[Mishmash] It's a Cell-Phone-Gun!!!!

[David Brown]

Hi Richard.

It is something of a national sport to sling off at Kiwis.  Fush and chups,
the number sux and so on.  There is an old joke about an Aussie riding a
push bike around the shaky isles.  He see a Kiwi having his way with a sheep
and yells out "in Australia we shear those things".   To the Kiwi shear
sounds like share so he replies "over here there are enough for one each".

When I was in Kyrgyzstan a number of the locals were learning English.  The
head of the computing department spent a lot of time with my team and picked
up a bit of a Stryne accent.  His American trained teacher asked him where
he learned to speak like; no one sounds like that.  He invited me to address
the class.  I opened up in my best (worst) Strayan.
 
Gdie.  Owya goun tdie?  (Said through the nose)  (Good day.  How are you
going today?)  The teacher was mortified.

Speed cameras a big issue down under.  In Canberra we have red light
combination speed cameras and some mini vans with cameras in them.  The vans
are no problem as they photo head on and bikes have no front number plate.
One has to be more careful with the red light jobbies of course.

In New South Wales they have a rule that all photos are from the rear.
Apparently they caused a few problems when people asked for the photo and
the spouse saw the wrong person sitting in the passenger seat :-)

Personally I am against surveillance cameras because I think they are a lazy
option which allow Governments to pretend they are doing something.  Cameras
can only record what is happening.  If there are police on the beat they can
actually prevent it.  I know it is a lost cause though in these days of
continual budget cuts.  

Cheers

David

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Barth
> 
> When I was attending ITU meetings in Geneva, we always had to 
> think a bit when speaking to some of the other "English 
> speaking" attendees.  Simultaneous translation among English, 
> British, Stryne and Kiwi.  Not always easy.  ;-)
> 
> I haven't heard too much of a fuss about surveillance cameras 
> in the DC area.  The nightly news has enough information on 
> their use to nail robbers, buggers, and various other 
> malefactors that people are rather glad to have them around.  
> Where the whining starts, though is with red-light cameras 
> and speed cameras.  People here like being protected, but not 
> being caught red-handed.