I read this morning about a new strain of HIV that doctors worry has mutated in two important ways: It is resistant to anti-retroviral drugs, and it progresses from HIV to AIDS within months, rather than years.
It's not exactly unexpected; they've been predicting such a mutuation for years. It's still scary, since we don't have a way to combat it.
I went to a really good tsunami-relief gig at the Dux yesterday. I went with Steph and we met up with her mate Julie, and as we sat in the sun for 5 hours drinking and listening to great bands, it seemed as if everyone knew everyone (as often happens in Chch) - we must have had 20 people or more come and go at our table.
It was a really, really good time. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and the bar staff not only worked like dogs with the huge crowds, they also donated 25% of their earnings!
We got a little tipsy and they started auctioning magnums of wine... you can see where this is heading! We ended up pooling our funds and buying a litre-and-half of Pegasus Bay pinot noir. For $110. The guy said it would be best aged to 2008, but it didn't even see 6pm.
We felt very charitable, drinking marvelous wine in the sun in our comfy-cosy lives. Then some of the people at our table started saying how much they'd donated to Christian Relief fund. I had to say it: "Weren't most of the people killed Muslim or Bhuddist? So I guess you guys reckon they're in hell, huh? What are you giving money for? Perhaps this is your god's judgement on the infidels."
Luckily they had consumed enough wine to be reasonable and see the funny side of my stake-worthy comments.
The only stain on the day were two jail-bait 13-yr-olds who got up, all alone, and danced with each other on the stage platform. One was chubby and one was thin and blonde. They were wearing white micro-mini skirts and tight pink tops. At one point, the blonde one lifted up her top.
Now, one of them was wearing purple panties and has pubic hair. The other was wearing black panties and the hair situation was ambiguous. If the straight, mothers-of-teenagers women at my table couldn't help but look, discuss and be distracted by that, how are the young guys who've been drinking for several hours supposed to manage?
They were too young to be in the bar, but since it was kind of a family thing, there were a few families with young kids. What were their parents thinking?! And why weren't they asked to leave? It was totally, totally inappropriate. If somebody had taken them home or hit on them, they'd have a case for thinking they were over-age, since they were at a drinking fest.
Today it is raining and I am babysitting (although we don't call it that) with Alex. I think a visit to Science Alive or something might be in order.
In defense of my sex they could of been wearing boiler suits and it would not matter.
There are blokes that do and blokes that dont, and I hope the percentages are at extremes at both end of the spectrum.
Posted by: Vincent at February 14, 2005 08:03 AMYeah, sorry, I didn't mean to generalise. It's just that it scares me for those girls, because I *know* how thin the veneer of civilisation can be. Evolution has been around a lot longer than the rule of law.
And it only takes one bad experience to cause a lot of pain and damage. The parents, in my opinion, should help their daughters to look nice, and feel good, with some self-respect.
Thanks
Posted by: Online Home Loans at November 19, 2005 11:39 PM