NZ Off topic
- www.bbc.com How the world’s smelliest fruit is making coffee more expensive
A "perfect storm" of economic and environmental factors in coffee-producing regions is pushing up prices.
- www.rnz.co.nz Scooter-rider's altercation with parents, kids at Tauranga skate park
Police were called after the run-in at a Tauranga skate park.
This guy sound like such an utter tosser.
- www.rnz.co.nz Auckland primary school locked down over man shooting pigeons
Police say a man had been shooting pigeons at his home - which borders the school - with a BB gun.
I'm guessing the author doesn't know the difference between a BB gun and a pellet gun/air rifle, because I doubt a BB would reliably kill a pigeon.
- www.rnz.co.nz 'Lord have mercy' - Blind man asked for driver's licence for identification
A blind man's experience at the local Ministry of Social Development office has him worried about changes to disability services.
Yup.
- www.rnz.co.nz Dog ingests methamphetamine on walk through central Auckland
Fleur's owner wants to raise awareness over rising meth use in the city.
Wasn't expecting to read that headline today.
- www.rnz.co.nz Woman calls police after mistaking 'realistic' sex doll for body
"One of the cops nudge[d] it with his foot, and I thought, he's not going to nudge it if it's a body."
Looking at the photos, it definitely looks like a body from a distance, I don't blame anyone for making that mistake.
- www.livescience.com World's loneliest tree species can't reproduce without a mate. So AI is looking for one hidden in the forests of South Africa.
A single specimen of an ancient tree species was found in 1895. Now scientists are using AI to find it a mate.
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Theme change
Just changed my theme to Vaporware dark, it is really funky.
I really like the monospaced font and retro-futuristic look.
- www.rnz.co.nz Watch: Truck tips on its end in Upper Hutt
A truck has ended up in an unusual position while trying to lift a concrete slab.
Someone's Friday isn't going according to plan. What a mess.
- www.rnz.co.nz Break-up legal claim: Woman seeks $27k over takeaways, car for man met on dating site
The woman is taking a man she met on a dating site to the Disputes Tribunal after the relationship ended just months after it began.
Another relationship situation ending up at Disputes tribunal, this time being partly successful.
- www.rnz.co.nz Woman takes boyfriend to Disputes Tribunal for breach of contract after he misses airport drop off
A woman was so unhappy that her boyfriend failed to take her to the airport, meaning she missed a flight to a concert, that she took him to the Disputes Tribunal for a breach of contract.
I thought this was pretty funny. Probably for the best the case was unsuccessful, of course.
- www.rnz.co.nz Waikato Expressway crash: Police thank people who gave CPR to victim
Passersby desperately tried to save a person struck on SH1, but they died at the scene.
I'm trying to work out the series of events here, because it's quite bizarre. This person was in a car crash, and then decided to cross the center median barrier, and walk in front of traffic coming the other way? Looking at the photo, they had to walk a reasonable distance and cross a safety barrier to reach the other lane.
- www.rnz.co.nz Rebuke issued in stoush over volume of on-bus announcements for blind passengers
And how a union boss ruined a regional councillor's morning.
This is such a bizarre thing to have such a blow up over. I don't use public transport, so I've never heard these announcements, are they really that bad?
- www.nzherald.co.nz Seagliders' 35-minute trips to Auckland closer with $145m deal
Seagliders and 35-minute trips between Whangārei and Auckland are a step closer.
I'm pretty sceptical about ground effect planes, there's a very good reason why they've never really taken off, despite so many countries and organisations giving them a try over the years, but I'd love to know what everyone else thinks.
- www.rnz.co.nz Benjamin Cohen was falsely accused of the Bondi Junction stabbings. Here's how the lie spread around the world
Anti-semitic and pro-Kremlin accounts turned a Sydney student into one of the most reviled men on the internet.
The man deserves a seven figure payout for this, I think.
- www.rnz.co.nz 2028 total solar eclipse in New Zealand likely big tourism drawcard, astronomer says
An astronomer was so excited by the prospect of witnessing a total solar eclipse on his doorstep, he bought his house 10 years ago with it in mind.
I'd love to see this from on the water, what do you all think? I'm amazed someone bought a house especially to see it though, that's just amazing.
- www.newshub.co.nz Scientists fear catastrophe after 'mind-boggling' world record temperature jump in Antarctica
The temperature jumped by 38.5C - a world record.
>On March 18, 2022, scientists at the Concordia research station in the east Antarctic recorded the largest spike in temperature ever recorded with the region experiencing a rise of 38.5C above its seasonal average.
>Unfortunately, it's not an isolated event with an increasing number of meteorologic anomalies being reported on the continent in the past two years.
The sea level rise map that was linked is interesting, I propose Hamilton to be the new international airport since both Auckland and Wellington's will be underwater
- www.rnz.co.nz 'We can sue him': Chumbawamba on Winston Peters use of their song
"We can sue him," says one of Chumbawamba's founders, if Winston Peters continues to useTubthumping song.
Politicians being told not to use a song happens surprisingly often actually, I know Donald Trump was told not to use one, I believe it was "rocking in the free world". They've also told Nigel Farage off, apparently.
- www.rnz.co.nz Auckland woman's breath-alcohol test nearly nine times legal limit, police say
A roadside test revealed a breath-alcohol level of 2178 micrograms, almost nine times the legal limit.
I'm surprised she could walk to the car like that.
- www.rnz.co.nz Real estate agent warned after using fake Asian accent in sales pitch
A high-profile Auckland real estate agent has been given a warning after posting a video of herself giving a sales pitch using a fake accent.
What the fuck?
- www.rnz.co.nz Glitch takes down petrol stations around country
A leap year error is being blamed for a nationwide outage at petrol stations.
I find this absolutely hilarious.
- www.rnz.co.nz Skipper of jet boat going 180km/h says he's lucky to walk away alive after crash
The skipper of a jet boat that nose-dived into the water at 180km/h says he is disappointed he did not break the record but so lucky to walk away and tell the story.
>Christensen said it appeared one of the two propellers came loose
Can we all take a moment to appreciate the sheer incompetence of the womble that wrote this, to repeatedly call the vessel a jet boat, then casually mention that a propeller came off? I also had a look at their Facebook page, (the racing team, that is) and they also say the cause of the crash was losing a propeller.
Top notch journalism.
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Feeling a bit down
www.rnz.co.nz Good reasons you’re feeling so tired after the holidaysMost of us who took some time off over the holidays will be getting back into the swing of things by now. But why are we feeling so tired? Professor Ian Hickie, Co-Director of Health and Policy at The University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre says that it is not just Kiwis and Australians th...
- www.rnz.co.nz Woolworths scrambles to close loophole after shoppers register multiple cards to gain points
A loophole in its new loyalty programme has seen some shoppers create burner accounts and claim hundreds of dollars in points to spend in-store.
Good on them, I hate these BS loyalty schemes, and typically avoid any store that offers them.
Milk it for all it's worth I say.
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Best view in the city?
The saga continues from my misspent Friday night
Managed to put my shoulder back out on Sunday night so spent it all in the ED. Ortho now think I’ll need surgery to stabilise the Bankart fracture I also sustained
The currently want me to stay in as there is a high chance I’ll pop it back out again
🎉
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My car insurance went up $40 a month
I was renewing with Tower and it's gone up a lot, even though I haven't made a claim and nothing has changed. Same old car. I just thought stuff it, and I downgraded to third party only with no theft or fire cover (I have one of the best alarms)
On the phone they explained that part of the reason was that the value of my car had been adjusted (about $1,000 higher) but when they used the calculator to figure out the premium cost for a lower agreed value, it didn't change to the price I expected.
Prices must have gone up due to inflation or corporate greed.
I'd still trust Tower over AMI. Once I used AMI and my renewal package got lost in the post, and my insurance expired, but they didn't even text or email me. With Tower it automatically renews. So while AMI might be cheaper, they are really bad with communication, and won't even spend 2 cents to send an SMS to your phone.
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What are some good scientific sites to follow regarding health and food?
I'm interested to read about discoveries regarding health, food and longevity as I'm planning to stick around as long as possible. I already found Stanfords publications on longevity. Just wondering if you have any other reading tips? Ideally with an Rss feed.
I'm only interested in information backed by science as much as possible.
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Hard wire a Sureflap cat flap with battery backup?
I've got a Sureflap cat flap operated by 4 AA batteries. It doesn't work well on rechargeables, it seems to need 1.5v batteries.
I'm thinking to hardwire it with battery backup (like a Ups). I'm not very experienced in electronics, are there any off the shelf products I could use? I'm assuming the flap runs at 6v and that I can just attach two cables, one to plus, one to min.
If there are no off the shelve products, any recommendations for what I should buy?
- www.rnz.co.nz Airbnb names Lower Hutt its top trending New Zealand destination
The Wellington city took the crown, but a handful of small New Zealand towns also made the top 10 list.
Genuinely surprised by this one. What is there in Lower Hutt worth travelling for?
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Bridge between US and Canada closed following explosion. (Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls)
abcnews.go.com Rainbow Bridge between US, Canada closed following vehicle explosion: FBIThe Rainbow Bridge connecting the U.S. and Canada at Niagara Falls, New York, has been closed after a vehicle explosion, according to the FBI and local authorities.
In case you missed it.
Obviously an unfolding situation so we don't yet know anything about if it's intentional or whatvthe motive may have been if not.
Alao on RNZ here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/503051/authorities-investigating-an-explosion-on-rainbow-bridge-between-us-and-canada
- www.rnz.co.nz Cryptocurrency retailer launch NZ dollar-backed stablecoin
New Zealand's largest cryptocurrency retailer is launching its first stablecoin.
I'm not intimately familiar with how crypto works, can anyone explain how this is likely to fall apart? The article is a bit light on detail.
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Guys I just discovered the town equivalent of Bashford Antiques!: This Louisiana Town Runs Largely on Traffic Fines. If You Fight Your Ticket, the Mayor Is Your Judge.
www.propublica.org This Louisiana Town Runs Largely on Traffic Fines. If You Fight Your Ticket, the Mayor Is Your Judge.Fenton, population 226, brings in over $1 million per year through its mayor’s court, an unusual justice system in which the mayor can serve as judge even though he’s responsible for town finances.
Via @[email protected]