Prim and Eredwen are friends. They are trying to help me to fit in, and that’s OK. You’re OK too. I just don’t do things the way they do, and they like to dig at that once in a while. Which is also OK.

I haven’t treated anyone in NZ to real New York argument styles and I think that’s probably something best left undone. I prefer civilization.

I just have lower standards than some people here

respectfully
BJ

Don’t worry about upsetting the natives, one of the worst things about my fellow countrymen is their inability to take any form of criticism even when it is constructive.
I often cringe at how insecure we are as a nation, I would wager that you are still asked “how do you like NZ” by strangers, to answer in any other way than “It is the greatest place on earth” is seen as some form of treachery.

We are a nation in desperate search of a culture and recognition, again you can witness this when ever some third rate actor or washed up Muzo comes to town, the poor buggers have not even made it through customs when some TVNZ bimbo will shove a mic in their face and ask “how do you like NZ”

Another classic example of this is our insistence in performing a haka at the drop of a hat, many here seem to Labour under the misapprehension that the rest of the world likes the bloody thing, to them the Haka is some meaningless rain dance, we are bloody obsessed in forcing the Maori culture down the throats of all and sundry, witness the petulant and embarrassing display by the All Blacks last week as evidence of this.

One day we will sort out what our culture is all about, until then we will have to suffer with the PC left insisting that we (and the world) all embrace the Maori culture as if it represented every single one of us.

I came here for my kids sake. Me, I’m more relaxed tense.

BJ

Why did you come to NZ? For the relaxed lifestyle, perhaps?

When in Rome ….

However, what you call my “highly tuned sensitivity” is the reaction of a Kiwi, born and bred, and that of a teacher of “effective” communication.
(I’m sure you must realise that you live in a different culture here! … and that applies to the language we speak as well.)

There are male contributors on frogblog with (Kiwi) communication skills worth noting (emulating?) They manage to be assertive and direct without any risk of giving offence to “sensitive” Kiwis. (Alistair, fastbike, kiore1, stuey, toad … to name but a few.)

I aimed to insult palegreen. No doubt at all. I didn’t much care that he called us all a name… what I found incompetent was that there was no reasoning at all in his post. It wasn’t a competent attempt to troll. It was only a driveby.

sigh…

I will not change. I do not give free passes to every non-participant who happens to feel like dropping some insult in my inbox. If there is a shred of value, I can respect the person I am disagreeing with. My long posts with BigBruv are a case in point… I don’t beat people up just for showing up with a disagreement.

I apologize to you now, even in advance, for I will probably offend that highly tuned sensibility of yours in future as well… but I do not think I should change any part of the package at this late date.

BJ

I don’t particularly enjoy Mouldwarp, but he is a competent troll. I was commenting on that level. Which is not the same as being pleased to answer him. Nor do I regard allowing people to express their opinions as any reason to suppress my own.

Which means I am not always going to “make nice” and maybe this is a New York attitude or a “male” attitude or both, it is my attitude.

Sorry if it offends sometimes, but not sorry enough to become someone else.

respectfully

BJ

eredwen replies:
There are gentle but assertive ways of not accepting insult etc etc.

All this (storm in a teacup) discussion is about:

bj saying: “No talent, no substance, not even a theory. Tsk…�

and eredwen replying (playfully): “Not very Green of you! Tsk! Tsk! … ”
(26N0V 10:12pm and 27 Nov 07:17am)

(I now WISH I had not submitted to the whim! … It was a “throw away” response in reaction to bj’s EXCELLENT comment which unfortunately included the words “No talent” (an “unknown” and therefore a potential insult).)

I strongly believe that when one identifies oneself as “a Green”, or uses the word “we” when talking about the Greens, that claimed “ownership” requires the responsibility of Green behaviour at all times …

What we do matters … (just as “every vote counts”!)

Kia ora!

So what if palegreen didn’t drag out comprehensive detailed technical arguments, a la Mouldwarp? BJ, sounds like you’ve enjoyed debating with MW lately. However, not everyone has the same priorities and time availability as MW. People should still be able to express their opinions.