Posts by Rich of Observationz
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Bart: I find it hard to understand regarding a substance as intrinsically evil.
To me exploring the properties of substances to learn more about them has a purpose - the expansion of one's knowledge. We had a gunpowder demo in school chemistry, not to mention working with numerous energetic and reactive substances that are pretty nasty if not handled correctly.
Incidentally, I don't believe that making and setting fire to gelled gasoline is actually illegal in NZ if done in a controlled fashion. Scheduled explosives are controlled, but gasoline, gelled or not, isn't an explosive.
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If an Inuit converts to Judaism are they then racially Jewish and not Inuit?
No, they'd be an Inuit who believes in Judaism.
Can Roman Catholics be both a race and an ideology?
No, because Catholic belief (although it started amongst Europeans) is spread around many different ethnic groups. There is no real correlation (except in certain areas, like Northern Ireland, where those who identify as Irish are mostly Catholic and those who identify as British are mostly Protestants).
I think the way the Jewish people have become uniquely identified with a particular religion stems from two main factors: the way they were ostracised for many years, and the fact that (mainstream) Judaism actively discourages proselytisation. So most people who adhere to a form of the Jewish religion are racially Jewish. Except Madonna.
(The converse is less so: famous non-observant Jews include Disraeli, Marx and Bob Dylan).
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impairment by whatever means
Yes, but how do you bust people for being tired for instance. Or for having a distracting load of children. Or for just being too stupid to drive a car.
Incidentally, does getting a "P" endorsement to drive a taxi involve a higher level of test than the basic one? Because I had a cabbie the other day who basically couldn't drive. He was weaving around on the motorway and continually braking/accelerating. I don't think he was impaired - he was just driving in the fashion of a 15 year old kid on his first lesson.
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The Brethren are an ideology, like Communists or Libertarians.
Jewishness is both a race and a (religious) ideology - you can be one and not the other. Moreover, you can choose the ideology bit but not the race bit.
People have every right to their ideologies, however crazy. Others have every right to criticise them and call them crazy. People don't choose their race, so we shouldn't attack people for it.
Moreover, the nation is reasonably entitled so set some rules to ensure fairness in political campaigning. If an ideological group decides to try and end-run those rules, they might reasonably expect criticism.
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I met the DJ for Eden Park - he came round to look at a guitar my flatty had advertised.
Nice enough middle-aged bloke.
Didn't seem at all affected by sitting there playing "Why does love do that to me" twenty times in 90 minutes.
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Basically, the government controls a major part of the economy. This is the case in all western democracies and it isn't going to go away.
As a result of this, the way the government manages it's tax and spending affects the whole economy. If they borrow and either spend or cut taxes, they inflate the economy - if they cut borrowing and raise taxes or cut spending, the opposite happens.
Right now, we are pretty much at the top of the cycle, so keeping the surplus high helps keep the lid on things (the alternative is even higher interest rates - or accepting higher inflation). When the economy turns down, they'll have all that money to spend on countering the cycle.
You might not have noticed, but actually the NZ economy is doing pretty well. I think Labour's slogan for the next election should be:
"Quit Ya Fuckin Whingin". -
Perhaps for the 2011 world cup, they could change the rules so that everyone else plays through the group and knockout stages and then the final is best of three with the host nation?
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"you'll never be a Kiwi till you love our Watties sauce" ads
Coz of course it's an act of patriotism to like the product of an Irish multinational. Which is in turn more or less the same as a UK product, just with a different label and extra sugar.
Like it being patriotic to drive the badge-engineered, Australian-assembled product of a US multinational (Holden).
I guess helping corporates wrap themselves in the flag at least keeps voiceover artists employed - especially if they can do a convincing version of (whatever the Kiwi term for an Ocker accent is).
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if the crema is sweet, and the beans leave a faint aftertaste of chocolate, i just might have to improvise.
It's only a bloody hot drink you know!
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According to Sports Radio, there are a couple of hundred people out at Chch airport right now, to welcome the All Blacks back and reassure them that they're not going to get lynched.
Does anyone know why Christchurch? Air NZ flights from non-US places all go into Auckland, at least first. Were the team having a commiseratory get together with the Aussies before coming home?