Up Front by Emma Hart

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Up Front: Ups and Downs. And Side-to-Sides.

155 Responses

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  • Megan Wegan, in reply to SteveH,

    Ah, thank you. That does make sense.

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    Great to hear you are all ok and together. And the Hay-Haywoods.
    It’s gonna be a while for *ok* to actually mean fine and happy- but we’ll get there :)

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    And what of you and yours, Rob? Is there anything you need? Are you being looked after?

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

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Megan Wegan,

    Megan, I just saw a statue down, on the news. Was that the one you were meaning?

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

  • nzlemming, in reply to BenWilson,

    I feel a little stink for giving Deborah Coddington shit on Pundit.

    Don't. She deserved it, especially as she kept on digging.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to nzlemming,

    She deserved it, especially as she kept on digging.

    She sure brought new meaning to the term 'doing the spadework'. When you're in a hole, you might as well visit China.

    However, there is certainly a lot of emotion going around, and it wouldn't hurt sometimes to have emoticons on offer prior to posting comments. ;-\

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Wegan, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    Megan, I just saw a statue down, on the news. Was that the one you were meaning?

    I don't know. The one I mean is this one.

    There's a family legend involving it, that looking at that page, I now realise can't possibly be true.

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart, in reply to Megan Wegan,

    The Amundsen(?) one by the Avon is the one I saw fallen off its plinth. No idea about Victoria Square.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • webweaver,

    Random thought that's been running through my mind since the Sept earthquake...

    If one had power back on, but no water supply, one could "make" water with one's dehumidifier (assuming one had one and it wasn't busted) - especially with the "laundry" setting that my one has - it collects a full tank in a few hours. If you boiled it just in case, would it be OK to drink? And even if you didn't want to risk drinking it, it would work for washing and cleaning up, wouldn't it?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 332 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to webweaver,

    one could “make” water with one’s dehumidifier

    Yes
    BUT
    Most people don’t keep the innards of their dehumidifier as clean as their glasses and pots. They have a tendency to build up layers of bacterial slime (biofilms), which are usually harmless, if icky, but sometimes those bacteria can be very nasty. The worst part is they can produce toxins that can survive boiling.

    SO please if you do this, give the damn thing a really good clean first and then you probably still want to boil the resulting water.

    note added in proof - your chances of getting a toxic biofilm that is harmful after boiling is really low - it's real but if I had to choose drain water or dehumidifier water I would easily choose the dehumidifier.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    SO please if you do this, give the damn thing a really good clean first and then you probably still want to boil the resulting water.

    Shit this place is awesome. Just felt like saying that. Humour, pathos, technology, science, all in two pages of blogginess. Other Blogs just wish they could be this cool.

    As you were. Goat bleating over.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    SO please if you do this, give the damn thing a really good clean first and then you probably still want to boil the resulting water.

    I was thinking this, then I thought "with what shall I clean it?". Surely not all that lovely potable water I've got lying around?

    You could, however, distill the product that came out. Uses a huge amount of electricity, but you don't get it much safer than that.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • webweaver, in reply to BenWilson,

    You could collect a bit of water with the dehumidifier first, boil it and then use that water to clean it with, and maybe you'd add a few drops of bleach the first time around. Then collect a bit more water, boil it and clean it again with dishwashing liquid or something.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 332 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby, in reply to nzlemming,

    @ben damn straight. it really was the gift that kept giving. arrogant old tart.


    as for the dehumidifier, can't see the problem with using the water for things like washing soiled buckets or using to clean clothes.

    if you needed to distil it, put it in a pot, and boil it lightly. "catch" the steam with a lid that's too big and preferably something like glass, and angle the lid with wooden spoons so you get run-off tipping into another vessel alongside.

    not exactly efficient, but if you've got unlimited electricity it'll do the trick.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    If it was me, I would take say 500 mL of the first batch of water mix 1:1 with bleach (just standard cheap bleach not the stuff with detergents in it) and wash the dehumidifier then straight away rinse it with 2 lots of say 250 mL of water or 5 lots of 100 mL. More small volume washes are much better than a big volume wash (geeky math can show you why but trust me).

    I'd avoid soaps or detergents myself.

    Without knowing exactly what the innards of the dehumidifier look like my worry would be corroding the workings with the bleach. Hence the rinse straight away.

    Likely your first batch of water after that will be "chlorine rich" may not taste nice but probably won't harm you. After a while the water you collect should wash away the traces of chlorine.

    And really my thoughts on this are just guessing on how to clean the beast. There might be dehumidifier specific reasons why this may not be a good idea. It's a nice distraction :).

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    I believe this might be what Megan was trying to say.

    Damn, I love that photo. All those well-bred young ladies. Must be a Christchurch thing.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Greg Dawson, in reply to recordari,

    As you were. Goat bleating over.

    Careful, those cultists from the other thread will hear you.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 294 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    It's also how the wider PAS community is coping. We're feeling traumatized, to a much lesser extent, but still. Get on with it, help in ways that are practical. Keep the arguments to a minimum. That's abnormal, though, and actually hard to cope with, I feel a little stink for giving Deborah Coddington shit on Pundit. Maybe being an insensitive pedant was her way of coping. It was her excuse anyway.

    Thanks Ben.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Mason,

    I can't remember if this was mentioned last September but it might be useful to re issue.

    The sterilising of water using solar radiation and PET bottles. It is so simple it works. I did a bit of a search around this subject a year or so ago and found some good papers on it. It does seem that there has been a fair bit of work to check it out.

    The key is to use PET bottles as UV is transmitted through it. I recall reading somewhere that NZ - and Canterbury - has an excess of sun and UV. This is good.

    This article does not mention it but it needs to also get hot. About 60deg comes to mind. That is too hot to handle. So if it reaches that point and it has been there for the requisite time then it should be good to go. Wrapping some dark paper around the bottom half and laying on a towell will help insulate and heat it quicker by minimising heat loss and maximising UV.

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __,

    The Amundsen(?) one by the Avon is the one I saw fallen off its plinth.

    Scott? I was always rather fond of that one because I know it was made by his widow, who specified that if she died before it was finished, it should be left as it was. She didn’t get to finish one of the feet, so it merges with the plinth.

    Regarding cellphone charging, my flatmate has one of those chargers you wind by hand and I discovered you do a hell of a lot of winding to get there and it’s surprisingly hard work! The torch part of the thing is great though. And a radio that doesn’t need batteries is also a great thing to have.

    Also +1 to the alcohol hand gel. Even with copious stored water (which we have as I flat with Captain Sensible, bless her!), boiling and decanting it for every little thing is SO tedious and time consuming.

    Man, I'm trying not to think about the Arts Centre. So many memories there. Le Cafe! The Dux! Boulevard Bakehouse!

    Realistically I know the heritage buildings still viable after this will be very few. I'll be one of those annoying old people who always wants to talk about the city as it was "when I was young, before the earthquake...."

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Wegan, in reply to Deborah,

    All those well-bred young ladies. Must be a Christchurch thing.

    It's even better when you know what I was reading. Aloud. To an audience.

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah, in reply to Megan Wegan,

    Megan! Not in front of teh bebe!!

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Wegan, in reply to Deborah,

    Megan! Not in front of teh bebe!!

    And Emma's teenage son. You can borrow my copy if you like. Though I'd warn you, it'll ruin parts of your favourite book.

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Wegan, in reply to Lilith __,

    The torch part of the thing is great though. And a radio that doesn’t need batteries is also a great thing to have.

    The one my dad gave me also has a (surprisingly loud) siren. That's...comforting.

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Megan Wegan,

    It’s even better when you know what I was reading.

    Swoon... a crack squad of Janeites will be kicking down your door presently. Please don't make a fuss.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

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