Posts by Janet Digby

  • Hard News: The People's Poet is dead!,

    Feel compelled to say something. I was just going into my teenage years when I started watching The Young Ones on the fervent recommendation of my cousin who had seen it in England. I didn't understand all of the jokes at first, being that age, although my father, who is English, was able to help me, and was quite amused with me asking questions like "Dad, who is Norman Tebbit?". I used to get terribly upset when the VCR didn't record when it was supposed to. It felt important and special to me, and I still know large bits of various Young Ones episodes by heart. I watched everything he did after that and Dad and I used to laugh together watching The New Statesman.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report

  • Feed: Saints Preserve, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Which leaves the feijoas. I don’t really like them all that much, and I’m not sure I want to make a lot of feijoa jam, but the idea of, say, a sweet feijoa chilli sauce is most appealing. Anyone got a recipe?

    After all these years of reading your stuff Russell, I had come to believe I knew you, the important stuff anyway. This revelation has come as a nasty shock.

    Don't worry, all is not lost. You can try a feijoa crumble. I find goes down well with people who (oddly) aren't that fond of those little fragrant green packages of joy.

    Super easy. Scoop the flesh out so they cover the bottom of a casserole dish, and add a crumble on top which is made of wholemeal flour, oats, butter or margarine and brown sugar. Not the soft brown, the one with the bigger crystals as it gives a nice texture. A few minutes in the oven and it goes well with ice cream or custard.

    Plus, there is the added bonus that you can freeze the flesh and enjoy your crumble a few months down the track, in the depths of winter when something warm is in order.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report

  • Hard News: A bigger breach?,

    This all sounds very odd.

    Also, I have always wondered about street parking machines where it debits your card without any pin number being entered. This is the case at the airport machines too. They charge like wounded bulls, and so in that case can be $50 or more being charged. What is the point in having the security measures if they aren't always applied?

    I booked a train trip in Italy last year over the internet with my credit card - through the national carrier, Trenitalia. I was stunned to see when I got back from my trip that some bugger had my number and was using it to buy all sorts of stuff in the UK, including a NZ$1000 phone. The bank noted these transactions were fraudulent and hence I wasn't liable, but it was horrible.

    The worst part was the credit card people suggested that they had problems with card numbers after people had made purchases though Trenitalia. I told them that average punters like me would think it was safe to use in this way, with a large national rail company, but they said not. I give up.

    I hear BNZ is phasing in card with a chip, hopefully that might reduce fraud. We seem to be late bringing in the chip cards here though.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report

  • Michael Jackson: A Life?,

    The first record I ever bought was Thriller, when I was 10. I wish I had been born a few years earlier so I could say it was Off The Wall, but not to be.

    I can vividly remember in Standard Four watching RTR and Beat It had been number one for eight weeks or something like that. Thinking this was my music.

    I feel as though that Michael Jackson hasn't been around for a very long time. Sadly.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report

  • Hard News: Conscious Party,

    So, the 8th of November...I can't find any announcements anywhere?!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report

  • Island Life: Staring into space,

    Yes Emma, but I hardly think we can blame you as an eight year old for undertaking in sinister actions!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report

  • Island Life: Staring into space,

    Parents with concerns about a child's vision should take them to the optometrist. Vision screening aims to detect amblyopia primarily and is not a complete vision assessment. In particular it won't detect problems with near vision.

    Families who have a Community Services or High User Card may be able to access support through the Spectacles Subsidy which is managed by Enable NZ.

    You can access information about it at
    http://www.disabilityfunding.co.nz/internal.asp?CategoryID=100258&SubCatID=100286

    And yes, you make an interesting point about funding for hearing impaired children vs vision impaired children. Quite a difference!
    Our report has more details and can be found at www.seehere.org.nz

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report

  • Stories: Best Party Ever,

    I went to a party when I was 17 or 18, my boyfriend's band was playing at a gig way out in the bush somewhere. A whole group of us tagged along, as you do. Anyway, when we got there the large crowd of westy bogans dressed in black were already tanked on beer in the barn and they wanted some music.

    Unfortunately, the only song the band played was The Jack by ACDC. No, their repotoire wasn't incredibly small, rather, everytime they tried playing something else they were booed and the crows started getting agro. So they played it over and over and over.

    It was so crazy. A friend of mine slipped over when we left the barn to escape another round of The Jack. We soon realised that she had slipped in what can only be described as a makeshift toilet area out the back.

    We laughed alot. I don't think the band ever played it again.

    She's got the jack, she's got the jack
    She's got the jack, she's got the jack
    She's got the jack, she's got the jack
    She's got the jack, she's got the jack
    She's got the jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack
    She's got the jack

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Big Roundup,

    Yeah Matt, I thought the sound during the Killers was all over the place too. I thought it might have been something to do with the breeze it was so bad. Didn't seem to be like that for the other bands in the main stadium.

    Went to the first 6 or so BDOs but haven't been for a while as I am not a fan of being caught in the middle of lots of people. With the exception of arriving and making my way into the main stadium it wasn't too bad - had a thoroughly good day all round. Did stay mostly in the main stadium though - crowds thing. Pity I missed out on some of the other stuff.

    My friend went in Sydney a few years ago where the the stadium is huge and they don't fill it quite so full. He said that was great.

    Thought Killers were good, and Tool (yes Tool) and Evermore were rather lovely. Relaxed and charismatic for such young guys and there sound translated well to live. Caught some of Shapeshifter and that was good.

    The crowd were great I thought - had some good chats to those around us in the stand.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report

  • Hard News: The God Thing,

    Ah, but by saying that you are implying that you know them to be delusions. Disproving anything scientifically is very difficult and even if you believe the chance of some kind of 'god' to be small and that therefor the existence of the bearded omniscient 7 day creator to be very very small, surely by saying those people are deluded you are falling into the same trap as those that say athiests are going to burn in hell? Supposing that somehow, you know the answer and those that believe otherwise are idiots.

    I don't think it is people's fear of science that causes them to turn to religion. Perhaps it is just fear of the unknown i.e. what comes after death, surely I am more important to just die and that is it?

    I do agree that morality is horrendously complicated though. Religion may (along with a heap of negative effects that some may say are attributable to some bastardisation of whatever the pure essence or intention) provide a framework to hang things on. We all have our frameworks...?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report

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