Posts by Chopper

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  • Speaker: A conversation from belief,

    Nice post Francis. I found myself nodding a lot as I read it (and not in a going to sleep way).

    Since Jul 2008 • 19 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Rugby has a problem,

    I've given up on rugby. Every time I go to a game, they fill EVERY stoppage with a short burst of music. It's as if they don't want to give fans the opportunity to think "Hey, this is nowhere near as good as I thought it would be".

    I live in Melbourne now, and the range of sports on offer in this city far surpasses the ability of rugby to entertain.

    And yes, if rugby is so great, then why do we need yet another plethora of rule changes each year? What other sport changes the rules so often? It's truly crazy.

    Since Jul 2008 • 19 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: How do you sleep?,

    I've recently had to get up at 4.30 am just to get stuff moved from one house to the next while the kids are asleep, and I am getting addicted to it. The world from 4.30 until 7 is a beautiful place without many people about and no demands from our young kids.

    It does mean that I feel the need to head to bed earlier, but it sure beats getting the kids down and then trying to get stuff done while exhausted from the day. Much better to have the best of the day to myself.

    Since Jul 2008 • 19 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Tooled Up for Food,

    I spent almost A$250 on a 7-piece set of Brasilia knives (German steel, made in Brazil). My wife thought I was absolutely nuts. Then she tried using them. Our existing $20 set from IKEA was immediately in the op shop pile and now we have fights over who gets to cut the pumpkin. We had fights before over the pumpkin but for the opposite reason.

    I get reminded of just how good these are when staying with friends and family now who don't have a decent knife set. The carrots go flying while I cut them, the pumpkin causes wrist injuries. When I work it out on a cost per use basis, the knives are very cheap, and I don't expect to ever need to upgrade. As the proverb goes, the poor man always pays twice.

    Since Jul 2008 • 19 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Dressing for the Road,

    Hi-vis cycle jersey.
    Bib shorts
    Light arm and leg warmers (easy skin protection in summer, protection against cold in winter)
    Fingerless gloves
    Supernovas (From roadid.com) around the ankles, especially for riding at dusk.

    More than 95% of my cycling is my 1 hour each way commute and I like to be as visible and as comfortable as possible. I really don't care about what anyone else thinks of my appearance. They can always close their eyes if they don't like it (although I'd prefer if they didn't do that while driving towards me) :-)

    Since Jul 2008 • 19 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: When "common sense" isn't,

    I have lights on my bike at all times. I wear high-viz clothing whenever I cycle. Use cycle lanes whenever possible? Forget it. I live in Melbourne, and there are too many nutter cyclists here, especially those like to overtake dangerously into my cycle lane and that like to cut traffic islands.leaving me no way of legally accessing the island to wait for a pedestrian crossing. The roads are MUCH safer. I use them whenever possible.

    Since Jul 2008 • 19 posts Report Reply

  • Southerly: Everybody Needs Good Neighbours,

    No bad neighbour stories myself, but I did have a flatmate once who turned out to be, well, somewhat unusual.

    He seemed perfectly normal when he moved in, but a couple of weeks later, he arrived home covered in mud claiming to have found Jesus and staying out on a rugby ground in the pouring rain for a couple of hours.

    A couple of mornings later, our female flatmate opened the front door at 5 in the morning after hearing knocks. Said flatmate was standing there. Naked. Covered in blood (apparently his own).

    When asked what had happened he said that he had been running into telegraph poles. We asked him if anyone had seen him, and he said that one woman had, but she had looked quite frightened so he hadn't stopped to talk to her.

    Over the next few days, things got progressively more weird (think seances and lighted candles in darkened rooms) until we decided to call in the mental health professionals who took him away. He was released a few months later and wanted to rejoin our flat, but by common agreement with the other flatmates, the flat was quickly disbanded and we found other places to live.

    Last I heard, he had reunited with his ex-girlfriend and got engaged.

    Since Jul 2008 • 19 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Wanna Route?,

    No cycling routes to add, but just a plug for Critical Mass. We meet the last Friday of every month at Auckland's Albert Park fountain at 5.45 pm before a very leisurely 90-120 minute ride around Auckland. If you want to enjoy a slow ride with lots of other cyclists, then please do join us.

    Thanks,
    Warwick.

    Since Jul 2008 • 19 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Do these people even talk?,

    Just the thought that TVNZ could win the bid is depressing. Whenever TVNZ shows sports coverage, I have to watch with the volume off. The commentary is appalling, especially coverage of netball and the Beijing Olympics. The only commentator I enjoy listening to at TVNZ is Geoff Bryan, and he seems to be used only as an interviewer at the tennis these days.

    Anyone, including Maori Television could do a better job than TVNZ. The thought that taxpayers are paying unnecessary millions to obtain the mediocrity that will result from TVNZ is very hard to swallow.

    Since Jul 2008 • 19 posts Report Reply

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