RobiNZ Personal Blog

A possible “In Plain English” TVNZ 7 line-up

TVNZ 7 have a theme for their November schedule "In plain English" as publicised by New Zealand Finance Minister Bill English. I wonder if it includes: Minimise your tax liability with a trust in plain English Maximizing your rental income in plain English LAQCs in plain English Public Relations problems in plain English How to beat a recession in plain English (but it will take 20 years) Getaway Dipton Of course those are completely fictional, unlike these: TVNZ winding down English 'propaganda' ad - National - NZ Herald News The 45 second ad for TVNZ 7's Focus on the Economy... Read more →

Veronica’s Agel questions, answered

My ”Is the “Agel phenomenon" a scam?” post from Friday, 13 April 2007* still gets a few comments. Today Veronica asked a number of questions which I have decided answer in this post as formatting will make it easier to follow: Hey Robin, just wondering: Have you ever tried any of the agel products??? No, apart from watching the video, then writing the post I have had nothing to do with Agel Have you ever even cared to be part of it? No, I’d have thought that was obvious from the post Were you ever part of any company that... Read more →

Babysitting Alfie

Cute, would be more so if he didn't "leak"... Read more →

The History Boys shine at the Maidment

I guess I should disclose that I know the the Director Jessie Peach as, before setting out on his multi-media career, he sold me bird seed, at the Bird Barn. I should also disclose that I’m not a regular or especially knowledgeable theatre goer, the last live show I saw was Spamalot in Vegas!, but I’m glad i saw this production. I’m too young to remember Beyond the Fringe so the first memory I have of Alan Bennett is a skit from The Secret Policemans Other Ball (1982). Since then I’ve become familiar with his Film and TV work including... Read more →

Traffic Light Thought - In an 80km/h zone, what would Jesus do?

It wasn't at the lights but on the Auckland Harbour Bridge that I wondered if they noticed the FSM logo on my car. I was doing about 80km/h, the limit on the Harbour Bridge, when the Jesus Fish adorned Honda flew past. Is speeding what Jesus would do? Read more →

ACC – Which reality is real?

I don’t know much about ACC, have never needed it to any large degree, but I wonder about this article. Is Rod Oram, usually sound, off his rocker or are we being spun into partial privatisation by rhetoric? Rod Oram: ACC - the political claims and the reality... | Stuff.co.nz ACC IS a mess, according to the prime minister and Nick Smith, the agency's minister. Only a wholesale clearout of ACC's board and changes to legislation and policy will secure its future, they say. But there is a huge gap between the rhetoric of John Key and Smith, and reality. Read more →

Meeting Sirocco, the rarest of shags from an endangered parrot

Perhaps this is why the Kakapo is the rarest parrot in the world. Stephen Fry meets, Mark Carwardine gets intimate with, Sirocco in BBC’s Last Chance To See. Follow Sirocco on twitter.com @SiroccoKakapo Sirocco on www.facebook.com Read more →

Citroën celebrate 90 fabulous years

90 years of Citroën and it ends with a new logo via http://www.eurocarblog.com/post/2393/citroen-anniversary-video Read more →

Traffic Light Thought - A good plate for troubled Beemers

It was on a BMW NZ Mobile support vehicle; SOSBMW Read more →

It’s not about the bike!

A Swiss man on a 100-year-old Swiss army bike beats Tour de France 2 stage winner Jens Voigt on his 2009 high tech bike. via A Welsh View Read more →