Auckland Metblogs » lon_buzz

The break is over

lon_buzz — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 21:54:22 +0000

Like the rest of Auckland, I’ve been taking a summer break.

While I was at the beach, some stuff happened but with a view like this, I wasn’t really bothered. In fact, living with no phone and no internet at the end of a dirt track in the middle of nowhere was a nice reminder that there’s more to life than fits down a broadband cable.

On the downside, the clown Bush is still in office and still can’t figure why he needs to loosen his tie more often.

National Delurking Week is almost over!

lon_buzz — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 01:25:06 +0000

It’s the last day of National Delurking Week where blog readers are encouraged to reveal themselves - and a little about themselves - to the blog authors and other readers!

To celebrate, I’ll take a leaf out of my fellow Metroblogger Annika Barranti’s book and ask Metroblogging Auckland readers to share a little bit about themselves. You may share whatever you like, but here’s a few things to get you started:

* Do you live in Auckland?

* If yes, what district do you live or work in?

* If no, where do you live?

* Are you from Auckland originally or have you, like me, relocated here?

* What is your favourite aspect of living or working in Auckland?

* What one thing would you change about Auckland if you could?

As we’re one of the youngest cities in the Metroblogging network, it would be great to hear from the folks who have found us and learn what they like or dislike. Please leave a comment below or drop me a line with your opinions or suggestions. On the other hand, if you think we’re getting it all wrong and would like to redress the balance, why not join us as an author and get your voice heard across our global network?

Iraq casualties: which people are paying the biggest price?

lon_buzz — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 02:26:34 +0000

Unquestionably, Iraq has suffered the largest death toll per 100,000 of population with 504 deaths based on a low end estimate of 53,101 deaths from a population estimated by the CIA to be 26,783,383. However, you might be surprised by the people who follow. According to the US Marine Corps Times website, 10.4 American Samoans per 100,000 of population (65,000) have lost their lives in the conflict compared, say, to 0.77 per 100,000 of the population of New York State, which has a population of nearly 19 million. That’s some sacrifice, especially when one considers that persons born in American Samoa are United States nationals, but not United States citizens. Samoan is the fourth largest ethnic group (20,730) in Auckland, following New Zealand European/pakeha (206,937), Chinese (30,285) and Maori (29,139).

Technorati Tags: Auckland, casualties, iraq, samoa

You know you’re in Auckland when…

lon_buzz — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:58:00 +0000

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson plans to pop over from Oz - just for a cocktail party.

Technorati Tags: Richard Branson, Virgin, Auckland

Greenpeace’s Esperanza in Auckland

lon_buzz — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 01:20:43 +0000

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza will arrive in Auckland tomorrow morning. The Esperanza is Greenpeace’s newest ship and it is on its first New Zealand.

“Last whaling season the Greenpeace crew stopped many whales from being killed in the Antarctic. This year they will be carrying out activities designed by supporters who have posted their ideas on www.greenpeace.org.nz/whales.” says Greenpeace New Zealand.

For those who are interested in Greenpeace and their anti-whaling campaign, you can pop down to Princes Wharf and have a look around, the Esperanza will be open for public visits during the next two weekends (Jan 13/14/20/21) between 10 and 4 before she leaves for the Antarctic.

Technorati Tags: greenpeace, esperanza, whaling, antarctic

Suck it up

lon_buzz — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 02:07:27 +0000

Ninety volunteers in Auckland will try a new nictotine lozenge developed by Swedish researchers in a trial run by Auckland University’s Clinical Trials Research Unit. Almost three quarters of a million New Zealanders smoke and it kills about over 4.500 Kiwis a year. Unlike a good many Metroblogging cities, Auckland, along with the rest of NZ, already has a smoking ban in many public places, bars and restaurants but these faster-working lozenges may help those who want to quit.

Technorati Tags: smoking, metroblogging, nicotine, lozenge

Timeout: A great Auckland bookshop

lon_buzz — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 22:53:16 +0000

Being back at work when most folks are still away has benefits but also drawbacks. The lack of traffic is glorious but the lack of local cafes open for hungry business folk is not. My search for food and coffee took me up to Mt Eden this morning and, having a little more time than normal, I had a quick wander up and down the shops there and discovered the Timeout Bookshop.

Time Out is a great example of a local bookstore: unashamedly a bookshop as distinct from a shop that sells books and other things and staffed by friendly folks like Jane and her colleague whose name I didn’t get (sorry, chap). The shop isn’t big but it is piled high with a great range of books, not to mention the odd cat and even has a separate children’s section. What’s more, they are open from 9am to 9pm, run a mailing list for interested bibliophiles, have a periodic philosophy discussion group and even open their upstairs room to book and film-of-the-book clubs. I now know where I’ll be directing people who ask what’s on my birthday list.

Technorati Tags: books, puppy, shop, Time Out

How to spot top pot crop

lon_buzz — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 02:54:23 +0000

Northland trampers have been helping the police with their enquiries. Apparently, the hot and cold weather makes a bumper dope crop more likely this year. The Northern Advocate lends a lazy journalistic hand by telling folks what to look out for on their country walks, like:

Stolen electric fencing from rural locations used to keep animals out of cannabis plots
Stolen black piping used for irrigating cannabis plots
Cars regularly parked on the side of the road in rural places
Pungent smells associated with hydroponic cannabis production

As someone who lives and spends a fair amount of time in the country, I have the following questions:

How do I tell whether electric fencing is stolen?
How do I know which black irrigation piping is stolen and which isn’t?
Couldn’t cars regularly parked on the side of the road in rural places belong to trampers or folks growing legal crops?
What if I am not familiar with the pungent smells associated with hydroponic cannabis production?

Those more schooled in the art of nosing out narcotics can ring 0800 BAN DRUGS (0800 226 3784) to report their finds - calls are free and can be anonymous.

Technorati Tags: cannabis, dope, 0800 BAN DRUGS

NZ’s lowest holiday road death tally in 25 years

lon_buzz — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 00:42:14 +0000

The cost of life in this year’s motorised mayhem was:

1 driver died as the result of an impact at a junction.
3 were killed in head-on collisions.
5 drivers lost control and killed themselves in the process.

Thankfully, this equates to under half of the toll for the same period last year. That said, a motorcyclist became the first fatality in the post-holiday period and cyclists continue to be pinged, winged and run off the road on a daily basis, around here at least. For one, I am resolved to using the car less (though I can’t commute any other way), do my best to avoid becoming a statistic and drive more economically and safely.

More details via Stuff.co.nz, NewstalkZB and TVNZ

Technorati Tags: auckland, fatality, NZ, statistic, road toll

Aotearoa - from space

lon_buzz — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 05:40:42 +0000

Neil from our Metroblogging neighbours Melbourne tipped me off about a Digg science and space post concerning a stunning hi-res photo of the shuttle crew’s most recent space walk. The full size hi-res shot shows the bottom half of the North Island and the top half of the South way below the space walking astronauts. Click through and play spot the capital - amongst other places.

Technorati Tags: nasa, NZ, space walk, digg