South China Sea

[Rob C]

I think we are all getting this wrong: China's building of artificial islands is seen, by the rest of us, as a Bad Thing. In fact, I believe that they have hit upon a brilliant idea: the creation of their very own Alcatraz, with an even more select breed of efficiently patrolling sharks than the original could boast!

In fact, I see it as an opportunity for us to get together with them and build a larger, international New Australia! Think of all the problems that that could solve!

No doubt, as with so much else, we shall let the opportunity slip by... But I suppose we could always rent space.

;-)

Rob C

[Zorki5]

In fact, I see it as an opportunity for us to get together with them and build a larger, international New Australia!

Probably belongs to "A touch of humor", but anyway:

An Australian customs officer asks a visitor from England:
-Have you ever been in prison?
-Is it still necessary?

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Probably belongs to "A touch of humor", but anyway:

On a related note (and which would make me doomed since my childhood):

[Rob C]

Humour? Investment opportunity!

I sat up late watching I am legend last night on Spanish tv. How moving to watch a dog die in somebody's arms. I went through exactly that with our last one. That's why she was our last one: couldn't bear the thought of going through it another time. A dog can be a wonderful friend.

During our first years here I used to return frequently to the UK for work-related reasons and my wife used to take the dog to the beach and go swimming. She told me of an incident where some guy tried to chat her up on the beach and she simply told him that if he took a step closer the dog would eat him. He departed. My wife and our daughter were sitting in a café one day and two guys approached and offered to buy them drinks. When the dog stood up from under the table where she'd been lying out of their vision, they rapidly made their excuses and left the two ladies in peace. She was big. I loved that dog, unconditionally. She was so intelligent.

There's something about a large dog sitting, panting and just staring at one that can dissuade all but the most stupid from rash actions.



Rob

[Paulo Bizarro]

Vision of the movie "New York 1997" come to mind...

As a side note ref. pets, I have a 20 year old cat, to which the family is very much attached, as expected. When he dies, I am not sure if I will get another one...

Here is a recent pic, taken with a Leica 90mm lens (he deserves such honour:)

[RSL]

On a related note (and which would make me doomed since my childhood):

From the spelling of "humour" I can see that isn't an American Mag, but I'll bet National Enquirer will re-print the article, if they haven't already do so.

[Peter Mellis]

Right after we moved into our house (many years ago) we were given a purebred German Shepard puppy - I think that he was maybe 8 weeks old. My daughter was still crawling/just about to walk and the two bonded for life. Fortunately the stairs were carpeted because they learned how to handle them, together. The dog, Sherman, grew to a bit over 100lbs, very sleek and a beautiful dog. He was very protective of all of us, but he and my daughter had a special bond. Nobody in his right mind ever even thought about coming near her when they were out together. That was a long time ago, but she still gets misty eyed when she talks about him. Dogs are wonderful - they just don't live long enough.

[Rob C]

Right after we moved into our house (many years ago) we were given a purebred German Shepard puppy - I think that he was maybe 8 weeks old. My daughter was still crawling/just about to walk and the two bonded for life. Fortunately the stairs were carpeted because they learned how to handle them, together. The dog, Sherman, grew to a bit over 100lbs, very sleek and a beautiful dog. He was very protective of all of us, but he and my daughter had a special bond. Nobody in his right mind ever even thought about coming near her when they were out together. That was a long time ago, but she still gets misty eyed when she talks about him. Dogs are wonderful - they just don't live long enough.

And that's the arrow in the heart. As bad, when one is also old, the idea comes that the dog might outlive one, and then what fate awaits the poor, faithful thing?

Rob

[LesPalenik]

During our first years here I used to return frequently to the UK for work-related reasons and my wife used to take the dog to the beach and go swimming. She told me of an incident where some guy tried to chat her up on the beach and she simply told him that if he took a step closer the dog would eat him. He departed. My wife and our daughter were sitting in a café one day and two guys approached and offered to buy them drinks. When the dog stood up from under the table where she'd been lying out of their vision, they rapidly made their excuses and left the two ladies in peace. She was big. I loved that dog, unconditionally. She was so intelligent.

I can relate to your story, Rob

Some time ago, a friend of mine owned a carwash and a big Bouvier, called Burt (Bouvier de Flanders - these are big dogs, originally bred as herding dogs, but during the first and second wars they were used also to pull the canons to the front lines. And the gurneys in the other direction). Burt wasn't pretty, but he was big and weighted 135 lbs. He was usually shaved to the skin, except his fluffy head and thus resembling an old lion with a gray mane. Not a pretty picture.
Anyway, on that day, as I was talking with my friend in his office and Burt, the Bouv was laying on the carpet beside the table, an obnoxious type walks in screaming that the carwash machine scratched his car. My friend asked the customer about the scratch and Burt lifted his huge head to see what was the commotion about. That was enough to make the complainer step back, calm him down, and he departed quietly, saying "no big problem, I think it was an old scratch". 

[bobtrlin]

I think we are all getting this wrong: China's building of artificial islands is seen, by the rest of us, as a Bad Thing. In fact, I believe that they have hit upon a brilliant idea: the creation of their very own Alcatraz, with an even more select breed of efficiently patrolling sharks than the original could boast!

In fact, I see it as an opportunity for us to get together with them and build a larger, international New Australia! Think of all the problems that that could solve!

No doubt, as with so much else, we shall let the opportunity slip by... But I suppose we could always rent space.

;-)

Rob C

I suppose you think of the South China Sea issue as humorous as we down here in Australia think of Brexit but we are now faced with having Chinese missiles 25% closer to us than before.  This is on top of some dingbat official in Darwin who just granted a Chinese government owned company a 99 year lease of the Port of Darwin.

[Rob C]

I suppose you think of the South China Sea issue as humorous as we down here in Australia think of Brexit but we are now faced with having Chinese missiles 25% closer to us than before.  This is on top of some dingbat official in Darwin who just granted a Chinese government owned company a 99 year lease of the Port of Darwin.

I don't really think of the SCS as either humorous or not humorous.

I certainly don't think of Brexit as funny either, just as the result of a godforsaken notion to throw the question at a population not really informed enough to know what it means. Such a population is a plum for the plucking by any politician wanting to feed off a populist agenda. You can see this by looking at the government records: one lot comes in, bankrupts the place on grandiose public expenditure it can't afford. (No goverment can afford anything: it has no money; it uses ours.) So what happens? After the public discovers how bad things got, they vote in another colour of government and then, just when the reserves start to build up again, they switch sides and rerun the wasting-of video. You couldn't make it up.

But it absolutely describes the political blindness and short-termism of the public mind. In Britain it's simple: the left consumes whilst in power, and then the right tries to mop up the mess and refurbish the bank account. Which of course, is impossible if one continues to spend beyond one's earnings. So, less gets spent, people feel they are losing out on freebies, and then vote back in the bunch that broke the bank in the first place.

Snag is, all local and governmental elections are for finite terms and can be changed next election time; not so Brexit.

But on consideration, yep, I think building a new prison island makes perfectly sound sense. Who wants these people nearby? You'd be safe: your sharks are better.

Rob C

[Justinr]

I don't really think of the SCS as either humorous or not humorous.

I certainly don't think of Brexit as funny either, just as the result of a godforsaken notion to throw the question at a population not really informed enough to know what it means. Such a population is a plum for the plucking by any politician wanting to feed off a populist agenda. You can see this by looking at the government records: one lot comes in, bankrupts the place on grandiose public expenditure it can't afford. (No goverment can afford anything: it has no money; it uses ours.) So what happens? After the public discovers how bad things got, they vote in another colour of government and then, just when the reserves start to build up again, they switch sides and rerun the wasting-of video. You couldn't make it up.

But it absolutely describes the political blindness and short-termism of the public mind. In Britain it's simple: the left consumes whilst in power, and then the right tries to mop up the mess and refurbish the bank account. Which of course, is impossible if one continues to spend beyond one's earnings. So, less gets spent, people feel they are losing out on freebies, and then vote back in the bunch that broke the bank in the first place.

Snag is, all local and governmental elections are for finite terms and can be changed next election time; not so Brexit.

But on consideration, yep, I think building a new prison island makes perfectly sound sense. Who wants these people nearby? You'd be safe: your sharks are better.

Rob C

If the answer had been 'remain' would you then consider the population to have been informed or not?

Why can't you guys just over it, the world hasn't ended in the last month and is very unlikely to do so, unless the US decides to invade Turkey to get their baubles back of course, but that's nowt to do with Brexit.