I ONCE HAD A GIRLFRIEND NAMED KAREN

 Richard wondered, in a recent post or a comment on someone else's post, whether I'd be on Neighbourly starting trouble again.

"I wonder if TC will be on Neighbourly starting trouble again and I apologise for the arrow on my nose."

Well, he needn't have wondered (except for that arrow on his nose) because, I was.

On a walk on the weekend I met a woman walking her dog on a track where dogs are clearly forbidden and have been for the last 10 years. I reminded her of the rules that are in place to protect kiwi and reintroduced native birdlife. Her response was like something Robert would say to justify Catholicism.

Here's the sign that has been defaced

As expected this generated many responses ranging from the rabid and irresponsible dog owners who don't want to be governed by regulations, through the more reasonable dog owners who are just confused and need to know the regulations and why they are in place, and to the outright dog haters.

All good stuff. My job was done.

One goof I wish to mention made a silly suggestion that the signs should be higher to deter defacers from, well, defacing them. I had to respond to this.

 

As you can see by the 'conversation'  it was like a schoolyard argument.

I detest this 'Karen' thing that's leapt into our vernacular. It's yet another cultural invasion from the bloody Americans and I just wish that New Zealanders were mature and intelligent enough to resist it.

I'm a hobbyist social historian which is why, to The Old Girl's chagrin, I've followed the rise, fall and rise of Donald Trump in the USA recognising that this, in our lifetime is a chronicle of one of history's greatest fools and charlatans and future generations will marvel at how it was allowed to happen. In a smaller and localised way Neighbourly (now owned by Facebook) chronicles the day to day views and opinions of our, well, neighbours, This is actually scary. The rise of social media platforms has given a 'voice' to people who were once invisible and the world-wide-web and various internet communications has brought international news and information (and fake news and conspiracies) to them like never before. Have they always been there? I guess so but slumbering or in some kind of hiatus and relatively safe to others and only raised to action - good or bad- by instigators, provocateurs, revolutionaries or governments - again, good or bad. Anyway it's worrying and I like to keep an eye on them.

"I am watching you."