Posts by Danielle

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  • Hard News: Some Politics,

    Why do I post in a forum where most disagree with me? I can't think of anything more boring than an echo chamber. It is good to see other perspectives and have your views challenged. If that pisses some people off, then that is a shame; however I believe that it says more about them than about me. I saw at least one comment from someone who appreciated the back and forth from different sides of the issues; I am sure that there are others as well.

    James, you miss my point entirely. It's not that you disagree; it's that your arguments always revert to this... what's the phrase I want? Ne plus ultra? Probably not... anyway, it's impossible to get you to concede a major point, because your bedrock assertion is always 'you don't live in the USA, so you couldn't possibly know what's going on'. I put it to you that that *is* an echo chamber, because how can we respond? 'Yes, I do live in the USA'? Well, no, we can't, because most of us don't. *It's a New Zealand forum*. So, what's the solution? There isn't one, unless you accept that arguments from outside the USA also have merit. And you barely ever do. So why are you here?

    I stress that I do not want you to stop posting or leave - that's not what I'm saying at all. But if we're only 'right' if we discuss things related to our own direct experience, what's the point of any discussion at all? That way lies madness.

    (BTW, I'm not touching the Katrina thing with you again. You've denied actual events - you know, *verifiable, researchable facts* - to me before based on this 'I live here and I know a guy' thing, so I'm afraid I can't be having it. Too frustrating! :) )

    PS Thanks Simon! Your dedication to battling away there on your own is most admirable...

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Island Life: Who's laughing?,

    (Personally, I find MeFi to be a bit Leiberman Democrat, but perhaps that's just me)

    Really? I find some of them a bit... 'simplistic libertarian'. I still read the site obsessively, though...

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Some Politics,

    Heh. I wish I had a photo of the westside hand symbol to flash your way, Merc, but just take it as a given. :)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Some Politics,

    ... I have had the experience of New Zealanders who have never set foot in the US, let alone New Orleans, lecturing me on who did or didn’t do what before and after Katrina. How they think they could possibly know more than people who live there is just bizarre.

    Not that I am suggesting that I know everything about the US, I don’t. But I am likely to have a better idea about what is going on and why in the US than people who don’t live here.

    Look, I'm sorry, but I don't think you can have this both ways. If I may get meta for a moment: your attitude above, which you express regularly, is such a disingenuous approach to this community. We're primarily New Zealanders, living in New Zealand (with a few exceptions, obviously). You'll argue a point, have it pretty comprehensively debunked, then attack your correspondents with this time-honoured 'I know more because I live here!' thing, and no one is able to say 'no, actually you don't' without coming across like an asshole because you lived through such a horrible experience in New Orleans. It's incredibly frustrating.

    In sum: you're in a New Zealand-based forum filled with New Zealanders, so you are going to have to argue based not on where we all live, but how well our arguments stand up to scrutiny. Dammit.

    By the way, I don't think you can do the 'I live here' thing when arguing DC politics. New Orleans and DC are very different, and thousands of kilometres away from each other. We're all in the same boat when it comes to US national political analysis. We're all relying on practically the same media outlets.

    (Parenthetically, my sister lost her house and everything she owned in Katrina. My father was without power for four months. But I would never assume that I know more about what happened there simply because I have a personal connection. It's not a defensible argument.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Radiation: On the PVR,

    12% free? I call that 'heaps of space'. We constantly hover around the 2-5% mark. What I really need to do is quit my stupid job and spend my entire life watching reruns of The Amazing Race. (Damn mortgage.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Yellow Peril: The gift that keeps on giving,

    I'm thrilled that someone has linked to this, so I can join the general lovefest in a local setting. SNL is horribly, horribly overrated, but I will forgive them several thousand hours of underwritten, overlong crap for this. Even a stopped clock, etc.

    My favourite moment is the breakdown/countdown. Delightful.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • A.F.F.C.O.,

    I haven't seen that for years and years. Awesome.

    (It occurs to me that Richard Linklater missed the boat by nearly two decades...)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Flying Nun Moments,

    Virtual high school reunion, happening right in front of your eyes.

    Danielle, who last I saw working in a music store in Takapuna.

    About fifteen years ago! Sorry to hijack the thread, but holy crap. *That* Kyle Matthews, who I believe went right through school with me from go to whoa. Hello! :)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Flying Nun Moments,

    Another Chris Knox story. I think there are probably hundreds of those, but anyway: Houston, Texas, 2000 or thereabouts. Yo La Tengo come to play a show and Chris Knox, of all people, is support. American boyfriend and I bowl on up there, and Chris's schtick at that point was to do a big finale with 'The Joy of Sex', get two people to get up on stage and sing/play the song while he runs madly around the crowd, freaking out. I, of course, am the only person in the room who knows 'The Joy of Sex' (possibly the only person who even knows who Chris Knox is!), so I am pushed up on stage and do the 'bay-bay-bay-bay-bay-bay...' bit, while a Texas native who knows some basic chords is the guitar-playing choice. During the final moments, Chris asks both for a round of applause for us and somewhere to stay for the night. I say 'I have a futon!', and Chris says 'let's hear it for Danielle and her futon!' Crowd goes wild (weirdly). He and Barbara came over after the show (Ira from Yo La Tengo actually said 'nice singing!' to me when we were hovering around waiting! One of the great moments of my life), and Chris rearranged my Beatles Yellow Submarine dolls. (They stayed in the same poses for years!) The next morning they took us out to breakfast at the House of Pies. I cannot tell you how utterly surreal it was to be sitting in the House of Pies in Houston, Texas, with Chris Knox and his partner, eating pancakes.

    (Martin Lambert, from the Shore. Hmmmm. I went to school with a Martin Lambert. At Rangitoto College. 1988-1991. You don't happen to be him, do you?)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Radiation: All this, and Lucy too,

    Fiona, I'm thrilled that you like Entourage. We have been sneakily downloading episodes for a few months now, and I'm a bit disturbed by how deeply I love all these ethically bankrupt, starf*cking wankers (particularly as the show is probably 90% true). I suppose E is meant to be the 'everyman' we identify with, but it's Turtle, Drama and Ari that make me the happiest. Hug it out, bitches.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

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