That is terrible Paul. Hope you get them dried out
That is terrible Paul. Hope you get them dried out
Ah that sucks,Paul. Clouds with black linings it would seem.
Hope you can salvage most stuff and the overall damage is limited.
Thanks guys.
Spent about 8 hours mopping up and getting everything out of the study. Fortunately, it's been sunny and breezy all day so almost everything is dry. I've got a little garage vac that can be used as a wet vac so I put it to good use on the carpet. All good.
Only lost 5 books and none of the ones I love the most. I haven't opened the art folios yet. I think they'll mostly be gone. But hey - the watermarks might make them look better.
I got off lightly.
The countryside looks amazing. Some of the local creeks haven't run for years and it's a novelty to see them flowing. I dashed out to the Washpool National Park which is just up the road. It has these deep pools that the local farmers used to use as sheep dips. I've never seen the water flow there and today the brook was babbling away and it was a joy to see.
Spent about 8 hours mopping up and getting everything out of the study. Fortunately, it's been sunny and breezy all day so almost everything is dry. I've got a little garage vac that can be used as a wet vac so I put it to good use on the carpet. All good.
Only lost 5 books and none of the ones I love the most. I haven't opened the art folios yet. I think they'll mostly be gone. But hey - the watermarks might make them look better.
I got off lightly.
The countryside looks amazing. Some of the local creeks haven't run for years and it's a novelty to see them flowing. I dashed out to the Washpool National Park which is just up the road. It has these deep pools that the local farmers used to use as sheep dips. I've never seen the water flow there and today the brook was babbling away and it was a joy to see.
And Classo - you are right about the media. They're a disgrace. Was it always thus I wonder?
And you are also right about 'patriotism". I'm not sure what else to call it. It's that awful, aggressive, misguided, narrow-minded kind of "oi oi oio" idiocy that I find repulsive. Probably a better word is "nationalism". The kind of nationalism that underpinned fascism in the leadup to the Second World War. The kind of nationalism that's on the rise in Europe with the far right nutters like Wilders in the Netherlands and le Pen in France; and lunatics like Erdoğan in Turkey, Duturte in the Philipines; and then we have the scary players like Trump in the US (and those try-hard alt-right twats), Putin in Russia and Xi Jinping in China.
The world seems to be retreating into a kind of global tribalism. At possibly the worst juncture in human history - a time when we should be thinking about global co-operation rather retreating into petty internecine coveting and isolationism.
And you are also right about 'patriotism". I'm not sure what else to call it. It's that awful, aggressive, misguided, narrow-minded kind of "oi oi oio" idiocy that I find repulsive. Probably a better word is "nationalism". The kind of nationalism that underpinned fascism in the leadup to the Second World War. The kind of nationalism that's on the rise in Europe with the far right nutters like Wilders in the Netherlands and le Pen in France; and lunatics like Erdoğan in Turkey, Duturte in the Philipines; and then we have the scary players like Trump in the US (and those try-hard alt-right twats), Putin in Russia and Xi Jinping in China.
The world seems to be retreating into a kind of global tribalism. At possibly the worst juncture in human history - a time when we should be thinking about global co-operation rather retreating into petty internecine coveting and isolationism.
I’m pleased to see the depth of disgust on here at the voices of hatred that are allowed to pass as valid political stances. It takes (has taken) very little to normalise those xenophobic rants, just as it did in the rise of the brownshirts in 1930’s Germany, and the same lessons remain.
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”
My daughter was upset at hearing some people she was with in NZ speaking disparagingly about Muslims following the Christchurch massacre. She spoke up to say that she didn’t like what they were saying, but felt powerless. I encouraged her to be stronger and to challenge, as those words are based in ignorance, and gain normalisation through group think, and the lack of a challenging voice. I advised her to keep it simple, along the lines of “Those are human beings you are talking about, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, sisters and brothers. Turn those words on your own family, and tell me how it feels.”
I am sick of the normalisation of hatred, and how readily it becomes accepted.
Yesterday I had a discussion with the small group of local office staff here in Luanda, about our values, and why they are so important. I could see that they were very emotionally attached to the concepts of trust, honesty, and respect. I don’t think they had ever been in such a discussion with previous “bosses”, and they were very strong and confident in what they voiced - I came out of it buzzing. A touch of humanity and humility goes a long way.
A007 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”
My daughter was upset at hearing some people she was with in NZ speaking disparagingly about Muslims following the Christchurch massacre. She spoke up to say that she didn’t like what they were saying, but felt powerless. I encouraged her to be stronger and to challenge, as those words are based in ignorance, and gain normalisation through group think, and the lack of a challenging voice. I advised her to keep it simple, along the lines of “Those are human beings you are talking about, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, sisters and brothers. Turn those words on your own family, and tell me how it feels.”
I am sick of the normalisation of hatred, and how readily it becomes accepted.
Yesterday I had a discussion with the small group of local office staff here in Luanda, about our values, and why they are so important. I could see that they were very emotionally attached to the concepts of trust, honesty, and respect. I don’t think they had ever been in such a discussion with previous “bosses”, and they were very strong and confident in what they voiced - I came out of it buzzing. A touch of humanity and humility goes a long way.
A007 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr
It’s good that you’re managing to keep a cool head, Paul, and appreciating the good, along with the loss. Mother Nature is a powerful equaliser.
I hope that not too much is lost, and that what is gone opens up for new.
Awesome! Like a charge of Adrenalin for nature.
Thanks, Paul.
Unless you’re mopping up, ya gotta love water...
A001 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr
b021
DPF Geoff Harvey, a musical curmudgeon. Wasn't really a fan and I prefer Ben Folds, though I think Geoff was right here:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hZdYKim3hA
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hZdYKim3hA
Singapore War Cemetary and ANZAC Dawn Service...
d019 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr
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Moscow...
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...and in colour...
b052 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr
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Huh, I just scrolled back a couple of pages and realised I'd missed this.Must...stop...posting...
One more - If ever you find yourself down in Invercargill (NZ’s Southermost city, and home of the ILT Velodrome and Burt Munro [“World’s Fastest Indian”]), be sure to visit Hayes hardware shop. Hayes family have a long engineering and racing background, and the shop is littered wth motorbikes and paraphernalia, including a wall from Burt’s workshop, with the detritus of his home-made pistons, barrels, and conrods:
d046 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr
d047 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr
d003 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr
I’ll back off, now...
Nice. Experiments with conrods, cylinder cooling, the crucible, and then all those piston shapes, many of which he'd likely made himself in that very crucible in the search for perfection in combustion. That's a proper empiricist. No wonder they made a movie about him.
****. And that's not even a low point. There's heaps of runoff. I've got to go even harder on my students about the 100 year storm concept and their potential responsibility if they want to be decent tradesmen.
I actually share the same eyebrows, Classic...actually we should shear our eyebrows
Les peep's de Paris...
a014 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr
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a014 by Eoin Christie, on Flickra006 by Eoin Christie, on Flickrb009 by Eoin Christie, on Flickrb001 by Eoin Christie, on Flickra036 by Eoin Christie, on Flickra030 by Eoin Christie, on Flickra025 by Eoin Christie, on Flickra031 by Eoin Christie, on Flickra015 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr b008 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr
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Oh **** and now I've read the latest page. ****. Well done Classo. I got angry in the leadup to the NSW election, all the newspapers supporting the Coalition, insanely rightwing fearmongering ads on the telly, and I had a go too late, and not remotely well enough. I'll call it a test for the Federal one coming soon. Must make better noises. **** being polite about it. Hopefully more of you can say such things better that I can, possibly politely even in ways that I can't, or maybe that's not the point? Is the perspective of freedom automatically worse off for not wanting to stoop to the same level? As in not on the same page when the fearmongers get involved? It's so easy to create fear amongst whiteys in the leadup to an election. Someone should write another book about it.
I really want this place to become better for more of the people who already live here, and even the ones that aspire to. It's not that hard a thing to achieve, surely?
I really want this place to become better for more of the people who already live here, and even the ones that aspire to. It's not that hard a thing to achieve, surely?
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