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Comments
Jim
Bob
Bob
I hope you can forgive me for missing the chat last night....it was 3AM for me. I was dreaming about which wines to purchase for my trip home.
Greg
Patti: Good luck on the 4th. Will be wishing you luck.
Greg
I am feeling quite a lot better actually.
-Colin
-Dennis
Or maybe I'll skip the tour and just do the free beer!
-juice
Bob
Give him his due - I think he did a good job. It was the press' interference that interupted the talks with the sniper and possibly delayed his capture.
I think I'll go home early and take my daughter to the park to run around. :-)
Anyone else notice Friday afternoons are slow?
-juice
juice Fridays are always slow, I think a lot of people work compressed work weeks, no time for the net at home.
Cheers Pat.
But yes, he did one heck of a job.
Bob
As for Tinkerbell reference: juice mentioned in the chat that Tati was going to be a ballerina but also wanted wings "like a butterfly." Hence I suggested Tinkerbell. juice then asked for suggestions for his costume, as he takes Tati out trick-or-treating. Having met juice, I think he would pull off Captain Hook better than he would Peter Pan, not to mention that he'd probably enjoy dressing as a pirate better than donning green tights and a Girl Scout outfit ;-).
Ed
I've always fancied the crocodile. You could do a persuasive Tick-Tock and offer to eat anyone who did not give Tati lots of sweets.
Cheers
Graham
I believe she was swimming in a river or lake that was croc-infested, and ignored warning signs not to swim there.
Bob
Having written the above, it dawns on me that the original JM Barrie play of Peter Pan is a markedly darker story with a more adult focus than the rather saccharine Disney version. It has rather more scary bits than you probably want to know about, if you are a small kid. Barrie's inspiration for The Lost Boys is worth a thesis in itself - go search a library for a biography of Barrie.
Wierdly, the copyright in the play was bequeathed to Great Ormond Street hospital for Sick Children on Barrie's death. Normally copyright in published works ceases fifty years after the death of the author under British Law. However, an amendment to the copyright act in 1988 (49 years after Barrie died) assigned the right to Peter Pan to Great Ormond Street in perpetuity.
Great Ormond Street administer their copyright protection firmly. This can have odd consequences. Two years ago, the school my kids attend put on a performance of Peter Pan, paying appropriate copyright fees to Great Ormond Street. It turned out that we could not video the show for the kids to keep until we secured agreement from Great Ormond Street by confirming that the videos would not be sold, even to cover the cost of production. Accordingly the school had to fund the production of a video and give it as a gift to each kid - funny times.
Happy Trick or Treating
Cheers
Graham
Bob
Yes the crocodile story is odd. The salt water crocodiles across Northern Australia are justly famous for eating people. For a long period in the late 1980's it seemed that American Tourists were the preferred cuisine of the larger saurians. The authorities went to great expense to erect signs in multiple languages at just about every tidal creek and waterhole, warning of the dangers.
This week's incident seems likely to result in criminal charges. It appears that the tour guide assured the tourists who wanted to go swimming in the moonlight that the warning signs were not relevant as the waterhole was frequneted by freshwater crocodiles which are generally not people eaters. Bad move for the poor woman.
The unfortunate tourists had come to Australia following a near miss (they just left before the bomb) in Bali where about 200 people, mostly Westerners and many Australians, were blown up in a bar two weeks ago by Muslim fundamentalists. It is a continuation of the 11 September 2001 incident but affecting Australia far more closely.
On a brighter note, the capture of the Washington sniper must be a relief to all who live near by. It has got a lot of coverage here.
Cheers
Graham
No, Halloweeen is rarely celebrated in this part of the world. It is, to a much lesser extent in Britain but here, we are too busy getting into the Spring time. If you had the choice of going out Trick or Treating or having a Barbie by the Pool, I'm sure the pool party would win every time.
Cheers
Graham
Bob
Yes the impact here in Australia is rather similar to that from the September 11 bombings. Bali is a Hindu island in the Indonesian Archipelago. Indonesia is the world's most populous muslim nation with smallish numbers of christian, hindu and other religious minorities. Like most multi-religious nations, they try hard to integrate and respect those differing cultures and religions.
Bali has been a very popular tourist destination for Australians for many years. It was considered safe and was seen asa bit exotic without being ytoo far from home. Very popular with working guys and girls, particularly the under thirties.
The two bombs were set in vehicles outside a night club. A further bomb detonated outside the US Consul's residence. The nightclub bombs killed about 200 and maimed many more. Many, of varied nationality, have been airlifted back to Australia which has excellent medical facilities. Inveitably however, becasue most have burns, which is one of the more hideous injuries, are fighting for life. Like the World Trade Centre,the majority of victims were young with their life ahead of them. It is hard to comprehend the damage and the sadness.
The effect of the Bali bombing has been a major impact on the Australian psyche, rather like that felt by you folk after September 11. However, there has been a substantially greater impact on Indonesia, both in the deaths of its citizens abut also longer term. The country is now firmly off limits to most Westerners, unless absolutely vital to travel. Bali's economy, and many other places in Indonesia, is dependent on tourism to provide any sort of income to the locals. With the disappearance of that income, the economy will wither and greater poverty will descend on the locals. Not a happy time.
The impacts on Indonesia are being discussed at the Asia Pacific Economic Forum at present. Everyone recognizes that the restrictions on westerneres going into the country will harm Indonesia, but there is little else which can be sanely considered.
Cheers
Graham
Ron
As a half-Nz'er myself, who has had the great pleasure to spend some time working in Sydney, I read your messages here with delight and a good deal of appreciation for your viewpoint and glimpses of life down-under.
"Shrimps on the barbi" is a phrase well familiar to all of us, but was I the only one to interpret your vision of a "Barbie by the Pool" in quite a different manner?
With visions of Mattel's most famous toy floating in my head,
Steve
Bob
Steve
I am sure that my daughter would still approve of Barbie by the Pool. She certainly wears the Barbie-like swimsuits, which seem popular with her mates. There is something about the under-ten girl which is much taken by sparkly fabrics, dodgy sunglasses and pool wear in dubious taste. Our barbeques seem frequently to involve small children in the pool and parents enjoying food and wine nearby.
Cheers
Graham
Here in France, the Bali bombing received much attention as did the sniper and, unfortunately, the recent hostage ordeal in Moscow. Very sad indeed. Of course, the only channels in "Anglais" is BBC and CNN. Which reminds me, I need to purchase my third book to read.
Halloween is catching on in France. Another American influence. Considering Halloween is my birthday I enjoy it even more.
Greg
Greg
Having written about Barbie yesterday, my daughter went to a birthday party. To say the Barbie description was apt would be understatement. I suspect that all of the girls were cultivating barbie-taste - lots of shiny fabrics and pinks and purples.
My son has found the ideal use for the Outback's second glass sunroof. He has discovered that a Beanie Bear with sucker feet will hang convincingly from the roof. Most disconcerting as the bear executes trapeze like feats as the car brakes and accelerates. Heavens knows what other drivers think when confronted by a bear swinging upside down.
Cheers
Graham
Test drove a chook-o-matic WRX wagon today.
It's not a 2.5l when accelerating. Not too bad compared to the 2.2l.
In my own words, it's like a short episode of "Ee Aw" then its like "Piglet" until you go pass 3000rpm... Wooo hooo hooo "Tigger".
Didn't do any spirited turns (I'm still jittery about those for the moment) as I was more interested in how it is like outside boost.
Since the lost of my OB, I've been driving my Mom's '99 OBS (step down from a 2.5l) and the difference between the 2.0l outside of boost and the 2.2l was barely noticeable...
I like it
Am I going to buy it?...
Stay tuned
-Dave
Monday is a good day to have surgery, everyone is fresh from the weekend!
I will be out but thinking of you - sending the best wishes and good vibes
Howard
You should try a 2.5GT to see how much you like shiftronic. Then we can lobby SoA to offer it on the WRX, which would create two immediate sales, is my guess (you and Ed).
That croc story is textbook Darwinism.
I have a "concept" for Halloween. I'm thinking about going as a Referee, with the B/W striped shirt, whistle, and...dark glasses and a seeing eye dog! Wouldn't that be hilarious?
-juice
Dave - Good luck with your decision! Get a WRX now then a Legacy GT-B in a few years. :-)
-Dennis
That's just a guess, but you tend to see a lot of conquest sales, and a lot of newcomers.
-juice
:-)
Go for it.
Ross
Juice- So where are you going to get the Seeing Eye dog? After all, a Seeing Eye cat just doesn't have the same effect! :-)
-Frank P.
Argh! Never mind! ;-)
-juice
Juice could try the Guide Dogs Only joke.
Guy wants to go into a pub for a beer, but he is walking his wife's chihuahua. He sees a sign saying "Guide Dogs Only" so slips on dark glasses and fronts the bar.
Barman says "That's no guide dog. It's a chihuahua!"
Man says "I've been ripped off. The centre told me it was a labrador!"
Well, I guess its al in the timing...
Cheers
Graham
I just had a look at the Car Talk survey of Subaru drivers perceptions of self. Amusing but what realy threw me is a reference in a side bar to Mercedes selling the Unimog as a super SUV. Is that serious? The Unimog is a wonderful tractor/truck but the mind boggles. I have trawled through Edmunds fairly carefully and found only an archived discussion where someone mentions that they had been assembled in the US at some time.
The global perception is that Americans tend to drive oversize SUV's but is the next step a Ford Louisville?
Cheers
Graham
That explains the hair balls. LOL
Graham: the Excursion failed in the market place, so they can be TOO big.
I can't see why anyone would need more space than the Expedition offers. You can fit 7 kids in there. Beyond that you'll need two vehicles, unless you want to drive a 15 passenger van.
-juice
The F-650 is a Class VI truck, which means anyone with a valid driver's licence can drive it.
Bob
http://www.howstuffworks.com/naias20012.htm