24 Comments

I think that he, as an adult, was somewhat made because of the likes of that writer.

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I think the writer is feeling guilt as he banned him from writing letters to the editor. Saying: "Eventually, it had to come to a halt – and of course, I was accused of

censoring free speech."

When I read the letter to the editor that was published, I had the best laugh.

"As autumn approaches and the maize leaves start to brown, we will have

soon saved up enough daylight to get us through winter."

"On a lighter note, the summer has brought cooler-than-normal weather and

breezes to enjoy. The Naturist Society has hosted its annual Twister competition without injury."

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I don’t think that the writer is feeling guilt. He’s just trying to assuage his shit political censorship while Jim is in the news. Jim was an ACT guy so me and him don’t share our politics but I figure Jim was right about the censorship. What Dean doesn’t understand is tha the left is so damned toxic because of guys like him, gatekeepers of the left as much as of the letters to the editor column.

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Often the lives of those, such as the writer Dean Taylor, are dull and boring and the way they can be relevant is to push themselves forward as gatekeepers, as you described them. When someone comes along as creative as James, who didn’t conform to their established beliefs, he used his position to block him.

Jim’s letter writing was succinct, creative and witty.

He had a gift which only a few would have recognised.

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I add, that I am sure many in the public domain recognised and were

enjoying reading Jim’s letters to the editor. This would have annoyed

the gatekeeper who appears to have been deficient in appreciating

anyone who is not like their boring selves.

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Jim probably encoded a secret message in one of his letters that somebody pointed out to Dean and result was a tizzy.

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It is sad especially when he was taken suddenly by a car crash accident. It has brought back good memories of him from your school days. My neighbour has taken in a rebellious youth, offering him employment and accommodation. When he is home alone, he practices with a sling shot using

expensive white stones taken from their garden, to fall loudly on my roof. I would prefer fruit.

Yes, possums are protected in Australia, unlike New Zealand where they are invasive. A pigmy possum often visits. At first I thought it was a bush rat, but I recognised the long tail and ears.

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Old friends, even if we haven't seen them in years, learning of their deaths is sad. Must be something to that distant entanglement theory- especially teen age romps. Napa= BottleRock?

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I was just trolling someone. But maybe in the 2nd half of August?

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We fly out of LA in late August. Will probably have a week in CA & Las Vegas.

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So sad. If there is anything after this, may His destination be a glorious one!

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It's always sad to lose a friend. My condolences.

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Sorry to hear of the passing of your friend.

He looks like a really nice guy.

Sad to lose him.

What did you do with the fruit? Bottle it or make jam?

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Pretty sure that we ate it.

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That's not so bad then is it.

Not wasteful, other than those ones that maybe became missiles.

A lot of people never bother to harvest their fruit.

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In Brisbane the bats harvest our fruit, raiding gleefully in the cover of night. Bluey the children’s cartoon show, has an episode of dreaming she’s a Brisbane fruit bat. Mangoes, guava, all the palm’s fruit, and my Soursop get shared with our bats. The possum come for the citrus, eating the rind only of lemons and hollowing out the oranges leaving the rind.

Thank you for sharing your memories of youthful adventure with your mate. He lives now in your mind, as he has always done. It’s the chance of a physical encounter that has been lost.

I have a 6yr old’s memory of a tree hut in the front garden of our house in Kihikihi, a grape vine that grew over the garage, my mother’s ring lost in the garden, day dreaming about ponies, the smell of fresh hot pies an absolute treat for lunch at school across the road, and a boy I kissed.

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Got me intrigued about the boy.

I used to bait a possum trap with lemons. Then a neighbour would shoot the possum and feed it to his dogs, and give the pelt to another neighbour for tanning.

Possums are poisoned in NZ - so are the people. It's the modern method of population control.

Funny about the oranges

Possums are protected in Oz aren't they?

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Yes, but possums don’t eat everything here. I have small ringtails who visit and my dogs go mad as he/she scoots along the fence top.

There are hardly any frogs or koalas in Brisbane now a days.

30 + years ago when I arrived, they were plentiful.

Glyphosate Round Up to control weeds and development of the large blocks has seen their demise.

Rowdy bird calls throughout the night make up for the lack of frog and koala noise.

The 1080 poison drops littering NZ are diabolical.

I hope to see the turn around

When we round up and move the traitors, who sold the people out, into orange suits and into extreme environments of cold or heat. So they live in circumstances where they are reminded of their treachery.

And no salt for them.

Health is our true wealth.

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Orange is too nice a colour for them.

Poop colour I would suggest.

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Jane, your thoughts on salt are quite revolutionary and logical.

I have put a bowl of saline out for the dog and birds.

And I love salt on fried food so now I can call that healthy.

Cheers and thanks.

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they don’t. There’s a lemon tree down the road from us that I would like to raid one day. They never harvest their fruit.

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It's nice to give excess fruit away.

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