RobiNZ Personal Blog

Free Mubarak Bala

I live in country where blasphemy is not a crime. The offence of blasphemous libel had not been prosecuted in New Zealand since 1922 but the law was only repealed surprisingly recently, in 2019. Freedom of belief is a precious and rare thing in our world. This short BBC documentary highlights the price Mubarak Bala and his family have paid for stating he was an atheist on social media. His guilty plea was against legal advice and possibly not a free choice itself. I heard Leo Igwe, Nigerian Human Rights Advocate featured in the documentary, speak at the Humanist International... Read more →

End of Life Choice Act is now law

An important day in NZ today; End of Life Choice Act takes effect in New Zealand | Radio NZ The End of Life Choice Act has come into effect one year after nearly two-thirds of New Zealanders voted in favour of it in a referendum... The End of Life Choice Act 2019 gives me the right, with lots of conditions, to legally decide when I die. To be able to ask for assisted dying, a person must have a terminal illness that is likely to end their life within six months, and must be competent to make an informed decision.... Read more →

FSM COVID-19 protection

From the days of Level 4 lock down: A team challenge to 'create COVID-19 protective costume from found items' for an on-line meeting. The hope was divine Flying Spaghetti Monster protection would offset the colander holes. * The badge was on-hand to replace an aging plastic one fitted in 2009 (see link), but the car was trapped at the mechanics by lock down! https://rcd.typepad.com/personal/2009/09/a-fiat-bravo-touched-by-his-noodly-appendages.html Read more →

The thing that made the things for which there is no known maker

“The thing that made the things for which there is no known maker” is brilliant: Credit Peter @ NZARH for sharing. Read more →

Condolences to the crew of Atlas Air Flight 3591

A few weeks ago I ordered two new Flying Spaghetti Monster badges for my car(s). One for the new(er) Abarth and a replacement as a decade of NZ UV had got to the finish on the Bravo one. They were supposed to arrive about a week ago but I suspect may have been lost in a tragic accident. I was listening to a local aviation podcast on Saturday and they mentioned an Amazon freight aircraft had crashed on a flight from Florida to Houston: NTSB Takes Lead Investigating Crash of Amazon Air Cargo Plane A widebody cargo plane hauling packages... Read more →

Traffic Light Thought–How many didn’t die?

This is more of a ‘cemetery dog walk thought’ but it occurred to me at the lights on the way home. It is surprising how many people in the cemetery didn’t die. They passed, rest in peace, joined [whatever version of the creator they chose to believe in], or were lost… Some are more frank (or honest): just born, died, like we do. Random headstone, & dog, photo taken in Waikumete Cemetery Read more →

Scientology and Me–Attending the Auckland Real Org opening Jan 2017

Curiosity about changes to a historic building, an interest in a ‘religion’ (cult?) and the “Oh No, Ross & Carrie” podcast led me to a rather strange place. I attended the opening of the Auckland Scientology Real Org on January 22 2017. I wrote most of this post at the time but withheld publishing to see if there was any follow up from the Scientologists. They have a reputation for their eagerness to attract new members and reluctance to losing existing ones. Well over a year later apart from one rather odd text, and me noticing them campaigning in public... Read more →

Mother Teresa—Hells Angel a Saint?

At least the evening news (Newshub tonight) hinted not all think ‘Mother Teresa of Calcutta’ is deserving of sainthood (itself a totally bonkers and bizarre concept). I think Christopher Hitchens expressed it better than anyone: Hells Angel and “The fanatic, fraudulent Mother Teresa”. “Christopher Hitchens investigates whether Mother Teresa of Calcutta deserves her saintly image. Probes her campaigns against contraception and abortion and her relationships with right-wing political leaders. Contributors include the cameraman who worked on the 1969 film `Mother Teresa of Calcutta' which was presented by Malcolm Muggeridge, the journalist Mihir Bose, and former volunteer Mary Loudon.” Also see:... Read more →

The New Zealand Herald, without Rugby

This is the New Zealand Herald application today with the “Rugby” category turned off. Perhaps it slips through because there is no religion filter? Read more →

The Most Astounding Fact — Neil DeGrasse Tyson

When I first understood this (probably thanks to Isaac Asimov’s books or Carl Sagan’s Cosmos) I thought it was amazing. This presentation is beautiful: via RichardDawkins.net UPDATE 2012-03-16: And here is the 10 questions which inspired it (with an astounding tribute to Isaac Newton): Read more →