Saw-sick Steve

Some class tracks here, boys. Sean - Clint Boon ''white no sugar'', haven't heard that for a while! How about Janes Addiction ''Summertime Rolls''?

Not bad CJ, but 'tidn a proper 'edge though, is it boy?

Why, you gonna' choke on the world stage again? Those Ozzies could certainly teach you Kiwis a thing or two about winning that particular trophy...

Er, don't like to piss on yer fireworks, but should you really be doing ''clearance work'' at this time of the year? All nesting birds are protected by law, and Dormice are a Schedule 5 species, meaning it is illegal to intentionally disturb their nesting, resting and hibernating habitat. I know sometimes in the real world it's difficult, but laws is laws and the way your description reads looks a little ambiguous to say the least. Just thought I'd mention it (they are cute though).

I hear ya', there is no incentive for some people to work as all is provided, and I also fear that when it comes to retirement - IF I can afford it and IF I live long enough to reach the ever increasing retirement age - the fact that I own a house and savings will probably count against me. Regarding immigration, I suppose if I lived in some disease ridden, war torn hell - hole, then I'd do my damnedest to escape to somewhere for a better life. Trouble is, we're a small, overcrowded island with a debt problem and we're already full - harsh, but true. We (the West) should be doing more to improve conditions at source for these people IMHO.

Good post, a mate of mine works in the oil industry, earns fantastic money, has worked in many of the places I've travelled in but has completely different perceptions to me (though he might be right about Nigeria:biggrin:). Where he sees threats and hostility, I've experienced kindness and hospitality. Like you, I've found that very often the people with absolutely nothing to their name are the most generous. Obviously it's not all sweetness and light, you do have to take your common sense with you, but I wouldn't walk around areas of many so-called 'civillised' cities at certain times of night. If you don't do it, you'll never know and could spend an awfully long time thinking 'what if?'. My advice, for what it's worth, is go for it - this is life, not a rehearsal.

and if by recklessly gambling ''someone else's money'' he (or she) brings the economy to its knees, then gambles some more on the basis that the country is going down the pan as a result of his actions, all the while making a small fortune,why the hell do the rest of us taxpayers have to then bail out said banker on the grounds of being ''too big to fail''? I've nothing at all against enterprise and hard work being fairly rewarded, but I've always believed that the free market worked on a survival of the fittest principle. These people were trousering stupidly large sums just by playing casino with other peoples cash. To then run whining to the government for a bail out after being brought crashing down by their own greed just beggars belief - or does their ''free market'' differ from everybody else's by having a safety net for when it all goes tits up? People have short memories, and their righteous anger towards the finance industry was sidetracked by the MP's expenses scandal. While not condoning for a minute the actions of our sleazy parliamentary representatives, the sums involved by comparison were tiny - for what our brave bankers lost, you could clean out every moat and gold plate every duck house in the land!

What the country really needs is a strong, competent, chancellor, with the ability to extricate us from this financial black hole. Someone like Norman Lamont, who so successfully managed his tenure at the treasury by getting us chucked out of the ERM after 'Black Monday'and wiped millions of the markets at a stroke during his brilliant handling of the economy. I'm sure you'll correct me if I'm wrong, but he was Chancellor under a Labour government, wasn't he?

''Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country'' John F Kennedy, 1961. Yep, he's an original thinker that Cameron.

Yeh, quite agree. Far better to let non dom tax exiles like Murdoch, Ashcroft and the Barcalay brothers dictate policy.

If I was hung like that, so would I ! Nice looking animal btw, not that I know anything about 'osses.

So, in conclusion, we should be looking at wearing gloves made out of sausages then?

Oiii!!!! I resemble that remark!! What do you know about intelligence and good looks? You're a squarehead! I expect in comparison to you, when it comes to looks and intelligence, your horse wins hands (hooves?) down. Nice pics, BTW.

Plague of vampires?

Did some work at Arrowtown some years back, rebuilt the cemetery wall amongst other things! Used to drink at 'The Royal Oak' after work, then back home for a few 'Black Macs'. Drove up to Macetown a couple of times, stunning scenery. Got a lot of time for NZ, nice people, outdoor lifestyle and plenty of space. Came within a gnats wotsits of emigrating and often wonder if I should have. Too many people on this island.

Judging by you're age in that photo, I'm surprised you were allowed to stay up that late!

Where in Goa did you photograph a sunrise over the sea? I remember attending loads of sunset parties (and full moon parties), but AFAIR, the sun always SET over the sea. I know the substances were pretty potent at the time:biggrin:, but unless there's been a seismic shift in the last 20 years, I'm confused. Cool pic though.

Police all the way I'm afraid, even if they do seem worse than useless half the time. It's just not worth getting into a feud with these sort of people, 'cause at the end of the day you've got far more to lose than they have. Judging by his threat to you not to report it, it sounds like he might already be on either a caution or parole - so report the b*st*rd! Also, if it's all logged you will have some sort of comeback if anything further happens. Sorry to hear about this, I had a similar situation a while back and that was stressful enough pre mortgage, family, etc.. God knows what it would be like now.

Does er, anyone fancy a pint?

That's actually a good shout. I've had knee probs for a few years now, and one of the suggestions my physio made was to keep my weight down. I was less enamored by his comment that the human body is only designed to last 40 yrs so it was only to be expected. Swimming and cycling were also recommended as the best way to build strength without undue stress on the knee. Regards glucosamine, both the Doc and Physio insisted that it was snake oil, but if it works for you then give it a whirl. Whatever you do, don't have an op. unless it's the last resort. Mines an early stage arthritic problem and depends a lot on the weather. As you correctly identify, the nature of the work catches up with you eventually. With some people it's their back, with others it's the knees, but the wear and tear get you in the end. I sympathise, so all the best.

An ash of that size should be OK providing it hasn't been ring barked all the way, and even if it has it will coppice from base. Ash do seem to be a particular favourite of rabbits, I always have to ensure they're protected at planting time. Seem to be a lot of bunnies this year as well.

And who could forget his advocating the use of poison gas on those pesky Kurds, an idea later taken up by that great leader, oh whats his name, er, you know..... ...er...that's the one...er... Saddam Hussein!!

Left wing? Moi? Only to someone who's to the right of Attilla the Hun maybe! I wouldn't say Labour are socialist these days, more 'Tory lite'. As for Winnie, top man for the role at the time, but, as my dear old Dad used to say, ''it wasn't him who did the fighting''. Explains why he was kicked out so emphatically after WW2. Ha! Cant beat a good sh1t fight on the interweb!

said the aristocratic, uber-privileged, born with a silver spoon, expensively educated, never lacked for anything, son of an American millionaire and English lord, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. Easy to spout such rhetoric when you're a member of such a self-serving elite. Besides, I didn't realise there was a socialist party standing in this election?

Labour's biggest mistake IMHO was to cosy up too readily with the city boys. Do you really believe that the Tories wouldn't have got further into bed with the bankers? Also, we are supposed to be electing representatives to the House of 'Commons', as opposed to the appointed Lords. I don't see anything ''common'' about 'Call me Dave' and his cronies - unless you consider going to an exclusive school, exclusive University, belonging to exclusive clubs and not having to earn a living as common. They've all got plenty IN common, but are not commoners as I think of the term. No, I'm afraid that the only winner in these elections will be the apathy party, the perceived lack of any 'clear blue water' between the big 3 means that a lot of people don't know who stands for what anymore. I think the minority parties may pick up a lot of protest votes, but a huge amount of people just think 'they're all the same'' - and we've got another month of this! Joy!