Posts by BenWilson

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  • Hard News: Those Men Again,

    Depends on the heroine. Low grade ones, like Angelina Jolie, nah. But Uma Thurman, I'll have 58kg thanks.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Those Men Again,

    re: EFB. Once I worked out it didn't mean Exclusive Friggin Brethren it didn't take me long to work out I disliked it about the same.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Those Men Again,

    Supposedly the US Airforce in WW2 got a lot of meth too. There's a reason that a lot of truck drivers take it. Not that it's a good habit, it encourages you to push limits that will eventually catch up with you. Or you could argue that driving a truck on contracts does that, and meth is just one way of pushing the limit. Coffee is another popular choice for truckies.

    I personally think there's a time and place for substance that can have this effect. When you've got a cold and are feeling really shitty and tired, but have a lot of work to do, for instance. The important thing is for people to realize that you must sleep regularly and properly. But sometimes (and I've been in this position a lot of times in my work) sleep is not an option. I personally nurse my long-term caffeine addiction to new heights at those times and suffer the horrible withdrawals over a few days afterwards as I bring the usage back to sensible levels. I tried BZP once for this purpose, but I found the up to be an unpleasant one, quite weak, even if it was longer lasting. It felt more like a physical up than a mental one, which was the opposite of what I needed.

    I will not miss it myself. But to even have the option to experiment was important. I at least know for sure that I don't like it at all, and it didn't cost very much to find out, or require me to deal with the underworld more than I have to.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Those Men Again,

    I don't feel comfortable with anything about banning BZP. Not how they're doing it. Not why they're doing it. Not when they're doing it.

    "How" is by stealth, by expanding the categories of illegality. Why this isn't a question for the people, as it always was with alcohol, I can't figure. Is it too complicated for us poor souls? Or is there just a chance that the vote might come out the wrong way for the wherever it is in the South Island that wants to hold National drug policy to ransom? Couldn't they just have a bylaw?

    "Why" is just to steal swing voters of the conservative kind from National, and the "When" is clearly timed for that.

    Having said all that I think NZ in a referendum would vote to ban party pills. The overwhelming majority of the vote would come from people who have never tried them, ever, and yet had been blind drunk many times.

    But at least we'd know that then. We'd have had a debate in which all those people might have had to think a little bit about the fun-nazis they were being, and take some responsibility for it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Not so much evil as stupid ...,

    Here is another story I heard: The four year old daughter of a female of my acquaintance got up and left the room after the All Black's lost. When her Mum went to see where she was, she was in her room with all her All Black figurines lined up, and she was knocking them over one by one.

    Aw! My own story is worse. During that fateful test my 19 month old learned the f-word.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Not so much evil as stupid ...,

    Inky's right, and I felt just the same way as him straight after. A brief mope, then I stuck my head outdoors and it was a gorgeous day to spend with the family and I figured "so what?". These things happen. A 90% chance of winning every game means you lose one in every ten. If one of those happens to be during the eliminations, we're screwed. We still had probably the best chances of any team, but that's the cool thing about the World Cup - strange chances can happen. Both Oz and NZ eliminated within hours, during the quarters? Pretty low odds, but makes for a very interesting international tourney.

    I can't get into slamming everyone involved. There's no way on the planet I could have done a better job, or anyone I know personally, or any of the commentators. We sent our best team and luck caught us out again. I'm sure everyone involved is a harsher critic of themselves.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Ten Times Warmer,

    And the outcome a living death.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: A fairly weird encounter,

    Could one of our hard-bitten journo contributors explain the origin of the term "vice girl?"

    Yeah it is strange. I guess they want to convey girls who deal with a broader range of the seedy side of life, rather than just hookers. Although probably most hookers fit that bill anyway.

    insider, don't ask me to do that math on that! I did have a friend who wrote a spamming program to generate such titles, and the possibilities are endless. He had a collection of some of the funniest combinations it had come up with. I still reckon "You'll shag these b*tches so hard your c*ck will write a stern letter to the UN" was the all time best.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Ten Times Warmer,

    On a quantum level, both at once

    ...until you check to see who is dead?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: A fairly weird encounter,

    Craig, the incumbent also has an easier job communicating policy believably. They can just point to the current situation.

    Your 'tedious pragmatism' does basically assume that National and Labour intend to share a huge amount of policy. If they had a bold new direction with detailed plans, which the other side couldn't swallow, then we might actually get some choice. As it currently stands it's Pepsi and Coke.

    Not that a choice between Pepsi and Coke is worthless - if that really is the narrow band in which the overall public sentiment works. I personally doubt it, but I'm only one vote.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

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