OFF-TOPIC THREAD 8

[reptile4life]

What is it like to live in Australia? How are the laws? Do they let you own a lot of pets? How are your freedoms compared to USA?

[KyleWeiss]

They make foreigners get stung by platypus barbs, bit by fierce snakes, chased by salt water crocodiles, roll on jack jumper ant colonies, stick their fingers in funnel-web spider holes and play in tanks with box jellyfish and blue-ringed octopi. If you make it, you're an Aussie.

KW

[mouseinamilkbottle]

So long as you keep your mouth shut. The minute you open your mouth and talk, and say the words "mom" "store" "SUV" "candy" "gas", etc, etc, you're instantly referred to as "that bl**dy Yank" again.

(The correct alternatives are "mum" "shop" "four-wheel-drive" "lollies" and "petrol".)

[DeadEye]

Ive got 20 USA Sailor,s comming out to help me& Mum the misses at the hospital...I spoke to a women who rang from the american consulate..And man Iam gonna have some fun ...This black cockatoo will not bite you dude,s , EWWWW Only if ya put your finger in ... Lets suck some *tick means have a cartoon of beer ...Stone the crows means

DAM IT ...Grab me a left handed pair of sissors ..Yep were ruff and ready ..we take the *tick outa pommie,s or anyone ...But were misunderstood . As crazy as a cut snake .But lovable Larrikins and really are big softies .

Oh thats just a bit of bark off ...when they have the bone showing ...Iam only jokeing- Um yere we like to muck around alot .. rage out party= extremly hard ...Thanks Kristine your very sweet as , Zack has brought a few cultures togher .That would seldom only imagine , what is like to have trap doors , funnel webs, taipans .. Chase ya around the back paddock.. Onya cowboy ...I even ring the US and UK alot .. I have a dear freind in midland TX , Ive lost her she was in fortworth , then her brother died ...If Edward or any Texan could help me find Tina Self ..Her phone number i need...This is a letter from her to me ( Could some one from EL paso or TX Look up Tina Self in the Phone book ( Please)>>??
We talked every day on ICQ in 1995 till 2004 , And she has
a sick mum .. That would be something very special to me if i could find Tina ..Her last address was 2300 North A street Midland Texas 79705
cheers Ian ..That would be ORSM as she is a single mum , no $$ or car , i use to phone her , every week

Ian,
You have been my best bud for a very long time. I'm dealing with something very hard right now and I need your shoulder. My brother just got out of the hospital Friday after being there for over a month because of his foot. On Sunday he had a heart attack and stopped breathing (everything shut down including his heart). Although my niece and nephew performed CPR on him if he makes it he may be brain damaged. At the moment he is in ICU on life support. We still don't know if he is going to make it or if he is going to be brain damaged. Reason I'm writing to you now... is because I'm afraid to go to sleep because I'm afraid if the hospital calls I won't hear the phone. And I'm afraid period of getting that call at all. Also I figured if there was a person in this entire world I could count on to be there for me it would be you. You have always been there for me since I've met you. And you have gone through similiar things like my brother. Thanks for being a person that I feel like I can tell my troubles to... you don't have to feel like you need to do anything. Just being the person you are is enough. I love you ... you have been a true friend to me in both good and bad times. I trust you with everything... Take care.
I love you always,
Tina
XOXOXOXOXO

[Lisa]

The best things about Australia is the climate and lifestyle. It's a very relaxed and laid back lifestyle in Australia. If you don't take yourself too seriously and can take a joke, then you'll like Australia. I think we have a good multicultural mix. I don't consider Australia to be any more racist than other countries I've visited, and in fact the multicultural mix here is much more diverse than most countries I've visited. The worse things about Australia is our PM John Howard (but he should be voted out later this year), our annoying habit of comparing or trying to compete or be better than other countries, and a lack of culture and history.

The laws are good, but laws are only as good as the judges! you can keep 'normal' animals (dogs, cats, horses, birds, fishies etc) but native species may be governed by the laws of different states, you cannot keep overseas species of reptiles at all. You can't keep lions and tigers or bears!

I think Australia is a great place to live. I've travelled the world and whilst there are many countries I have thought are fantastic, I think I'd still call Australia home. Our biggest problem I think, is we have this obssession about how other people view us, like we need or want their approval and praise. It drives me nuts, but I think it's because we are a young country and so far from the rest of the world. Not everyone, mind you! I wouldn't call it a superiority complex, it's just some people just get a little carried away with, or confuse, pride in ourselves and our way of life, with nationalism. Media driven, of course.

[DeadEye]

Its great Mate Australia ..


Look Pitbulls are for sissies Nigeria ...very little gang violence .. strict gun laws . Big vast brown land ..look on google each state,s treasure,s .
now thats not like australia

[Fatal_S]

Ahh! I want a hyena now!! Santa is gonna have a huge order for this Christmas. But he better be careful about those pesky cross-border laws. The puppy with the muzzle looks sooo cute. Somehow I doubt they'd appreciate cuddling though...

[Lura]

The puppy with the muzzle looks sooo cute. Somehow I doubt they'd appreciate cuddling though...

Hyenas aren't dogs They've got a family of their own!

[Edward]

SH.IT we are in trouble there Bushman........What must the world think of us - I shudder to think. (Actually it takes more than that, but for the purposes of not feeling like a dick - I shudder).

[Zach]

Yeah, there's a reason certain words are censored, why are you doing that?


OT:

WOW.

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx ... ame=376854

[KyleWeiss]

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx ... ame=376854

Boy, am I in the wrong business. Hey Zach, I have a couple of overripe onions, I mean Western BTS's, you can buy them for $500 a piece.

KW

[Bird_Brain]

that is probably one of the funniest things that I have heard in a while!

[Leigh]

They make foreigners get stung by platypus barbs, bit by fierce snakes, chased by salt water crocodiles, roll on jack jumper ant colonies, stick their fingers in funnel-web spider holes and play in tanks with box jellyfish and blue-ringed octopi. If you make it, you're an Aussie.

KW

Hey Kyle I thought you were on about Jackass the 2nd movie

[Leigh]

Yeah, there's a reason certain words are censored, why are you doing that?


OT:

WOW.

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx ... ame=376854

That must be the most expensive lamb chop ever, I bet they couldn't believe how nice the British Poodle tasted

[Nature's Gift]

SH.IT we are in trouble there Bushman........What must the world think of us - I shudder to think. (Actually it takes more than that, but for the purposes of not feeling like a dick - I shudder).

Yeah, there's a reason certain words are censored, why are you doing that?

Sorry, it is in no way to mean any disrespect. There is obviously a cultural divide between our countries. I care for my invalid mother who is too sick to go to church, so she has the priest come to our home every week to receive Holy Commuinion and have a wee mass.

These words, although depreciating are not considered to be vulgar. What is considered vulgar is when certain words, vulgar or not, are used to hurt other people's feelings.

For instance, it would not be considered vulgar to reply to your boss that the job you are doing is going to the "s word". It is perfectly acceptable to call it a "b word" for an unfair parking fine or, a female dog the "b" word is what a female dog is called!

Well the "d word" has me a bit stumped but that's just be me all over - "my if I'm calling my husband such a "d word" today, for forgetting his phone and his lunch". He capitulates and agrees. No nastiness. I'm a dick all the time - as dick here is an idiot etc.

It is a cultural divide and I don't mean to offend but we don't associate every negative word as disrespectful. Being disresprectful is offending someone intentionally to make them feel less of a valuable human-being than they are and although I am not innocent of this, I avoid it as much as possible.

You can couch abuse in cotton wool - and it is acceptable and proper but profoundly more hurtful because it uses the writer's words to assume a higher moral ground.

That is just pretentious rubbish.

I apologise for the offence I have inflicted on you and must be more wary of the cultural differences as, I can see you have done with me, for which I thank you.

My intent on this forum is not to break the rules, and absolutely not upset anyone.

To Zach and Edward, I apologise and I will attempt to keep my "p"s and "q"s in order. I am a waffler though (there's a news F L A SH ????) and I can type, so often the post has gone and I have not thought another thing until I read the replies.

I must stress however - none of my "language" has been of a rebellious nature or to stir up trouble intentionally - but to stimulate conversation or a bit of friendly banter.l

Maybe I should put a kiddy filter on my PC so it beeps annoyingly when I do make a faux par.

I have a nice little collection of vocabularly but I tend first in personal situations to step back from that and here is obviously one of them - cause I just wander in for a chat.

Thanks for the warning - I've got my "P" and "Q" under 24 hour watch.

[Nature's Gift]

Another double bubble OT -{ seminar starts soon}... Sorry but this was way too much of an edit and it's a bit related to etymology rather that vulgar words and it's a great interest to me because it combines, history, culture and where our words came from.

If anyone has the vaguest interest in any of this stuff it's called The Adventures of English - The Biography of a Language. by Melvyn Bragg.

English was such a winny language and it goes through the history, (including large chapters on the USA influence), and how it developed into the largest and most growing language in the world and what is now the (ok - forget the french) accepted world-wild language even though it has such a small comparitively native speeking foundation. (I mean what about the asians and indians?)

I'ts a history book as well as a book on etymology and it's quite interesting, funny in spots but pretty enlightening. If you're relatively literate in English or into it as a second language, it's a good read.

Stupid forum to bring it up in but I bought my copy from Amazon in the US and got a hard cover relatively inexpensively. Maybe one person might grab it - maybe Zach will tell me I'm a nitwhit - I recon both.

If anyone is interested - it's a good browse for those that are interested in why we talk like we talk.

You can skip bits that bore you but there is some pretty interesting stuff in there.

I didn't read it from cover to cover but kept it in the loo and it was full of "wow - who would have thought!?"

It basically developed as nothing and has gazillions of words added each year. God only knows how non-english people get to learn it but it's just a suggestion if you're interested.

If not, the hard cover is inexpensive and would look pretty impressive on your coffee table

Just an OT suggestion that you are all wetting your pants over - but you never know!

[Arkangel]

Ian, if I could find Tina for you I would. That letter makes me want to give her a hug as well! That is so sad, and she just left you hanging not knowing what happened.

It may be a bit far fetched but if you really wanted to find her, a private detective in her previous location might be able to help.

[DeadEye]

This is how ticked off ya can get ...look Spartan is trying not to say $%&* cause lil kids read this ....That was funny





Good movie 300 Oh i didn,t think i got a bite on Tina , um No I was ringing her and sending stuff ...And she called to say ,That the place she was staying .had got really violent Kristine ..I know she,s broke ive got all her phone numbers 00111--432-2187754 .Her pc was dying , and we spoke by phone 2 days in a row, before she was moving , from fortworth to midland , she has a sister in a near by state ....She had a lot on her plate , She gave me all her msn icq , there all dead offline ..she is a real tx sweetheart .Something must have happend .She had a wicked ex hubby ..I worry bout her thats all ..um yes it would cost a few dollars the fortworth number are 81756626947 ..Indeed a private d could find her ..She might have lost my number home adress she was jotting them down on paper (She had to go quick), she always felt guilty when i would ring , so i hoped someone might see it in the phone book..Ive got the adress she was going to ..Thanks Kristine I made her laugh alot Thats what mates do look after each other . Iam worried for chance her little boy to , she was hiding from her ex Arhhhh i spoke to her mum the day they were moving , she sounded very unwell ..Tina is my age 45 .Iam a worry wart but sumthing isn,t right ...

[Lura]

Ian, if there is anyone who would have a huge collection of pictures making fun of 300, it would be you

[DeadEye]

Fight tartaaaaaaaaaa funny hey ?? Its dark here 7am ..lol silly arn,t i yes says edward