Posts by Islander
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>>I can tell - she's Hungarian!<<
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Okay BenWilson - one of the non-fatal-but-nearly- attacks on a police person WAS with a screwdriver: yes, trained hands can be reguarded & registered as weapons. The local cop here(I live in a remote area) is certainly armed (as in -pepperspray- at least - he's unusual as in he doesnt have a dog which almost all the former sole charge constables did) and he knows local arms-licenced persons and, much more to the point, all his S&R personnel. So, the locals are on his side-
and this has been the good part of policing in ANZ since the year dot:
you know your local people in your local area.You know your allies. I suspect that idea doesnt work in cities...Most area constables will keep a police revolver (o yes, there's still a few of those around) in a lock-up: almost all have had training in relevant firearms - to the order of 100 rounds per year.
My cuz has fired, in non-combatant situations, THOUSANDS of rounds - per month.
I would love an experienced arms instructor to tell us how the AOS is trained, and how local police people could be trained, so horrible 'accidents' dont occur.
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O The Groke -tautoko.
Some of the academics I truly respect are now - on pensions. You got whittled if you had a deep interest in suss areas- and these included
Maori-European interface literature/NZ Victorian literature/or 'overly' regional NZ literature or examining the nuttier areas of fiction...some survived as they scrambled for the business model. We all know the scramblers-but i regret the lack of some voices, and the ruthless survival of some others. -
Interesting BenWilson- you're right that it is incredibly stupid to get into any kind of firefight with the police - but, I maintain the police should be sufficiently trained - and by this I mean the AOS people (not every police person - I hate the idea that all our police should be armed with guns)- to be able to shoot accurately, effectively.
And my cuz was unconvinced that they are.
And recent events seem to suggest she's right-
and o shit o dear, not confronting them with a weapon? What is a weapon? For us human apes, ANYTHING is a weapon! Most police officers have been maimed here by things like- screwdrivers!Your projected scenario sucks- it's not here reality .
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O Geoff Lealand? Bill Pearson didnt live long enough on the Coast to get his whitebaiting right, and there are other reasons to call "Coal Flat" an empassioned try but a failed novel. I've got it, seldom reccommend it.
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Ross Mason, excellent points.
May I add-
I have a distant family member who is knowledgable about guns (rifles mainly, but also shotguns & pistols.) She does her own reloads, has all the licences, has helped police on occaision. She does a lot of hunting (but no bird-shooting.) She says she would be fearful if ever she was involved in any kind of confrontation with the NZ police (not the army - she's ex-Army) because "most of them dont know fuck all about guns." She paused and then added, "Most of 'em dont know fuckall about *shooting*." I have this on tape, and the emphasis on "shooting" from an ex-Army person who's served overseas said it all, in bullet points. -
Since, even with slightly crippled eyes, I read a lot each day, I dont have holiday reading - but this is the time of the year I go treat myself
with surprises.
Best 4:
"Bandoola" in my nextdoor neighbours' giveaway box! I first read about Bandoola (a very large & more-than-usually intelligent Asian tusker) when I was 10. Read this in conjunction with "Elephant Bill" J. H. Williams (I did, again) and find yourself possessed of a really intertwining tale of writer & mahout & animal hearts."Coralline" Neil Gaiman - bought Dunedin last year, didnt read it until early January! We have "The Graveyard" to come !(just won the Newbury Medal, which is par for the course for the brillant Gaiman.)
My mother picked me out a book at "the best shop in Oamaru" (the recycle centre.) It was "Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef" by T. C.
Roughley, and it is as a corker. I have two other 1st editions of T. C. Roughley (an eniment earlyish Australian biologist) which only means something to anyone who is interested in fish.And then I cuddled down with the only missing part of my Mennym series, sent to me by an American friend...I mean, everyone can hate little Beth (she's right up there in the Little Dorrit class) but who can hate Soobie?
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Kia ora Hilary - apropos "the Piano" & "The Story of a New Zealand River" =whole can of worms of which the vermiferous activities have not yet been made entirely clear.
Robin Scholes was (I think) involved. Jane Mander's estate was (I think) involved. As was the well-known director (I think)-we're pretty sure the tree wasnt, and the sea was innocent of any intent-
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Like Jackie, while I've spent quite a bit of time overseas, though never for more than a couple of months at a time, this land is too deeply embedded in me for any other piece of Papatuanuku/Gaia to be home. I first went overseas in 1978 - and to Hawai'i at that! - a kind of backwards (or sideways) heke- and then quite regularly for 20 years thereafter. My passport expired in 1998, and I've never renewed it...
but this is a really interesting thread, and I look forward to future installments, as well as comments.
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Axtually BenWilson - two exceptions. Childbearing, yep. right.
Engendering a child - well, yeeeees, it can be done with any human male's sperm- but -
ok, just the one difference then.
And it sounds like you have a lovely wee whanau! Neat choice sweet!