RobiNZ Personal Blog

No escape from Woo, even in Hospital

I took my Mum to see the Kidney Specialist (all good after this routine check-up) and in the Hospital public waiting area they had a TV showing TVNZ One. I know the Hospital can't control advertisements but seemed rather unfortunate that it meant enduring a "Mis-informercial" for Homeopathic medication. I prefer science to nonscience, I mean nonsense. Perhaps they should show Mitchell & Webb... Read more →

DD Country Café’s Ultimate Chocolate Slice, worth the drive to Waitoki

A recent trip took me through the little country settlement of Waitoki in Rodney. It was nearly lunch time and I was heading back to work without any. DD’s sign got my attention so stopped to get something to take back. A healthy Ham Wrap (with lots of salad fill) left room for something more decadent and their “Ultimate Chocolate Slice” caught my eye. A dark crumb (cheesecake like) base was topped with shredded coconut, raisins, chunks of dried apricot and chocolate buttons bound in a sweet rich topping (which I suspect included condensed milk). I had already eaten quite... Read more →

Why I’d rather be a Westie, than just part of a super city

I’ve drive those roads, cycle the ranges, hike the bush trails, swim & surf the beaches, scramble around those rocks, mountain bike (and break my collar bone) in that forest and watch the sun set over the Tasman Sea. I love being a Westie. Waitakere City is my home, my playground and much more than just part of a super city. It is a special place with special people and I fear we’ll lose some of that. Video from Tourism Auckland, kinda ironic I guess… Read more →

Homeopaths Exploit Quake Fears to Sell Magic Water

Vicki says it all (Click for full article/release) Homeopaths Exploit Quake Fears to Sell Magic Water | Scoop News "It´s appalling to see these people exploiting those who are frightened or anxious by making unsupported claims to boost their business," says NZ Skeptics media spokesperson Vicki Hyde, herself a somewhat-shaken resident of Christchurch. Read more →

Best of the West - Dining at The Falls ( @THEFALLSNZ )

I’m not a “foodie” but, inspired by Flickr friend Sandy’s food photographs & comments, decided to snap and blog about some of the great food,events & venues I encounter.The first is: The Falls Restaurant - Café - Gallery Mention fine dining and I suspect many Aucklanders would not immediately think of Henderson unless they have visited “The Falls”. As a kid I remember this former Hotel as a run down, virtually abandoned, building behind Henderson’s Railside Avenue shops. About a decade ago it was relocated & restored to become a landmark restaurant & café. Now it operates, literally, from dawn... Read more →

The Brown Stig?

Karun Chandhok, Formula 1 driver, comments on a tweet nominating him as the next Stig: http://twitter.com/karunchandhok/status/22914953975 Read more →

Vox is closing down, free move to TypePad offer

Got this message today from Six Apart. I liked Vox and hoped it’s superior media embedding/library system (books, video etc) would be adopted on TypePad, but no sign of that yet. I suspect one less platform to concentrate on will help TypePad development but recent changes there, like the on-line post editor update, have been rather patchy. My Vox blog is now archived at http://rcd.typepad.com/vox Important service announcement: Vox is closing September 30, 2010 Vox has been a fun place to explore, create and connect with your friends. But Vox is closing its doors on September 30, 2010. This doesn't... Read more →

Pat Metheny on Tour with the Bose L1 System

Pat seems thrilled with his Bose L1 speakers, just need him to bring this tour to New Zealand so I can hear it! Via http://twitter.com/PatMethenyNews Read more →

Skepticality, Packing for Mars

I first saw Mary on Colbert, a great interview, and have added her book to my wishlist to get next time I go Amazon shopping. I’m a bit behind with my Skepticality listening (but have them all saved to catch up) but jumped the list to hear this one! Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine (Promoting Science and Critical Thinking) This week on Skepticality, (episode 137), Swoopy talks with psychologist, journalist and bestselling author Mary Roach. Her new book Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void Right Click Here to Download and Save Read more →