RobiNZ Personal Blog

A nice email from a stranger

After walking the dog in the Waitakere Ranges I got back to the car and noticed an email had arrived in my blog inbox: Hi Robin You dropped your wee black bag on Exhibition Drive so we brought it home – has your license, bank card and some cash. Give us a call ###-####, we’re on ### Scenic Drive. I usually put that waterproof bag in a zipped jacket pocket so I don’t lose it. Obviously didn’t do that today! I hadn’t even missed it until I got back to the car and pulled the car keys out of the... Read more →

P.J. O’Rourke sums up the US Presidential debacle

From the outside, thankfully far away, this is how it looks to me.. P.J. O’Rourke: I’m Endorsing Hillary Clinton, the Devil We Know - The Daily Beast Let me tell you why Hillary is a great presidential candidate—by comparison. Don’t rush me here... Did I mention that she’s the second-worst thing that could happen to America? UPDATE 07/24/2016: Raybon Kan adds a Kiwi perspective Raybon Kan: Watch out world - the rednecks' hero is real They could have chosen anyone in their political party. Maybe anyone in their country. And they chose him. And it wasn't even close. Is America... Read more →

A Panda let loose in Aussies Northern Territory?

Neat story about a little Fiat in a big country. Fiat Panda in the Northern Territory – Wheels Magazine We check out the Northern Territory’s new unrestricted-speed highway for ourselves. Not in a Ferrari, but a baby Fiat… Read more →

Waikumete Cemetery Walk

On 9/07 Alfie and I completed a 5.82 km walk with my Microsoft Band. The evening gloom, and a crescent moon with Jupiter keeping it company, made for an interesting atmosphere. Check out my full session! Read more →

Official Formula 1 app on Windows 10 PC and Mobile!

Shock, Formula 1 have rediscovered* Windows! There is now an official app, desktop and mobile, but wonder how it will compare with the brilliant third party PitlaneOne? Official Formula 1 app races onto Windows 10 PC and Mobile | Windows Central* There hasn’t been an official F1 app on Windows for several years. Nice to see it is both desktop and mobile, a benefit of the common OS and Universal App Platform? Read more →

Roots, then and now

Quite sobering watching the 2016 version of “Roots” having visited the US plantation location used for episode one. I saw Evergreen Plantation, Wallace, Louisiana in 2007 when I was in New Orleans as part of a tour. Still privately owned it was rather unusual in retaining real evidence of the slave era which built these places. They had retained the less salubrious accommodation the slaves ‘enjoyed’ and evidence of their trade. I particularly remember a tax return on display; people valued, listed as assets. So elegant and lovely on a sunny day, such a bleak history. The only resident there... Read more →

@jessecase, thought of you as I posted my poo

I haven’t been a very active* listener to Jesse Case’s “Jessie Vs Cancer” podcast but have heard every episode and it has made a real impact. I first heard Jesse as a co-host on the “Probably Science” podcast but he started “Jesse Vs Cancer” to document life after being diagnosed with (in his words) “Stage IV arse cancer of the arse”. He doesn’t hold back in these podcasts and somehow kept on recording them through the worst of surgery, chemo and radiation therapy (thankfully all successful so far). It’s been an incredible journey and I really admire Jesse for sharing... Read more →