Up Front: Absence of Malice
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Ahh, isn't gin a depressant?
From personal experience, I'd say gin is a gigglant.
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devil's advocaat
I like that too. :)
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With all due respect
And I love the way people say that just before they're about to be disrespectful, in general.
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And I love the way people say that just before they're about to be disrespectful, in general.
I've very occasionally used 'with all the respect that's due to you' instead.
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And there's the crux to me of the whole argument - what is due.
I'd say the balance has shifted historically from a role demanding respect, regardless of the performance or personality of the incumbent, to it being earned in the execution of a role or the living of a life. Our grandparents have a very different understanding of respect than our children do.
Mark, please do find some non-German perspectives on what mana means. At least re-read (re-spect?) Keri's brief post. It does encompass and shed light on a lot of what you were talking about.
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I'd say the balance has shifted historically from a role demanding respect, regardless of the performance or personality of the incumbent, to it being earned in the execution of a role or the living of a life. Our grandparents have a very different understanding of respect than our children do.
Case in point: To anyone who whines about tall poppy lopping, what do Sam Morgan, Stephen Tindall, Lloyd Morrison and Peter Maire have that Rod Deane, Michael Fay, David Richwhite, and Christine Rankin don't? The former have earned respect, and the latter seem to think of it as a birthright.
Here's some required reading (especially for economics students):
Brian Gaynor piece from Granny Herald: Tall poppy status has to be earned
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I've always thought that people who claim to be victims of "tall poppy syndrome" are those who, after having achieved some success, seem to think they should therefore be off-limits for any criticism, and conclude that the criticism is coming from people who are envious of them, not that they've done anything worth being criticised.
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I thought that in NZ a tall poppy was whoever a certain kind of taxi driver thought would make a better job of running the country than elected politicians. In the 90s I was told that it was the "Warehouse guy" - presumably Stephen Tindall. A decade later it was the "TradeMe guy".
I've found that the best way to deal with taxi drivers who use their passengers as a captive audience to spruik the virtues of an appointed dictatorship of the elite is to point down a street that you happen to be passing and say something like "My cousin used to live down there." After that they usually leave you alone.
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point down a street that you happen to be passing and say something like "My cousin used to live down there." After that they usually leave you alone.
How on earth does that work? In what city are you cabbing?
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How on earth does that work? In what city are you cabbing?
I heard the "Warehouse guy" line from a driver in Auckland in 1997. To be honest, I've only tried the cousin line in Sydney. Delivered in a slightly "medicated" tone, it's a sure-fire conversation killer.
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I suspect the answer lies in the tone. :)
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I cheated once in a test in form two. I happened to catch a glimpse of my neighbour's paper. His answer was different to mine and I thought he know more about the subject than me so I changed my answer. Turns out my original answer was correct all along.
OMG totally snap, down to the "form two" and the "only time I have ever".
(Except my neighbour was a "she, girls' schools being what they are.)
The subject, even the question, are seared into my brain forever.
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Disturbing is when you (and a friend obviously) are half-naked and getting sweaty in the back seat of a taxi and the driver still persists in attempting to engage your interest in the rugby.
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Possibly attempting to preserve the upholstery?
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Lolnui - linger, you are a joy.
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The subject, even the question, are seared into my brain forever.
I've had a lingering belief in the power of silly ditties in memory ever since a 1989 Economic Studies test in which my friend and I conferred afterwards to check we'd got the same on the multi choice section.
The answers to the six questions were C, B, D, C, C, D.
Which I still remember because straight after the test my friend asked me "Did you get cabbage, banana, dog, cabbage, cabbage, dog?"
Er, as you were.
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Kyle? Oh, he's that cabbage cabbage dog guy on Public Address.
;-)
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World Famous in New Zealand I am.
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I've had a lingering belief in the power of silly ditties in memory ever since a 1989 Economic Studies test in which my friend and I conferred afterwards to check we'd got the same on the multi choice section.
Piano teacher, c.1982: Five Cats Got Drowned At Evans Bay
PE (!) teacher, 1985 (years before actually needed): Harry HE LIkes BEer By Cupfuls Not Over Flowing
Not to mention speech teacher, c.1980: Jabberwocky (the ultimate silly ditty).
Seared. In. But can I remember where I put my car keys?
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PE (!) teacher, 1985 (years before actually needed): Harry HE LIkes BEer By Cupfuls Not Over Flowing
Having sat through three years of high school science, I find myself only ever able to remember the first dozen or so elements of the periodic table. I suspect the latter sentences of the memory tool weren't a very interesting story.
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I can sing you the chant I learned of the symbols for the first 20 elements but couldn't tell you what the elements are or even which letters represent the sounds I'm saying
Hydrogen heelee beebee k-noff... -
I can sing you the chant I learned of the symbols for the first 20 elements but couldn't tell you what the elements are or even which letters represent the sounds I'm saying
I didn't have a chant, but I was pleased to note that looking at
Harry HE LIkes BEer By Cupfuls Not Over Flowing
I still knew what those elements were.
My brain has an astonishing ability to retain useless crap, like what US state particular towns are in. I do wonder if it wouldn't be good if there were some way to clean that out and use the space for useful stuff.
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The answers to the six questions were C, B, D, C, C, D.
I've long had a romantic notion that an english multi-choice test would have answers in sonnet form:
A B A B C D C D E F E F G G
It just appeals to the orderly bit of my mind.
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Oh, and Happy New Year everyone!
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Hmmm, now I'm musing - both posts above say I have made 91 posts on PA.
Is this the 91st all over again, or the 93rd?
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