Hic Sunt Dracones

Ah curses. The real world, it moves too quickly sometimes.

Last week, Me, Friends (and a resident of Kerikeri), and Fark all conspired to point out this little gem of news from NZ:

Some overly appreciative workmen got more than they bargained for in the Far North town of Kerikeri when the woman they wolf-whistled stripped bare to use a nearby ATM.

Her rational being something along the lines of “bugger them, I’ll show them what I’ve got.” (Seriously, that’s it, I’m not speculating) And fair enough too.

If you’re a bit mental.

I really didn’t get what her logic was, but hey, why not, go nuts. (PS. Don’t get raped please). The good news for everyone involved was of course that according to one of the police officers involved, Police Sergeant Peter Masters, “She’s not an unattractive looking lady.”

Which strikes somewhat of a chord with me. (and MCS, and Nina)

And you know what?

She IS a bit mental.

This morning I read that she had been arrested for “allegedly stubbing out a cigarette on the face of a bar worker.” Right on.

The woman appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Saturday charged with assault with intent to injure. She was remanded to Waikato Hospital’s mental health unit.

AND… The tap in the bathroom has been fixed. Nic, you can come back now.

And forgot my Mum’s birthday. I blame my sister (unfairly). I almost fluked it and called Mum on the way to work, but didn’t and arrived home after hockey to an email from Dad. So yeah, I’m pro like. Alas. My Mum rocks though (FYI).

In unrelated news, Oil has passed $135 a barrel and there was much rejoicing… by the oil companies. (nice chart) Channel 10 had some insightful economists to quote. Apparently the price is rising because there is rising demand and not enough supply… I hope they paid them well for that insight. I get to pretty much shrug this off at the moment. Trains, Trams and Legs are going well. I know it will increase my groceries and assorted everythings that take oil to get to me. But really HELLO the American Senate. OMG! Free market…

Senators: Oil companies are you making lots of money?
Big Oil: Er, Yes? Yes we are. And how. Woooo go Money.

I don’t get it? The free market, the vaunted American go to shop of capitalism (except for their farmers and sundry other industries of theirs) is pretty OK (I think?) with oil companies making money. If the market will bear it – and it looks like it is, and more – then America should be “woo, lucky we invested in oil companies.” or not. But complaining that they’re making too much money… Well how does that gel with the “free” market?

Also, nice one Judge. Attention America – having all your notes essentially exactly the same is retarded. Also, one cent coins are a waste of time. Jump on it. Ooh! Seeeegway to this cool story I was reminded of about the Other Steve. Go read it. It’s good to be fabulously wealthy, and awesome. That’s good to.

Finally, I think that the situation in Burma is going to be a big old case study for students of international politics in the years to come. It’s fascinating really.

Country: Ow! A Cyclone! Right in the delta :(
Gaia: Suck it! Plenty more where that came from. Check out China next week… /flex
Peasants: Crap.
World: Woah! That sucks. Here have some aid. We’ll send more too.
Junta: Nah we’re good.
World: Um… we know people are dead, dieing and generally suffering. Like for reals. Take the aid!
Junta: Nah, well, k, a bit. But like, our way or the highway.
World: Yeah whatever, incoming aid, and aid type people and stuff.
Junta: Nah, we said our way, and we meant it. Back in the trucks and GTFO thanks. Especially you. You can smeg right off.
World: But….
Junta: Hello? We rule this country. Military Junta! That’s how we roll. Now, maybe give us some stuff, but we’ll give it out to who we want.
The French: We should get the UN to totally force them to take our aid, on our terms. We have a responsibility to protect!
China: Er, we’ll veto that.
World: But like!
Junta: We have guns.

So yeah it certainly sucks for all the people that need aid. But really… What are they going to do? Roll in with tanks saying Hi Junta, we’re here to distribute aid with extreme prejudice, so get out of our way we are bringing peace and love (and food)… and M16s Junta goes “Hell no.” And bam war. And that works out well for everyone. Especially them peasants. Cause peasants totally make out like bandits when it comes to war. (er, unless it is a peasant uprising and they are actually making out like bandits. But I suspect they largely end up getting screwed anyway.)

They’re a sovereign country, we can’t MAKE them take aid. OK we can (“we” = countries with power, and lets simplify an say in these situations at this time pretty much everyone means America (I guess China or even Russia could but that’s incredibly unlikely)) and in fact America is currently busy enforcing it’s will upon one and a half countries. And that’s 1) working out really well for everyone and 2) keeping it busy and stretched essentially to breaking point already.

Ain’t nobody rolling into down town Rangoon anytime soon. I doubt there is the political will to launch an invasion and these people are massive drug dealers, so even if the military, which the CIA won’t give me a number on is taken care off, you’re going to have a bunch of pissed of drug dealers. And it’s a fact, that drug dealers, all have guns. And in Asia, they all have AKs (coincidentally the preferred weapon of our enemy).

In conclusion, Waaah. They may well bend to international pressure / get the aid groups to toe whatever line they draw in the sand / figure out that holy crap everyone is dieing, lets get food for them otherwise out country is more screwed than we’d considered. Taking the leaders of sovereign nations to court, countries that haven’t had said leaders overthrown either through internal forces, or by NATO? That’s hopeful. But as a study in international politics I reckon it should be pretty interesting. Sorry I trailed off there, it’s late, and I’m talking bollox.

Much love to my hordies.

PS. Dan goes Orp Orp.

Sitting at my desk at work, it’s around ten, and I look up and see a dude replacing some/one of the fluorescent bulbs down the floor a bit. Aha! I think to myself “I need him to fix the one above my desk” (which just died, rather than doing the ultra annoying flickering and or buzzing thing). So I wander down to him and say hello. At first he doesn’t respond, but I was positioned in such a way that he had to notice me when he tried to walk to the door (this was not deliberate, I was actually out of the way of everyone else, just not him.) “Hello” I said. “I don’t work here!” he retorts. Not actually yelling, but more forceful than one might expect in response to a standardised “hello.”

So we’re on the 15th floor, in the middle of the CBD, we’re a bunch of jerks, wearing our shirts, most of the guys who aren’t me are wearing suits and this dude (who I’ve never seen before) is wearing a fluoro-yellow polar fleece top, with stained grey overalls and wearing a simple tool belt and has just climbed down from a ladder.

No way? You don’t work here? I’m shocked. As I’m thinking this, he blurts out that he’s an electrician.

This too seems obvious. What with him having just replaced a light bulb in the ceiling of out office and being attired like one might expect an electrician to be.

So I asked him about my light, and he confirmed that yes he was doing the whole floor, and off he trundled.

So yeah, I laughed…

British guy who killed a doctor with a hammer may be released from prison, due to Rose and Valerie, screaming from the gallery

Well played Subby indeed! I laughed. I’m pretty sure this was my “gateway song” if you will, which you will, to the Beatles. I rather liked it, and it got me into the rest of Abbey Road.

I hadn’t heard it for years; until out on my pretentious suit shopping expedition last week.

Lawyers for Wilson said in the application to overturn the whole-life tariff that at the time there had been medical evidence showing that he suffered from an “untreatable psychopathic disorder”.

Untreatable psychopathic disorder? That’s a paddling.

Wiki is great, Tonight (presenter name), I’ve been learning about Charles Manson.

Calling it a gateway song is ludicrous. G’night.

(My five blogs in six nights was a hell of a miserable failure. To make up for it, I’m going to Cannnnberra to honour the birth of the Queen.)

Today I’m wearing a tie to work. Is my pimp hand still strong?

Whenever the R2-D2 DVD player projector wazzamacallit was announced I went to my two Star Wars go to guys and it was agreed. This is awesome. Now, video comes to our aid. And lo, it is awesome. Ben, if you were getting married like now, this could have been on your list :)

Flight of the Conchords > You. However, this Austrian psycho, sucks hard.