Sok's housewarming was really fun. Their house is *so* huge and really nicely decorated and finished. I must be far too used to tiny bedsits, because it took me quite some time to get over the fact that *they have an actual hallway!*
I managed to drink without drinking too much (ah, such restraint!) and the jelly-tip-flavoured-vodka was delicious. Mmmmm. I wonder why there aren't alco-blocks for sale? Alco-pop seems to sell pretty well.
I also had some great conversations with people who I haven't seen or talked to in yonks. Lucky me! And seeing T all dressed up and with that cute little hat! Made me wish I had a teeny-tiny little hat with feathers to glue to the side of my head.
The flat tyre *could* have been a very difficult conundrum except for the *awesome* people who so kindly lent a complete stranger their spare tyre. Some people are just lovely.
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I took Sock (the dog) for a walk yesterday and we found 14 paua shells. They are all different sizes and I managed to make two sets of 4 that decrease in size so they nest inside each other. Now all I have to do is sand them down and make them all pretty, and they will be a neat little decorative piece.
The only thing that disturbed me about the shells was that I found them right by a sign saying "Emergency Sewer Overflow! Do Not Swim, Fish or Eat Shellfish". There was a huge pile of mussel and paua shells about 2 metres away. And I do mean huge - like about 60-80 mussel shells, and the previously mentioned paua. So, either the seagulls are very carefully diving for and opening the shells with seagull knives, or someone ignored the sign (printed in 3 languages, plus symbols) and had a feed from the sewer-overflow channel. Yummy.
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On another topic entirely, this speech by Rowan Atkinson on the UK's Religious Hatred Bill is really worth a read. It is a sober, informed and witty piece of thinking on the issue, in my opinion. What do you think?
Excuse me, Pardon me, awfully sorry. But what? Is Jelly Tip vodka.
:)
Posted by: Vincent at January 31, 2006 12:48 PMDo you mean frozen vodka ice blocks, or vodka jelloshots? You can get the latter in Europe - maybe there's an untapped market to bring them to NZ?
I'm with Rowan (he seems to be much better at writing speeches than comedy these days).
A religion is a set of ideas like any other. I believe one is entitled to vehemently mock Christianity/Islam/Invisible Pink Unicornism just as much as Nats, Labour or ACT. This is fundamentally different from abusing someone's race - you don't choose your race, you do choose your religion and/or politics. You still should have the freedom to argue for and express your religious/political ideas.
What Blair is saying is that if your ideas fall within the "accepted" band they are protected - if they don't (you support militant Islam for instance) you can and will be flung in jail.
There is the saying "tough cases make bad law". Unfortunatly, this seems to be very true with the raft of laws going through to try and stop religious leaders inciting violence.
Posted by: Emba at January 31, 2006 02:46 PMJellytip vodka was raspberry/strawberry syrup with vodka added, made into one of those 'slushy' ice drinks like you can get in service stations. Mmmmm. Tasted just like the jelly off Jellytip icecreams, but alcoholic. Very delicious on a hot afternoon.
Posted by: phreq at January 31, 2006 03:04 PMYum. There's an overlander bar just outside Dar es Salaam does those - only with more of an orangy flavour.