Posts by Nathaniel Wilson

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  • Cracker: Dig This!,

    If the cherry tomatoes fail then you’d be best advised to rip out everything and concrete the backyard. We’ve always gone for the neglect ’em like they do in the Mediterranean approach, which seems to work well (or it did in Mt Albert anyway).
    For something exotic, saffron’s a good option. Not exactly the highest yield, but ridiculously low maintenance, and the smugness one feels having harvested a little bit of one of the most expensive crops in the world is pretty sweet too.

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Field Theory: Time to relax,

    1992.

    Touche.

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Field Theory: Time to relax,

    Since when did baseball count as a major world sport, but not cricket? Especially when it has the potential to be a cracking test.

    It is nice to know there will be fewer cars, horns ablazing, keeping us up all night though now the football's finished. But what do I do with my evenings now? A quiet one or two is fine, but after a month of saturation, the cold turkey's been dreadful.

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Speaker: Every Four Years,

    I don't mean to brag, actually yes I do, so can I just say, watching the world cup in Europe >>>>>>>>> having to wake up early to watch the same games. Especially when the weather's good (as it has been the last few days here anyway), and the beer is oh so cheap and oh so good!

    First match? Much better than expected. Here in Bayreuth (northern Bavaria) the crowd of students at the bar I was at were, for the most part, supporting South Africa, but expecting a Mexican win. This meant for a weird vibe in the end, with everyone on the one hand relieved at the draw, but at the same time somewhat gutted that the fairytale upset wasn't quite realised.

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Climate science and the media,

    You have peers who are capable of assessing your work, recognising through physical trial/processes and intellectual judgement whether or not your hypothosis is a goer- poets can only send words into the dark-

    Send it on, won't bother me. Without turning this into too much of a love-fest, I think you're selling yourself short eh, just 'cause poetry ain't science doesn't make it any less worthwhile. Surely getting a nod from a reader/listener or bringing a smile on their face is just as telling?

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Climate science and the media,

    To return to the issue of scientific literacy, part of the problem is there are so few things that are both easy to explain and are actually true at the same time. Case in point:

    Daylight saving doesn't fade your curtains.

    While the act of moving the clocks doesn't do anything directly to your curtains, one can argue that the forced changes in behaviour might. If it is dark when you normally get up, and you open your curtains, then the curtains will be not be exposed to sunlight, at least in the morning (and thus fade more slowly), if it's light when you get up, then there's a period during which time your curtains are in the sun, and therefore will fade more quickly. Therefore, for people who insist on getting up at the same hour regardless of circumstances, then daylight savings could fade their curtains.

    What I'm trying to get at, is that there's so little we take for granted that is actually straight up "true". True-enough-under-most-circumstances for sure, but until we as a profession (I'm an environmental chemist, so a scientist too) stop using terms like "shown", "prove" etc... when all we mean is "this is our best guess [and we reckon it's a good one]", then we leave ourselves open to criticism that is both difficult to deflect, and most unfair. In my mind, the greatest challenge facing scientists is the mammoth task of somehow making the general public grasp that while nothing is certain, and nothing is as simple as it seems, that doesn't make it all totally garbage.

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Speaker: How to Look Good as a Nazi,

    <quote>Germans on the other hand, the more we mock their so called Nazi superman culture the better</ quote>

    Ummm, did you wilfully misread the original blog entry? Calling it "their Nazi superman culture" is about as correct as suggesting we're all just like Fred Dagg ain't it?

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: The conversation they want to…,

    I heard it was good. I was all set to go until I got in from my last meeting about 6pm, but my usual Thursday evening collapse (Weds and Thurs are the intense part of my week) kicked in and I made dinner instead.

    The most impressive thing about Oram was how controlled he was answering the inevitable "all the world's woes are caused by evil corporations and greedy shareholders, shouldn't the our governments' foci be on taking them down"-style question levied at him towards the end of the talk. I suspect it takes a lot to get him riled, but he was close, and his response, which, to paraphrase, was "we're not sheep to be herded, we (the people) choose what corporations etc.. do, not the other way around", pretty much chopped any further argument off at the knees.

    Ladi6 probably won a few new fans too. Much better live than recorded in a studio.

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: The conversation they want to…,

    Grey Lynn market? Even getting it off the ground is a great achievement, and man was it busy. I'm not entirely convinced there are enough people growing enough produce in the surrounding suburbs to make it anything but boutique, but I really hope it flourishes.
    On a complete tangent, Rod Oram confirmed his status as a national treasure at LATE on Thursday night. If only more people would listen.

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Chocolate elitism,

    Oh, and on the subject of chocolate. Green & Black's 70% cocoa dark chocolate is the perfect addition to a well made short black.

    That'd be the Green & Black's owned by Cadbury I take it?

    http://www.cadbury.com/ourbrands/featurebrands/Pages/GreenandBlacks2.aspx

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 35 posts Report Reply

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