog in a 15 yr old dog's body is what the vet keeps telling us - we say enough. We know a bit about chemo in this house, and no animal of mine is going through that. All in all, I would have bought pet insurance when she was a wee pup. And next time, we will do that. But for now, we have our lovely old girl, and her cat-sister (who is coming up 14, and still bounces around like a kitten, and, btw who has cost us very little, except for vaccinations and the like, ) And we love them. Isn't that what it's all about? Expensive little bastards, that they are.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    @Jackie. Still, you love her and that is what matters. We could consider the cost of producing and raising a child to adulthood--I recall seeing a figure of around $250,000 per child to feed, clothe, educate, medicate yer average child.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart, in reply to Ngaire BookieMonster,

    Also, I have this feeling that carnivores are generally not great eating? Isn’t that part of the reason most eating animals are herbivores or largely omnivorous? Or am I wrong?

    Yep, for mammals and birds, anyway; true carnivores have much lower population densities, making them vastly inefficient to eat, and usually don't seem to be that tasty. Fish, as Jackie notes, seem to be different. But it's the efficiency/danger thing, really - why bother with a (sometimes very omnivorous) bear when deer are found in much higher numbers and are so much less likely to bite you?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    I hope I'll get to meet your lovely old dog.

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Jacqui Dunn,

    @ the picnic, no, Jacqui. She's incontinent, and it can get a little messy! But some time, I hope you will. She's a lovely pup.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Also, I have this feeling that carnivores are generally not great eating? Isn’t that part of the reason most eating animals are herbivores or largely omnivorous? Or am I wrong?

    From the poitn of farming there's also a multiplier effect. To make cows you have to farm grass or grain for them to feed on. And then to make the carnivores you have to feed them the cows (or other animals). Each step further along there's a mass of inefficiences and time delays and costs, so it'd be a lot more expensive.

    And farming bears or something might create some personal safety issues too.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Tamsin6,

    I'll add my sympathies too on behalf of my partner Vivian, who to her ongoing dismay seems to attract mosquitoes like some kind of lightning rod.

    I'm not sure they were mossies - the usually make me swell up and itch like crazy. These were more like little midge-y type things. But nothing is a patch on the sandflies that used to bite me at Papatowai - those things were evil.

    London • Since Dec 2007 • 133 posts Report Reply

  • Ngaire BookieMonster,

    Ahh, hadn't thought about the farming angle, but that all makes lots of sense.

    That does give me a good excuse for later years too. I'm not a crazy old cat lady, I'm a cat farmer!

    At the foot of Mt Te Aroh… • Since Nov 2009 • 174 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Ngaire BookieMonster,

    One of my closest friends has had up to 9 cats living with her. She started with 1 who then had kittens and she kept them all, and then a couple came to live with her. They have all died now, so there are 2 relatively young cats, one of whom was a stray (who is diabetic and has 3 legs) and one who she inherited from her mother in law. She is very much a cat person - I'm seeing her tomorrow. I must tell her about the cat farming. She'll like that!

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Cat poaching would be extremely easy. All you have to do is offer them food and they'll usually come straight to you. If they're on your land, surely that makes them fair game? Or you could make it sporting and shoot at them with something, but only if they're running.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Geoff Lealand,

    We could consider the cost of producing and raising a child to adulthood–I recall seeing a figure of around $250,000 per child

    Now that’s mighty expensive eating if you ask me.
    And Jackie, you get to appreciate the outside loo after a while. In fact it has been said you should put your wood pile along the path to the loo so that women will collect your firewood rather than admit that their trip was for something other than to refresh the fireplace. There’s a lot to be said about a privy, take it from a Specialist

    Oh and Jacqui, Huhu bugs can be quite cute sometimes but definitely not good eating, just ask our Dog, Stella. Huhu grubs on the other hand, yum…

    I'm going to be in town for the rest of the week and, weather permitting, should be down at te Neighbourhood on Thursday evening. So, if anyone wants to catch up for a beer or two, or pick up stuff they left behind, we'll see you there.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Hurray. I'll be up for that.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Now that’s mighty expensive eating if you ask me.

    But not if you get someone else to raise 'em, as Jonathon Swift suggested in A Modest Proposal

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Tabby, or not tabby...

    I’m not a crazy old cat lady, I’m a cat farmer!

    Welcome to the Pussy Galore Cat Herding
    Dude Ranch and Petting Zoo!
    (PurrPaws Built)

    well it was either IKEA or EDS...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ngaire BookieMonster, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    The Pussy Galore Cat Herding Dude Ranch and Petting Zoo?

    I am so THERE.

    At the foot of Mt Te Aroh… • Since Nov 2009 • 174 posts Report Reply

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