Posts by Rich of Observationz

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  • Hard News: Food Show 08,

    Before we had *$s in London, coffee was either instant or (worse IMHO) from a filter jug.

    In about 1998 some people came back from a trip to Seattle and started a Starbucks clone called the "Seattle Coffee Company". They rapidly opened 60 stores (this *was* the late '90s) and sold them to *$s for Sixty Million Quid. That's right, three million dollars for a coffee shop in rented premises.

    I'm a mocha drinker, me. Schoc in Tory St does the best mochas in NZ in my book. The quality of coffee is usually proportionate to the freakishness of the barista - the more outlandish their clothes, tats and piercings, the nicer the drink. This is not only empirically true, there is a mechanism - N2O.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Yr Enemies R Stupid,

    Personally, if the US wants to invade Mars and scour it for Martian WMDs, then I'd be happy for them to do so. After that, if they want to try regime change on Jupiter? Anything to keep them busy & happy..

    Perhaps Osama is hiding in the Kuiper Belt?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Busytown: To infinity and beyond,

    these guys have built a vehicle that does over 3500km on a litre of petrol. You couldn't cycle very far on the energy equivalent of that much food.

    Of course, most people eat way more food then they need, so bikes run on waste energy.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Busytown: To infinity and beyond,

    Bicycles might be 99% efficient (at least, if they don't have rear suspension). People are only maybe 15% efficient, so only 15% of the energy in your food is converted to motion. Also, unless you munch raw sugar cane as your sole energy source, your food isn't neccesarily an optimal energy efficient fuel.

    To say nothing of the petroleum products used in making and washing a garish lycra costume for each day of the week. Smugness must have an energy budget, too.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Busytown: To infinity and beyond,

    a fun toy with probable military applications as well

    So could a force of elite kommandos wearing these cross the Tasman and invade Bondi?

    seven weeks after the birth of his second child, Mr. Martin figured his prototype was now powerful enough to lift its first flier, so long as that person weighed less than 130 pounds.

    As I read that I was staring to think that he strapped the *baby* to it and flew it around?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Not actually satire,

    Moving along to Tauranga, surely the locals might think about re-electing Winston, given that National offered them one of the most useless MPs* in living memory for the last three years.

    I think it was fairly obvious what was on offer to them.

    Perhaps we could give Tauranga some sort of territory status like the District of Columbia, where they aren't allowed to vote, except for an elected Village Idiot or something.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Part of nearly all our lives,

    Do you know, I'd never thought of the part of Cuba St below Manners Mall as actually being Cuba St, but it is, of course. Not far from my unspecified work.

    There was a guy on Cuba Mall playing Dylan songs a moment ago. Not half bad - he had the treacle and rusty nails bit off to a T. Also, he was playing "Hard Rain" with the correct chords rather than "Blowing in the Wind" using only E's.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Part of nearly all our lives,

    Apropos of Che's sig, which I only just noticed:

    The posh end of Cuba St

    It doesn't have one. It starts in a retail ghetto and ends in a residential one (I know coz I live there). That apartment block by the mower shop with the exhibitionist swimming pool is as posh as it gets, really.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Wild is the Weekend,

    the officials inexplicably failed to award a penalty try

    Has there ever been a rugby game which NZ lost (or failed to win by a suitable overwhelming margin) where people haven't whinged about the ref?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Speaker: Won't Someone Please Not Think…,

    It's a bit late, but those who think that censorship is ok because it's only directed at yucky porn and the like should look at this Grauniad article.

    The UK police are using an activist movie's lack of a certificate to prevent its being shown in pubs, cafes and cinemas.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

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