Muzzerino.com

Paxman with Alex Salmond - " certainly the picture of the patronising En...

2012-01-25T20:14:00.000+13:00

SNmr: Fair shares

2012-01-19T10:45:00.000+13:00

SNmr: Fair shares: As the London media tries to play catch up on the independence issue, we are starting to see many of the old hoary issues resurrected. One...

The Union, a gamble worth taking?

2012-01-19T09:23:00.002+13:00

Finally, a reasoned and balanced article regarding Scottish Independence and the risk associated with the status Quo.

"A sovereign Scotland would also have the option not to participate in the kind of British military adventurism which, in recent years, has stoked resentment in the Middle East and helped make UK citizens the targets of Islamist terrorism. Reflecting its new status as a small, northern European nation-state, it could conduct its foreign affairs in the spirit of peaceful diplomatic cooperation,"

The Union, a gamble worth taking?

#Autumn2014 Scottish Independence and why it might fail.

2012-01-15T09:18:00.000+13:00

Unfounded fear and uncertainty.

That's it. That is how Scotland will lose the referendum on Independence in 2014.

Sad I know, but it's true. If you believe the sheer amount of drivel that is currently being spouted across the media regarding the economic uncertainty of an independent Scotland, then I urge you to abstain from voting in the referendum. For god's sake, please don't vote 'no' just because the UK politicians and world media keep asking/making these stupid loaded questions and statements

(1) How would an Independent Scotland have bailed out HBOS and RBS?

Answer 1:
Simply put, Scotland would not have to. Scotland would bear the responsibility of bailing out all banks that operate within Scotland herself (if they needed it) whether those banks were Scottish, German, Canadian or Nigerian.

This is the international convention that all countries adhere to, I don't see why Scotland should be considered exempt. RBS for example only has a very small % of business in Scotland, therefore Scotland would be responsible for that small %.**

Answer 2:
Even if Scotland was responsible for bailing out all RBS UK operations, then by rights Scotland should also receive a refund from the UK treasury for taxes paid since RBS was founded in 1727. (after all, if RBS was Scottish and never British) With that money we could buy back the bank, refund the other UK taxpayers for their contributions and use the rest to build a multi billion pound sunroof over Edinburgh to keep us dry in winter.

(2) How would an Independent Scotland defend herself?

Answer:
Scotland makes up 8.6% of the UK population, (contributes a lot more than that in tax mind you..) therefore under a fair arrangement at least 8.6% of the UK Armed Forces will become Scottish.

(3) How could Scotland service her share of UK debt?

Answer:
We already are! Scotland makes up 8.6% of the UK, all our money goes direct to London, where some of it is used servicing THAT debt. The difference is, when we are Independent, we will have more clout and control over our own resources to help pay that debt that we are already paying.

(4) Scotland's Oil is Running Out!

Answer:
Experts across many fields disagree with this, many claim there is at least 40 years of oil left at current output* However, even if this was true and oil output dropped to 20% of what it is currently the day after independence, then Scotland would still be better off!
We'd be better off having 'all of something' than 'all of nothing'.

If you are a Scot, and plan to vote no out of any of these fears, then I urge you to read more about these fear tactics that are being used against us to thwart the campaign.

Google ethese items: 'Scottish Subsidy Myth' 'McCrone Report' 'HBOS and RBS bailouts' 'Scottish Defence Forces"

It's too easy to be lazy. These loaded unionist questions can create doubt within a matter of seconds.

The real answer takes a little longer to unravel, but it's not rocket sceience. My worry is that a substantial number of Scots will hear the lie, fear the doubt and then vote 'no'.

If you plan on voting no in Autumn 2014, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.

Saor Alba.

*http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7435016.stm

**http://joanmcalpine.typepad.com/joan_mcalpine/2011/07/scotland-and-the-banking-bailout-time-for-the-truth.html

Inside New Zealand Documentary about NZ Homes, Hit's the mark.

2011-11-23T10:52:00.001+13:00

Damp, Cold, Mouldy New Zealand Homes:

I've been talking about this with my friends for years and I am always labelled a whinger, but last night's hard hitting doco on the state of poverty among New Zealand children really proves that this is not just a minor annoyance, but a real health issue.

I am what you would call a middle-class New Zealand income earner, we do quite well financially, but still struggle to attain a minimum level of comfort in our home. We are spending thousands of dollars renovating to bring a basic level of insulation and heating that even the ancient Romans enjoyed.

This made me think, if we are uncomfortable, then what must it be like for people who are far poorer? last night's doco answered that question, and it was not pretty.

With the election fast approaching, there has been a lot of talk about that nasty word 'socialism'.

We have been told that the 'free market' and reducing the level of government 'interference' is a good thing for all of us.

I suppose in a sense, this is correct. After all, we have iPads now don't we? wouldn't you prefer an iPad over staying warm through winter?

Watching last nights documentary made me very angry, it proved to me once and for all, that New Zealand places far too much emphasis on 'lifestyle' and 'image' over basic necessities. Coming from Scotland, I am all too aware that we are not exactly considered the fashionable centre of the universe. Our houses may be mostly terraced, but they are warm and dry, our schools may not architecturally designed, but they are warm and dry.

The Inside NZ doco also explained that Sweden, a very similar country to NZ places great emphasis on a strong social foundation for it's citizens, ensuring food, shelter, and medical facilities are freely available for all Swedish children. If this is a version of Socialism, then I love it.

We are about to re-elect a government who (whether it's National or Labour) have, for whatever reason, neglected these basic things for decades!

The remarkable thing about all this, is that the alternative (socialist system) is CHEAPER! Preventative measures in all these areas are cheaper by a ratio of 4:1 (according to the Doco) It makes sense from a Capitalist standpoint!

That's correct, by giving our children free access to medical services, we lessen hospital admissions. By providing them food and milk at school, they learn better on a full stomach. This is a long term investment building more intelligent, productive workers for a future society.

That last paragraph will likely never appear as a tangible investment on a CEO's quarterly profit statement and that is why we need to stop our destructive path toward unfettered Capitalism and reclaim the Social foundation that we used to enjoy.

The Social Foundation that Sweden and many other countries, continue to enjoy.

Lets give New Zealand children food, warmth and banish the mould.

Dear Scotland, You are being lied to about the Union.

2011-10-30T23:23:00.002+13:00

Dear Scotland

With the Scottish independence referendum just around the corner, the UK Unionist parties are getting ready for a fight.

This fight will be to convince Scottish voters that it's going to be in your best interest to remain a part of the United Kingdom.

This comes at a time where the anti-Scottish rhetoric in the media has hit incredible new heights. Proclamations of Scotland being a subsidy junkie of England have never been higher and with the recession and banking crises, Scots are being told over and over that we simply cannot go it alone. We are too small, too insignificant and our economy is too fragile to withstand the stormy seas of this recession without hand outs of our generous English cousins..

These are lies.

The banking lie is one which seem to be gaining a lot of traction and many Scots need to know the truth. Remember the AndyMurrayOMeter?

For example: When successful during the good decades, the Royal Bank of Scotland was was pumping billions of pounds into the UK treasury and supporting many UK jobs (Not Just Scottish) this was a successful BRITISH bank.

Then it was a failure, and it was a failure due to the useless Scots who ran it. We were told we needed (The English) to bail it out. What other generous 'foreign' nation would do such a thing? therefore the English are awesome and Scots are losers. Of course, the bailout had nothing to do with safeguarding British (mostly English) interests.

When it failed, it was suddenly a Scottish bank exclusively, with not a smidgen of Britishness about it and with absolutely no link to Britain whatsoever. This was summed up nicely by this excellent comment I blatantly stole from an online forum, read it here.

I'd love someone to do a calculation on just how much money the RBS and other 'Scottish' banks have paid into the UK treasury over the last few hundred years. Should be quite a lot I expect.

When I was a unionist, I loved the idea that if Scotland ever got into some social or economic trouble, then the pain would be easier to bear knowing that the great UK union which we helped to build would be there for us.

Equally, I relished the thought that Scotland would be there to help out anyone else in our grand union in times of crisis, this is of course what a fair and equitable union is supposed to be, is it not?

For example, why should England have to pay to import energy when Scotland has a surplus, they can have ours. Being part of the union can also help Scotland by having access to a larger market to buy and sell our goods.

Note: Scotland recently sent hundreds of Scottish police officers to aid their English colleagues during the England riots. UK media outlets did not bother to give this much coverage.

However, the ideology of union is very different from the reality of union. The bank bailouts are just one example where Scotland is constantly being paraded as a handicapped nation, one which must be helped at all costs by the rest of the UK, or England.

Perhaps in the Utopian 24th century future of Star Trek, I might believe that such generous actions could be possible, where one nation is happy to take on such a burden to help out a neighbour. Somehow I don't think this is what's happening here.

Thankfully I was educated in a Scottish system which promotes it's students to challenge and ask questions about such things. Therefore I ask this;

'if Scotland is such a hefty weight, such a burden on the shoulders of the English taxpayer. If Scotland really does not provide anything to this union to benefit the other citizens within the union, then why have successive UK governments not supported the Scottish Independence Movement and kicked us out the door?

And why did Westminster set up the Holyrood Parliament under the STV (single transferable vote) system ? Why not set up Holyrood under the FPP (First Past the Post) system?

if it's good enough for Westminster...

*Correction, Siônnyn correctly pointed out that Scotland actually uses the Additional Member system, not STV. :-)

Something doesn't add up here. I think that the UK prefers to keep the myth alive that Scotland is 'too poor' and 'too wee' and therefore needs the British state to be a continual, generous overlord over this part of Great Britain.

Read more about the insulting myths of Scotland's incapacity to contribute.

The Machine:
I foresee a continuation of this attitude coming from the UK establishment in the years to come, and when Alex Salmond announces the date of the Scottish Independence Referendum, then the UK propaganda machine will kick into full force.

This machine will have one objective.

To retain UK sovereignty over the entire area currently identified at Scotland and her Exclusive Economic Zone.

This machine will employ at least 2 methods.

To convince Scottish citizens that there is no way an independent Scotland can survive on it's own without funding from London. 'Too Poor' and 'Too Wee'.
To convince Scottish citizens that Scotland has an important place as a dominant nation within the UK and therefore the world.

The problem with the objective is that it will clash with the first method. Even the average Joe in Scotland is all too aware aware of a few important facts.

Scotland is rich in natural resources.
Scotland occupies a massive 33% of an island upon which almost 60 million people reside.
Scotland's Exclusive Economic Zone is much larger than England's.
Scotland 'wants' to re-industrialise.

The 2nd method of convincing Scotland that she is an important nation within the UK and therefore the world, is one that many Scots are unable to gauge.
A Scot really has to live outside of the UK for a while to understand just how Scotland is perceived. As an Expat Scot I have already written about my own views regarding this and how I switched from Unionist to Scottish Nationalist.

In my own life I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears just how much Scotland is seen in the world and exactly how important it is within the UK. The sad news is that it's not important. It never has been.

Scotland is seen as an attachment to England, nothing more. Sometimes convenient, usually not. English people I have spoken to outside of the UK clearly describe the UK as England with some bits 'attached'. Not once have I heard anyone talk about Scotland in equal status with England in the UK.

International Representation:

If the country of Scotland has no seat at the United Nations or European Parliament, then the voice of the Scottish nation shall always be drowned out by the other 91% of the UK. Proportionately, the voice of the Scottish people is silent among international organisations.

Example:

The Republic of Ireland Population is 4.5 Million.
The Republic of Ireland has 12 Ministers of the European Parliament
Scotland's population is 5.2 Million
Scotland has 6 Ministers of the European Parliament
The Republic of Ireland is a member of the United Nations.
Scotland is not a member of the United Nations

Note* Luxembourg has a population of only 460,000. They also have 6 MEPs.

Scotland 2011 Election Map.

Different Voting Pattern, Different Ideology:
What I've discovered in recent years is the different mindset that exists between voters on either side of the border. I used to think that most of us were unionists and that we all believed in things such as the NHS, a strong welfare state and being unified in times of crisis.

Recently it has become very much apparent that people in England, (a fair amount anyway) are far closer to being right wing liberal capitalists whereas people in Scotland are (in my humble opinion) more likely to be left leaning Progressive-Social-Foundationists.*Please see note [1]

This different voting pattern helps to prove that most Scots do not support the UK unionist parties.

Scottish Governance and Irony:
Many will argue that because Scotland already has it's own partially autonomous government, that we are fine just the way we are.

UK Nuclear Submarine with Trident

Nothing can be further from the truth.

The Scottish People and Government has only 20% control of Scotland's resources. (approx)
The Scottish People and Government does not have a say on Weapons of Mass Destruction (Trident Nuclear Missiles) located in Scotland. Which costs the UK and Scotland billions of pounds to operate and maintain with the vast majority of that money going directly to the USAwhere the weapons are bought from.
The Scottish People and Government don't have a say on whether we send our troops to spill blood in illegal wars.
The Scottish People and Government can't influence the UK on spending and investing 'our' share of total UK taxation and revenue gathered from the Scottish economy. We just have to trust Westminster to do that for us.

Ironically, in areas where Scotland does have powers and the ability to operate in our self interest, Scotland is heavily criticized and labelled 'spongers' off the English taxpayer for doing so.

Topics such as tuition fees and medical prescriptions spring to mind.

Border Control:
Right now, it is possible to drive from the Arctic circle to the Mediterranean sea without encountering a single border post, as a member of the EU, Scotland would be no different.

Defence:
How will poor wee independent Scotland defend itself?
If we attain full sovereign independence, the Scottish Government will then be in a position to use an acceptable % of the money we currently send to London to invest in the Scottish defence forces at a level similar to other nations of our size.

Example;

Danish F-16

Denmark spent 4.3 Billion USD on defence during the year 2009.
The UK MOD only spent 1.99Bn on Defence in Scotland during 2008, up from a paltry 749Mn in the years previous to that.[2]

Note also, that upon separation from the UK and despite years of under investment of defence in Scotland, Scotland will receive at least an 8.6% share in all UK defence assets which she has already paid for.

8.6% of all UK defence could be interpreted as these main assets.(not including most of the auxiliary and training equipment and most of these figures end up with Scotland gaining e.g. 55% of a ship and I have not counted it as such.

14 Eurofighters
11 Tornado Jets
1 Reconnaissance aircraft
20 Transport and SAR Helicopters
6 Apache Attack Helicopters
3 Lynx Attack Helicopters
36 Challenger II Tanks
28 Scimitar Light Tanks
67 Warrior Fighting Vehicles
77 Bulldog Armoured Vehicles
1,314 additional armoured and non armoured vehicles.
25 Modern Air Defence Missile Launchers

As you can see from the very partial example list above, an Independent Scotland would have no problem defending herself.

Of the 79 active ships in the Royal Navy, an 8.6% share would be 6.7 ships. The composition of these would of course be up to the negotiating parties.
Note: Many Scots would argue (myself included) that although our population share is only 8.6% of the UK, Scotland has and currently does contribute a far higher number than that in terms of real taxation, identifiable and non-identifiable. Many have placed that figure at approx 10.4% including the GERS report direct from Westminster.

Scotland Subsidises the UK >

Wins / Losses:

Things we will lose under independence.

Trident Nuclear Weapons.
Being dragged into illegal wars.
'Pocket money' from London. (Block Grant)
Being ruled by political parties which very few Scots vote for.
The Scottish Office.
The continuing offensive names such as 'subsidy junkie'.

Things we will gain under independence.

Representation at the United Nations
Fairer representation in the European Union
A fairer democracy which allows the party voted by Scots to run Scotland
Close to 100% of our own money, taxation and resources
A Government which is 100% interested in advancing Scotland
An affordable, strong social service without having to feel guilty about having it
A modern Scottish Air Force, Army, Navy and the power to use them legally

I believe that Scotland needs to assert her position in the world in at least the same way that Australia, Canada and New Zealand does, by having complete and utter independence of any other nation.

We can of course retain certain cultural and royal links if the people choose to do so, just as New Zealand, Canada and Australia do now.

Murray TC Douglas

[1]. This is a term that I created to describe a nation which favours a strong social foundation (health, defence, welfare, minimum wage, unions) protected by the people and for the people represented by the government. Upon which, market forces and capitalism exists and trades in mostly luxury and non-essential products and services of the nation in a fairly taxed and regulated economic system.

[2]. http://www.defencemanagement.com/feature_story.asp?id=16821

HD Dashcam Review (Chinavasion) CVLL-DV51

2011-10-18T14:53:00.001+13:00

Earlier this year (2011), we nearly got wiped out by a couple of boy racers who decided to speed past us at approx 100Kmh in a 50 zone, I reported the incident to the NZ police, but with no licence plate number or any other concrete details beyond a basic colour and make of the car, the police were unable to take it any further.

As a result of this, I went online looking for a decent dashcam. I wanted to make sure that if anything like this happens again, I got it on video!

I soon found that I had 2 options, I could buy the ones marketed on places like Amazon for about $220.00, or take a chance with one of the cheaper Chinese models.

I ended up ordering this one (at first), but soon discovered it's limitations. This is an SD (Standard Definition) as opposed to HD and it had to be started manually each time I got in the car. Check the sample below.
It cost around 50 New Zealand Dollars. (40US) (25GBP)

After about 2 weeks, I decided that I wanted an HD one, with 720p minimum. I went back to Chinavasion to see what else they had and I discovered the CVLL-DV51, with true 1280 x 720p resolution and 120degree lens.

I contacted a couple of other people on YouTube who posted samples of it and asked them their opinion. They verified that it was indeed a TRUE HD dashcam and not one of the upscaled clones which are all to easy to find, so I ordered it and I have now been using it since may. It's awesome.

YouTube sample Dashcam HD.

I use a 16gb SD card with it and have set it to record in 15 minute 'chunks' and with this setting it will record for 9 hours! Also, unlike the other one, this dashcam is 'cyclic', which means I don't have to empty the card and make room for more videos once it's filled up. It will simply overwrite the original files and keep going over and over.

Also, if a power failure occurs due to a car crash, the camera will keep recording for a few seconds after impact and save the file to the card, even if the lens gets smashed.

I have always been a little dubious about ordering things online from sites in China, but I can guarantee you, these guys are great. Since then 2 of my colleagues have also order helmet cams for cycling to work, so they can catch those nasty Auckland drivers who try to run them off the road.

Check it out on this page,HD Mini DVR with LCD CVLL-DV51 HD Dashcam

US Navy 236th Birthday Photo Shows British Warship HMS Westminster.

2011-10-13T13:37:00.003+13:00

Strangest thing, I visited the United States Air Force page today which I often do (They have one of the best military photo galleries around) and I spotted this marvellous mistake.

They have used a photo of HMS Westminister, a British Type 23 Duke Class Frigate to advertise the 236th Birthday of the United States Navy.

Anyway, I emailed them and told them about it, good samaritan that I am.

http://www.af.mil/photos/index.asp

They changed it!

US Navy, HMS Westminster, US Air Force, United States, British Warship, Mistake, Embarassing, photo, graphic,

The Death Penalty. Humans make mistakes.

2011-09-27T14:21:00.000+13:00

This is probably the most mature and progressive angle to the Death Penalty Debate I have discovered so far. Thank you Lawrence O’Donnell for being brave enough to bring this into the light.

“The death penalty is a human system created by human beings, run by human beings. That means there is human error built into it. A human system is not capable of perfection. Government does nothing flawlessly. Government cannot flawlessly kill people. If you give government the power to kill people, you are giving government the power to make mistakes killing people, and government will make those mistakes. You couldn’t stop Troy Davis’ execution by just protesting Troy Davis’ execution. The only way to stop Troy Davis’ execution is to stop all executions.” – Lawrence O’Donnell

The Truth about HBOS and the RBS bail out...

2011-08-31T11:37:00.006+12:00

The following text was quoted from John the Anonymous on Telegraph.co.uk comments
I hope he does not mind me reposting this....it sums up the situation better than I ever could.

To be fair to us greedy sponging whingeing ungrateful Scotch beggars, we need a bit more clarity on the whole 'bank bail-out' issue. HBOS was only half a Scottish bank. The rest of it was a Halifax bank - that's right, check out the name: HALIFAX Bank of Scotland.

So half of the blame should be going to the greedy sponging whingeing beggars of Halifax. That's right. Half of it was their fault. So they should be compensating the noble generous English people for their half of the bail-out.

And the other one? Take a look at the name. That's right, ROYAL Bank of Scotland. So half of that one was the Queen's fault. She should have to pick up her share of the tab.

The good news for the greedy sponging whingeing beggars of Scotland and Halifax, and for Her Noble Majesty The Queen, is that because these banks were never actually 'British' banks, but 'Scottish/Halifax/Queeny' banks, then all those billions and billions in corporation tax that poured into the British exchequer during the good decades should never have gone there in the first place! They should have gone to the people of Scotland and Halifax! (Oh and Her Maj, of course. Don't forget Her Maj's share.)

So give us back all that money, and we'll use it to compensate you noble generous English people for the actual, real-terms, cost of the bail-out (a few billions). After which, we'll own the banks outright. And everybody will be happy. The whingeing scrounging ungrateful beggars of Halifax and Scotland, Her Majesty, and all the noble generous people of England.

"All they do is drag us down, but they must never leave us." Jason Kennedy.

Further Reading:

The emerging truth about the bank bailout

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/8730902/Tell-the-truth-Scotland-has-been-indulged-for-too-long.html#dsq-content
http://joanmcalpine.typepad.com/joan_mcalpine/2011/07/scotland-and-the-banking-bailout-time-for-the-truth.html

Englands Exports vs Scotland Exports. How the world see us.

2011-08-29T10:22:00.007+12:00

Kia Ora!

I was insulted at the weekend, and if you are Scottish you should be insulted too after reading this post.

I had to go to my local Auckland petrol station to grab a new refill of LPG to keep my house warm, when I decided to have a nosey at the official Rugby World Cup Tournament Programme while I waited for the gas. I read on the cover that it contained profiles of all 20 teams, so naturally, I decided to look up the team from my own beloved homeland.

Now I am not the sporty type anyway, so I did not expect to spend more than a few seconds looking at the info in the article, but then I noticed that the good people at whatever office produced this magazine decided to throw in a few non-sports related facts to allow people to get a bit of an idea of the country that team is representing.

I glanced down to the section where it says exports, and for Scotland, it read:
Wool, Beef, Lamb and Whiskey - Thanks very much.

Fair enough, sounds about right. It obviously doesn't cover everything, but hey, this is a magazine about rugby right? no big deal. But then, I decided to look at the page on England's team. They also had a bit on exports. This is what is says:
Cars, Aircraft Engines, Petroleum, Crude Oil, Pharmaceuticals.

So tell me, as a Scot should I be insulted? Was my reaction warranted by this?

See the images below....

Scottish Exports: Wool, Beef, Lamb and Whiskey

English Exports: Cars, Aircraft Engines, Petroleum, Crude Oil, Pharmaceuticals.

As a regular Scottish guy with a moderate level of understanding of the UK economy, I'd like to state the following.

England doesn't produce Petrol and Crude Oil. The UK does and the largest part of this UK industry (90%) is produced by Scotland from Scottish UK waters, not English UK waters. Yet, England is seen this way, by regular people as a mighty economic power, England gets the recognition the entire UK should share in, meanwhile Scotland is seen as a cute attachment to the English dominated UK. We export Whiskey, Wool, Beef and Lamb.

There is of course no mention of our exported oil and gas (that credit goes to England) no mention of Scottish exported shipbuilding, electronics, metals, textiles, nuclear fuel, wood, food, drink, leather.... the list goes on.

I could dismiss this as simply an inaccurate portrayal of an ignorant New Zealand writer, but I know better. This is a common and inaccurate view taken by many people, English people included.

I apologise if this all sounds like a bitter Scotsman who is having a whinge, but there is a wonderful positive angle to this story and that is this...

This type of international viewpoint reinforces Scotland's position within the global community as a small, cute, unimportant nation. The UK union has done nothing to boost our profile as a modern, industrial, forward looking country. Scotland must fight for her rightful place in the world and take the credit and recognition she deserves as an important part of the European economy. Scotland must fight for full independence as a sovereign nation state within Europe.

And fight she will.

P.S. as a unionist, I used to get pissed off with the UK flag always being seen as 'England'. Perhaps I should see it the other way round?

Maybe England should be pitied for rarely getting their national flag of St George being shown?

How To Conquer The Scots

2011-08-15T10:50:00.000+12:00

As the author if the video states at the end, there is no positive case for Union.

Saor Alba and thanks to LibertyEcosse.

Dear NZ Food Places, Shut the DOOR!

2011-05-31T08:04:00.004+12:00

Dear Auckland cafe's, pubs and restaurants
Stop pretending it's summer! Shut the bloody door and turn the heating on. I don't like sitting inside a restaurant, pub or cafe with my coat and scarf on.

If people in Toronto can be nice and warm when it's -20c outside, then surely Auckland can manage it when it's about +9c.

NZ, style over substance. Stylish Lighting? check. Fancy Menu? check. Gourmet Coffee? check. Posh Prices? check. Minimalist artsy fartsy furniture? check. Heating/warmth? nah.

That is all.

http://www.muzzerino.com/2009/06/you-live-in-new-zealand-during-winter.html

Simple Question, Scottish Independence, Why?

2011-05-19T17:00:00.000+12:00

There have been so many heated debates, so many arguments, but at the moment I am wondering this...

If Scotland is such a sponger of English wealth and taxes, if Scotland is such a burden of the state, if Scotland is so badly equipped to run it's own affairs, then why does David Cameron wish to keep this United Kingdom together?

If Scotland really doesn't play its part, if Scotland does not contribute and Scotland is 'dependent', then why do so many English people resent the desire for Independence?

If Scotland's oil and gas reserves are really not such a big deal, if they are running out and probably won't fetch much cash for an Independent Scotland, then why did Westminster move a maritime boundary north to reduce the potential Scottish EEZ area by 6000 Sq miles?

Just wondering...

Reasons for Scottish Independence.

2011-05-11T10:58:00.000+12:00

When you get paid at the end of the month you don't give that money to your next door neighbours and let them decide what you can spend. At home you and your family are responsible for your own priorities and your own choices. But as a nation we currently let other people make those decisions for us.

In all parts of life people aspire to Independence. Our young people want the freedom to make their own decisions, just as many pensioners relish keeping their independence as they get older. We value independent investigations, we want our courts and police to be independent, many people aspire to leave jobs in big companies to go independent as their own boss.

At the heart of this is the natural desire to take responsibility for our own actions. Independence for our nation is not the answer to every concern you will have about the community and country you live in, but it does mean that we all work together for the answer. Independence is about a lot of things, but for me, at its heart, it is about choices. About having the ability to speak up for our own community, and to see the decisions Scotland takes, acted upon. And that choice - that independence - is a very precious thing." Angela Constance on Independence

From the SNP website.

Comparison: New Zealand Winter Vs Scotland Winter

2011-03-14T15:05:00.024+13:00

Click Image for Larger version.

Ok, I had an argument last week with two of my Kiwi mates who told me that the UK (or in my case, Scotland) is a miserable place to be in winter. I defended Scotland by stating that although it can be dark and cold, we also have Christmas, snow, festivals and as always, warm, dry shelter.

I decided to make this image as an illustration of how I view the NZ winter. I know I am not alone with this view after numerous chats with Canadian, Norwegians, Swedes and other Scots. See a pattern here? yes, that's right, we are all from 'cold' countries.

Of course there are many ways to skin a cat and this will not apply to everyone. But I maintain the view that NZ on average is still a far colder country than Scotland during winter due to the lack of heating, insulation and poor construction. You may not agree with the illustration, but all I can say is that in a New Zealand Winter, when I wake up in the morning, I am cold. When I go to work, it's cold, when I go to a restaurant, its cold, if I go to the pub, it's cold, and the NZ winter follows you everywhere you go.

In Scotland, when I shut the door on a cold day, that's it. End of story, the cold stays outside.

Here are some stats about NZ Homes

45% of existing homes are mouldy
16% of homes have no insulation at all
21% of people aged 18–24 say their home is cold and uncomfortable
84% of households say they don’t have the financial means to make energy-saving renovations
Typically more than one third of the energy used in the home is for keeping warm
Nearly two thirds of homes in New Zealand were built before insulation became a legal requirement in 1979—just over one million properties
More than a quarter of the nation’s homes could be making their occupants ill
More than 75% of people who rented or bought a home in the past two years did not check insulation, hot water cylinders, heaters and other water and energy efficiency appliances

*I pinched these images off Google Images, I do not intend to infringe anyones copyright. If I have done so, please leave a comment below and I will immedately remove the image. Thanks.

New Zealand Cold Winter, Scotland Winter, Snow, Freezing, cold, damp, home, insulation, heating,

TomTom Via160 Review (New Zealand Model)

2011-01-28T13:52:00.005+13:00

Well well, where do I begin.
I guess I'll start by saying that this appears to be an awesome GPS model for the price. The display is clear, the alerts are great and the 'navigate to' option is superb.

This is the only GPS in it's price range that I could find which also had a Bluetooth connectivity so that you can also use the GPS as a handsfree kit, which is great and seems to work well.

I initially bought this device from Dick Smith's and used it for approx 2 weeks solid driving around NZ's North Island. What I discovered initially was a bizarre problem with the computer voice. Whenever we were driving along route 'SH1' or 'SH22' or wherever, the voice should say 'proceed along SH1', but instead we would hear something like this 'proceed along samporee crosstella equalsSH1'. I have not been able to decipher this, but all I can think of is that the device is reading some sort of code in the background which is coming out like gibberish. The only way to stop this is by using a different voice, thereby eliminating the computer voice and disabling one of the Via160's main selling points, which is of course, 'Spoken Street Names'.

*Update, my 2nd Via 160 Device which I have been using has now started to freeze on shutdown and start up. I honestly think that the device runs software which for all it's features and ease of use, is buggy as hell!

In addition to this, one of the other features that the Via160 gives us is the Mapshare service where other TomTom users can correct errors on maps and share it with other TomTom customers via the net.

The Via160 asks if you would like to join this service, which of course I immediately hit 'yes!'. But guess what? as soon as you load the software from the TomTom site, we get a message saying that Mapshare is not available for your device.

Is this false advertising? Fraud? or something along those lines? because as much as I love the interface, maps, voices (apart from the gibberish speaking computer voice) and speed alerts. This simply is not good enough. If the mapshare functionality is not available, fine. Then don't print it as a feature on the box!

I did call TomTom support about all this and I got a frosty reception from one of the technical staff saying that if I stick with TomTom then I 'might' get the Mapshare function at some point in the future, whereas if I switch to another brand, I will never get access to a similar service. Nice.

They also said that the gibberish voice was something they were aware of and it is just the TomTom GPS attempting to abbreviate some of the street names.

No, sorry mate, but if it comes out like gibberish, it's gibberish.

*Update, I have since returned this one to the shop for a full refund, I tried a Navman, but also took that back due to the useless Bluetooth functionality. But now I have a Garmin and although it doesn't have as many features of the TomTom, it is at least stable!

*Update, the Garmin has gone back to the shop, due to the lack of speed camera information. I am now on my 5th GPS in 3 weeks, can you guess what it is? .....you got it. A TomTom Via160.

My wife laughed at me for buying another one after I bad mouthed all the problems I had with it, but now I know why the TomTom tech support guy was so overconfident in the Via160. The reason is not that the Via160 is so good, it's because all the alternatives are so bad!

*If I have no more problems with this particular device, I shall put some of the previous problems down to a bad batch and raise the rating.

5/10

10 Questions / Reasons for Scottish Indpendence.

2010-11-07T14:24:00.000+13:00

While I was constructing a list of reasons why Scotland should be independent from the UK and why the UK (mainly England) should also be independent from Scotland, I stumbled across this list and decided that I should probably not re-invent the wheel, especially a wheel which makes so much sense. This was written in 2005, before the world economic problems, but I consider it still valid.

Niall, I hope you do not mind me re-publishing this. Originally found here.

I have read the various opinions of Trolls and detracters on this forum and would like to reprint a leaflet I wrote for Siol-nan-gaidheal last year. I list the ten most common questions or objections raised by brainwashed unionists in Scotland:

Question 1:
Everyone tells us that Scotland is too poor to stand on its own feet and we will always require an English subsidy.

Fact Scotland has 8.6% of the UK population yet raises 10.41% of all UK tax revenues. (Source Treasury red Book 2002) Go figure it out for yourself. Exactly who is subsidising who?

Question 2.
Scotland could not survive without the Barnett formula handout from England.

The Barnett Formula is nothing more than a device which gives Scotland some of its own pocket money out of Scotland's pay packet which is taken by England. In 2002, Scotland contributed £42.7 Billions to the UK Exchequer and received £18.1 Billions doled back in return via Barnett. It would be a much better idea to keep the £42.7 Billions as an Independent Country.

Question 3.
North sea oil is running out fast and soon there will be nothing left......

According to Professor Alex Kemp, of Petroleum Economics at the University of Aberdeen. North Sea Oil and Gas production will still be present in 2050. There is as much known oil left yet to be extracted than has already been exploited

Question 4.
Britain is becoming a net importer of oil and natural gas.

False. Scotland is a net exporter of Oil and Gas. Fact: An independent Scotland with 17.5% of Europe's Oil reserves will be a net exporter of oil and gas for at least 25 more years. Properly invested the proceeds will make Scotland the second richest nation on earth for its size. There will be huge social and economic benefits for all Scotland's Citizens and public services.

Question 5.
Scotland is too poor and small to afford to defend itself.

Why not? Switzerland uses just 1% of its GDP to provide a modern efficient Army and Air force. Norway spends 1.9% and can defend itself adequately. The UK spends 2.32% of GDP on its armed forces (Including Trident) Scotland can afford 1.6% of its GDP and still have modern professional armed forces half the size of the present UK.

Question 6.
We have a huge balance of payments problem, Scotland cannot possibly hope to pay her way.

False. The UK as a whole has Balance of Payments deficit of £35 Billions per annum. Scotland however actually contributes a Surplus of £2.3Billions.

Question 7.
Scotland could not compete against the mighty economic muscle of England.

Untrue. Denmark has an economic superpower to her south (Germany) and she does very well indeed. Switzerland is surrounded by three great economic superpowers, France, Italy, and Germany, yet she is the most prosperous nation in Europe. Singapore is a tiny island of 4 million people right next door to Indonesia with a population if 201 Million yet is the powerhouse driving the SE Asian economy. Scotland has more than enough expertise to compete and prosper.

Question 8.
Scotland is too far away from the centre of Europe to prosper.

Iceland with a population of only 400,000, is situated far to the north by the arctic circle yet has the third highest standard of living in Europe.

Question 9.
The City of London is too powerful a financial centre for Scotland to compete against.

Scotland is one of Europe’s top ten financial centres, supporting employment for in the region of 200,000 people. Financial Services accounts for 8% of Scotland’s GDP and generates more than £20 bn annually for the economy. Scotland is reckoned to be the 12th leading global financial centre.

Question 10.
Scotland does not have the financial expertise to run its own affairs.

Who says so? Its strange that the late British Empire relied on a preponderance of Scots to run their affairs. Scots bankers, economists and accountants (reckoned to be the best in their fields) are to be found at all levels of Government. Therefore the expertise is there.

Say Yes to Independence for Scotland

2010-11-05T13:58:00.000+13:00

A very good video by Money2tight2mention which highlight many of the main points in the argument for an independent Scotland. Saor Alba.

Scottish Independence and the reasons a British Unionist changed his mind.

2010-10-27T12:42:00.008+13:00

I have been a UK Unionist all my adult life. But I am fed up with the constant accusations that Scotland is some kind of 'subsidy junkie'. That Scotland never contributes anything the UK Union of nations.

I have argued the Scottish corner of the Union debate in a Pro-British fashion for years and now I have given up.

I have come to the conclusion that even if 5 million people in England (about 8% of the UK Population) were to completely understand Scotland's vital role in the UK, that would still leave about 45 Million English people who simply could not care less. Some are anti Scottish, most are probably indifferent.

I live in New Zealand, I moved here in 2003 and as an Expat Scot on the outside looking in, I'd like to think I have a unique perspective on this issue.

All nations seek positive recognition. New Zealand certainly does, and I can assure you that after being out of Scotland for 8 years, I now understand that Scotland is not seen as a significant nation in the world. Many people in New Zealand and Australia genuinely seem to think that Scotland has no real importance, via the UK union or otherwise.

Scotland is seen as a cute 'cultural attachment' to the UK or 'England' and despite hundreds of years of Scottish participation with England/Wales in Empire and Union, this view does not seem likely to change.

I always fight for Scotland's corner in the UK and the world. I tell people that Scotland is a rich, modern wealthy nation. Rich in education, skills, natural resources, all of which have been given to the UK and Empire.

I tell anyone willing to listen that my home country of Scotland has always more than pulled her weight in the UK and that for a population of only around 8.6% and 30% of the UK landmass with Europes largest EEZ, Scotland contributes far more than that in taxes, resources, skills, technology and much more. This can be seen at all levels of British society and British history.

But no-one cares, especially the vast majority of the 50 million people in England.

I have gone round after round, argument after argument with Kiwis, Aussies, Scots, Germans, Italians, Spaniards, Danish, English. You name it. One inescapable conclusion has found me. Scotland is a non country. A cultural anomaly in the 'English' dominated part of the North Atlantic.

When those bombers crashed their vehicle into Glasgow airport a few years ago, some of my Kiwi friends were shocked. I said 'Well, it was only a matter of time'. Because after all, Scotland does participate in the UK and the UK is at war in Iraq. Yet, nobody understood this. 'Poor Scotland' they said, 'it's a lovely little country' they said, 'why would anyone do that to Scotland?'....

Not that I want Scotland to be a target, but talk like this embarrasses me. The patronising pat on the back makes me cringe.

Scotland is NOT seen as an integral part of the UK or a valuable member. My personal revelation is that I now realise it never has been. As a staunch Unionist I always knew Scotland was and is, a vital contributor to the UK in every way and that despite the disparity and some odd constitutional problems, the UK union was overall, a great thing.

But like I said, I have given up.

For many people in the UK, Scotland is seen a as a sponger, a subsidy junkie of England, a mere department of the London Government and the UK media seem quite happy to propagate this myth.

This recent recession has brought this whole topic into the spotlight for me. Cuts are being made all across the board and I understand this. The problem is, Scotland is receiving a disproportional level of cuts being made at the London level, by a government that very few people in Scotland voted for. The current SNP government in Scotland wants Scotland's wealth to be decided by Edinburgh, not London and I agree. If cuts are to be made, then allow Edinburgh to decide where to make them.

One thing that has absolutely infuriated me, is all this nonsense surrounding the bail out of the 'Scottish' banks.

I would also like to note, I like all the other UK countries. I also really like England. Many of my friends live there and some of my family moved there too. I think England should also prosper as a free and independent nation, free of Scotland and free of whatever imaginary burden England seems to feel they have with Scotland.

My fight for Scottish recognition and respect within the UK is over. My fight to advance the cause of Scottish independence from the UK begins now.

Murray TC Douglas

Dear Scotland, you are being lied to about the Union >>

Is it Time for Scottish Independence?

2010-10-26T10:05:00.003+13:00

Has the time come for Scottish independence?

Scottish, British Thingy Again....

2010-10-19T14:51:00.001+13:00

If you have read any of my previous posts, you will know I am a British unionist, but I have to admit, rifts seem to be forming quicker and wider over the Scottish, British debate. I found this video a while ago by Brian Limold on YouTube who points out some very interesting English 'indifference' toward Scotland.

One of my previous posts about the Aircraft Carriers in the UK got a little bit of attention from some English guys who wrote some typically Anti-Scottish comments. 2010 for me seems to be the time where I am being pushed further and further into the Independent Scotland camp.

This video below, is just another small reason....

Miniature Photography.

2010-09-29T09:20:00.015+13:00

Whakatane, in Miniature, New Zealand

Devonport Village in Miniature, Auckland NZ

Miniature MAXX Train passing a Miniature
Parnell Pool in Auckland, New Zealand

Toronto Canada, in Miniature. Amazing Detail! :-)

Kowloon Park, Hong Kong in Miniature!

Hong Kong Harbour in Miniature!

Edinburgh Winter Skating, in Miniature!

Hong Kong Airport in Miniature!

Hong Kong, Toronto, Edinburgh, Miniature, Tilt Shift Photography,Miniature Faking

Foscam IP Camera : My Thoughts.

2010-09-21T14:55:00.002+12:00

I just bought a Foscam IP camera off Trademe in New Zealand for $172.00NZD ($125.00USD) and my first impressions are good, but not great.

I thought I'd upload a few images and spill a few details about the problems I have encountered so far and hopefully someone can add information to this subject in the comments.

Set up:
Setting up as an HTTP server on port 80 was easy with my thomson TG585v7 router from Telecom New Zealand.

PTZ:
Brilliant, and easy.

ActiveX:
Nightmare! for some reason I simply cannot get activeX functionality to work on this damn thing within Internet Explorer. I have enabled all the setting and tried on different machines to no avail. Thankfully, the 'Server Push' option for Mozilla works fine, although it appears limited. More option look available on IE and ActiveX, but I cannot get into it! (see error in images above) The server push interface (below) has a very slow refresh rate over the web.

Quality:
I am having colour problems. I saw a dark blue sweater on the camera appear bright purple! WTF?

Alarm setting:
I was annoyed at first when I discovered that I cannot get the Foscam to send alarm emails to my GMAIL account because it does NOT support SSL for that service, however luckily I do have a Pro Photobucket account and I have set my motion detect to FTP upload all my images to a secure folder on there instead, which actually works out better for me because instead of getting 50 emails a day from my camera, I get 50 photos in an easy to view album.

Common Errors:

UPnP Failed: Errors in Chat with UPnP Device When trying to use Universal Plug and Play

I have not been able to open any additional ports to stream RTSP or otherwise, I am not sure if this is an issue with my router or ISP.

Initially I bought a TP Link IP camera model TL-SC3130 (non wireless) and it worked ok, but no PTZ, this one is better and for the price I should probably not complain.

Any thoughts? leave em in the comments!

Muzzerino.

Chinese Warships visit Auckland, New Zealand

2010-09-14T13:15:00.003+12:00

I love ships! especially warships and I have never had a chance to visit a Chinese one, so when I heard that 2 PLAN (Peoples Liberation Army Navy) Warships popped into Auckland on a Goodwill visit, I could not resist!

Here are some shots of the Jiangwei II (053H3) Class Frigate '528 MianYang' and the Training Ship Zheng He (81)


Chinese Warships in New Zealand

Below we have the Chinese PLAN training ship 'Zhenghe'

The Type 795 Zhenghe Class Training Ship is also known by its NATO reporting name as 'Daxing Class'.

Barack Obama, Socialist Demotivational Posters

2010-09-08T10:58:00.000+12:00

Barack Obama : Socialist.

Expecting the Government to fund healthcare

for 9/11 First responders with your taxes!, So unfair...

Barack Obama : Socialist.

Obama wants your taxes to fund your local Fire service.

(pay for your own burning home, tightwad)

Barack Obama : Socialist.

Pay for your own Cancer treament, loser!

What? your HMO declined you? who cares.

Barack Obama : Socialist.

Why should the Govt steal your taxes to pay for the Police?

Pay for your own rape investigation, you cheap ass!

Dear American. Socialism is not a bad word.

America is already Socialist

Defending the Evil and Socialist, National Health Service.

Barack Obama, Socialist, Police, Healthcare, Fire, Demotivational Posters,

HMS Dragon and HMS Diamond : Stealth Destroyers on the Clyde

2010-09-02T12:16:00.002+12:00

Here is a little something for all you ship fans out there. On our recent trip back to Scotland, I managed to convince the missus to take half a day out of our schedule for a wee trip over to Glasgow where I hoped to catch a glimpse of the new stealthy Type 45 Destroyers. Although I slammed them in a previous post, I cannot deny how awesome they look!

Enjoy these shots of HMS Diamond D34 and HMS Dragon D35!

HMS Diamond, D34

HMS Diamond, D34 with HMS Dragon in the dock.

Note the 'Dragon' under the Foc'sle of HMS Dragon.

See more stuff happening on the Clyde over here at Upper Clyde Shipping

British Accents Do NOT Exist!

2010-08-19T15:05:00.003+12:00

Please, for the love of god realise that there really is no such thing as a British accent.

Here's why.

The name 'British' can mean anyone from the Top of Scotland, across to Northern Ireland, down into England and over to Wales. I am sure you would agree if you have heard a Scots, Welsh, Northern Irish or English person talk, that their accents vary by a huge degree!

Whenever I hear someone on TV (Usually from the USA or Canada) make reference to a British accent, I am 99% certain that they are thinking of the 'English' accent. I don't think I have ever heard someone call a Scottish accent 'British' or an Irish accent 'British'.

Furthermore, I am well aware that there are also regional differences in accents all across the USA and Canada, however (and feel free to correct me) I would say that it is quite valid to describe an accent from Texas, or from California as an 'American' accent. Or when listening to a Nova Scotian, or British Colombian talk, I think it is fair to say that they have 'Canadian' accents. In fact both the US and Canada would probably qualify for 'North American' accents given their similarity.

In the UK however, because each region is far older in comparison to North America, these areas have developed far more distinctive and separate accents which you simply cannot put in a bag and call it 'British'.

Maybe if you mixed an English accent with Scottish, add a dash of Welsh and a pinch of Irish, maybe then, we could describe that, as a British accent, but I have never heard one. What about you?

Scotland's Winter Wonderland 2009 : 2010

2010-06-08T20:16:00.006+12:00

This is easily some of the best aerial footage I have seen. Scotland got dumped on big time this past Winter with so much snow that it was dubbed a 1 in 30 year event. I missed it! :-(

Auckland Photos : Random Collection

2010-06-06T23:23:00.002+12:00

Auckland has just been rated the 4th best city in the world (tied with Vancouver) for Quality of living : Ranked by Mercer

So, to celebrate, I have uploaded a bunch of random photos from around Auckland which I have taken in the last year or so..... Enjoy.

Emirates Airbus A380 coming in to land @ Auckland Airport

For some reason the Airbus developed a somewhat Sepia theme as it passed over

South Auckland and Manukau.

Banking over Auckland

Bean Rock Lighthouse

A Bridge over the City

Sunset behind Auckland harbour Bridge

Sailing on the Waitemata Harbour

North Head, Mt Vic and the City from Rangitoto Island

Small City meets City

A dramatic Auckland Sky

Auckland Anniversary Fireworks

An entire fleet at anchor!

RNZAF personnel watch as a mighty USAF Globemaster arrives at Whenuapai

The NZ citizens newest piece of Public Land. Queens Wharf.

Windows 7 Theme, Nova Scotia, Canada

2010-04-01T14:05:00.010+13:00

Hey fans!

I decided to try my hand at creating a half decent Windows 7 .Themepack file, based on some of my best Nova Scotia photographs so take a look and download!

This is a Canadian Windows 7 theme using photos of one of my favourite places, Nova Scotia. Enjoy!

Nova Scotia, Windows 7 Themepack : Download >>

Unacceptable Swear Words in New Zealand

2010-03-28T22:31:00.005+13:00

Warning: Adult Language ahead!

We are being desensitised toward profanity!

The New Zealand Broadcasting Standards Agency has published a document called 'What Not to Swear: The Acceptability of Words in Broadcasting'. Original document @ BSA.govt.nz

It has revealed that many NZ'ers are not too offended anymore by words they hear on the radio and tellybox, such as, bugger, bloody, crap, bullshit, balls, shit, bastard, prick, arsehole, wanker, whore, retard and faggot just to name a few.

51% of NZ'ers do not appreciate having their South Pacific ears soiled by the word 'Fuck' but in 2009 a massive 74% (down from 79% in 1999) of people still consider the undisputed heavyweight champion of swear words to be the one which is absolutely guaranteed to offend. I am of course talking about the one, the only. 'C-u-n-t'.

See You Next Tuesday.

Check out Kiwiblog's take on the issue >

Video: Auckland in High Definition

2010-03-27T10:27:00.009+13:00

This is my 2nd effort at making an HD 720p video for YouTube on the Flip Mino HD.

I put the camera on a tripod and jammed it between the dashboard and the passenger seat, making it very solid. I did however get some of the bonnet in shot and a few reflections but nothing major.

Overall, I think this is the type of filming the Flip Mino HD is ideal for. The camera does have quite bad shimmering effects (like many small lens cameras and mobile phones) but a static tripod shot like this seems to defeat that. This journey was From the North Shore to Auckland City. Featuring Browns Bay, Waiake beach area, SH1, Northern Motorway, Auckland Harbour Bridge, CBD, Ponsonby and Karangahape Road.

hope you like it.

Music by Alexander Boyes and Manolo Camp, thanks to Opsound.org

Video: A wee bit of Auckland, New Zealand in 720p HD

2010-02-22T20:39:00.015+13:00

I have been messing around with a new video camera for work. A Flip Video Mino HD and over the last week or so I have been filming in and around where I live, which is of course, Auckland New Zealand.

Here is a video in High Definition, 720p for you to have a gander at.

I filmed this over 2 days while Cycling from Devonport in the North Shore of Auckland, over to the city and then along Tamaki drive.

Featuring, Auckland harbour, the Kea Ferry, The Ferry Building, Auckland Skytower, Mount Victoria, Okahu Bay, MAXX Commuter Train, Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Viaduct Harbour, Tamaki Drive, North Head and Rangitoto Island. Enjoy!

Make sure you select the 720p (HD Version!)

Watch on Youtube >>

'USB Over Current Status Detected' Error Fixed

2009-12-27T16:12:00.002+13:00

So, you have been messing around with your PC and suddenly you see 'USB Over Current Status Detected, Shutdown in 15 Seconds!'

(if you just want the answer, mine is posted at the bottom of this page. Scroll Down to the * to see.)

Dear God! WTF?

Well if you Google this problem you will find a whole bunch of different solutions but I thought I'd write my own since it was really quite simple.

I have a Asus A8V Deluxe Motherboard and I just upgraded to Windows 7 using a new hard drive. Once I did this I also upgraded my RAM to 4GB.

After a few issues with the Hard Drive and system 'hang ups' I started to investigate in the BIOS for any problems and then after a few unsuccessful goes I discovered the ominous message 'USB Over Current Status Detected, Shutdown in 15 Seconds!'

Shit!

Ok, well I tried a few things to get the system back and I even inserted my old Seagate drive with Vista on it and I could not get past the message. I could not even get into the BIOS.

* I ripped out my latest stick of RAM (Legend. L1264D37 - BU1HDH9B - 1GB DDR400 Hynix HY5DU12822BT - D43) and suddenly everything was fine again. I don't know how or why a dodgy stick of ram would cause a 'USB Over Current Status Detected' Problem but go figure....

I'd love to know what the problem actually was but it only appeared after I inserted an older SATA WD Drive which seemed to set of a chain reaction of problems culminating in the 'USB Over Current Status Detected' problem.

Good Luck with yours!

Muzzerino.

System:

AMD Athlon X64 +3200 Venice Core 2.0GHz
Asus A8V Deluxe
Asus Nvidia 7800GS
4 GB RAM (Now 3GB RAM thanks to this problem)
WD Greenpower Drive Caviar 1TB HDD
WD 250GB HDD

Evil Socialist NHS Healthcare.

2009-10-20T14:04:00.033+13:00

"Grab your tools and make for the Cornfield's there is a quota to meet! Don't you know that your Socialist Government Wants YOU!? Who pays for that water you are drinking? Who put that shirt on your back? And who is going to help you if you get sick?... ...That's right, the National Socialist Government of Great Britain! Now get back to work before I whip you!"

This, I think, is a fair image of what some of our American cousins must have in mind, as the debate over US health-care gets more and more heated.

Now, what the hell does this have to do with me? I am not American, so therefore it is none of my business right? Well, apart from the fact that I don't like to see anyone dying and going bankrupt as a result of the lack of proper health care, my main reason for rushing into this discussion are the vitriolic, relentless and often downright vicious attacks on a certain British organisation. (UK NHS is 'Evil and Orwellian') The National Health Service.

I, myself, am a Scot, and as many people know, there can be a great deal of division in the UK between Scots, English, Welsh and Irish on a variety of political, social and even religious matters. Despite these national divisions, I believe I can say with great certainty that there is one thing we all agree on without reservation: the value and sanctity of the NHS.

The NHS is one of those things that makes many people proud to be British. Indeed the NHS is held up as a symbol of all that is great with Great Britain.

Why? Well put simply, while we do have a class divide in the UK (we have 'posh bastards' and 'poor bastards' alike, many nations do), there is a moment when that line can and does blur. It happens in the Accident and Emergency room of an NHS hospital; it happens the moment you dial 999 for emergency treatment.

If you are poor or if you are rich, an ambulance will arrive and speed you off to the nearest NHS hospital with equal alacrity. Once you get there, you will be treated with equal efficiency and once you are fixed up, you will be sent home with equal compassion and after care.

At no time during this process are you ever required to have some kind of 'pre-approval' from a 3rd party (Insurance Company)
At no time during this process are you ever asked to waste valuable time filling out forms to prove you have adequate insurance cover.
At no time are you ever to fear that your insurance company might not meet the medical bills because they have discovered that you got beaten up by your husband.
At no time will you have to worry that 'someone, somewhere' has actively began an investigation into finding a reason to deny your care, because they will get a bonus if they find one.

You will never be billed and you will never be left behind.

Emergency treatment is the top priority of the NHS as it surely should be in any civilised country, but for an ill patient to worry about money, coverage, co-payments, deductibles, approvals and claims to a 3rd party private company is surely not just an annoying inconvenience, but downright unethical and immoral. Even after all that stress, what if your HMO wont pay? See '1 in 5 healthcare claims rejected in California'.

The stats on Denials (Image to the right) lead me to firmly believe that there is no place for private 3rd party profiteering when it comes to my healthcare. This includes a government run company such as Medicare trying to compete on such a corrupt playing field.

A recent attack on the British NHS and, by extension, all socialised systems came from the Investors Business Daily, who denounced the UK NHS by saying:

"People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the U.K. where the National Health Service would say the quality of life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless."

The IBD did of course issue a 'correction' after they were told that Professor Stephen Hawking is in fact British and received treatment by the NHS. However in this correction they go on to say:

"We also say that not everyone suffering from a debilitating disease is Stephen Hawking, and we hope our critics would acknowledge that. Hawking is a renowned theoretical physicist, university professor and best-selling author. It is doubtful any National Health Service bureaucrat would cut him off." Hawking personally replied that, "I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS," he said. "I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived."

The comment section below IBD's 'correction' shows that many people are not entirely happy with IBD's interpretation of the subject. One commentator writes:

"The columnist's blunder is even worse than the critics have noted. My brother died in January after about 15 years of living with ALS. His death occurred after his health insurance (top of the line) was exhausted. My efforts to get the insurance carrier to extend coverage three more months to permit him to be around for the birth of his first grandchild, after which he was to be removed from his ventilator, were denied. This is the American system."

(Posted By: Dave R(5) on 8/17/2009 | 10:58 PM ET
Read the comments here before they remove it.)

Certainly no health system is 'perfect'. But as a citizen of this small planet, I believe that the NHS is one of the most moral and ethical systems; under it, turning patients into money making machines, would be unthinkable. The fact that the NHS does not have to compete for profit with others helps to make it the 'service-first' organisation that it is.

The NHS could of course be better, faster and more efficient. However the view that a private company is never wasteful and inefficient is insupportable. The only difference between the two, is that the private sector will simply hide their mistakes and wastefulness inside your bill and invoice, whereas a public option can't.

The UK NHS may be a rather 'socialist' system but make no mistake, the UK economy is built on money. The UK remains the worlds 5th largest economy and the UK economic system is capitalist through and through; it depends on capitalist market forces to drive growth. The key difference between this Briton's point of view and that of many Americans seems to be that, in my opinion making profit is fine, until it interferes with essential services for the public good.

To quote a fellow Youtuber:

'I got hit by a car 4 months ago. From the second I was put into the helicopter to the moment I left the hospital weeks later, I must have consumed millions of pounds. if you think about all the little costs all lumped into one. Drugs, care, food etc. Do you know what it cost me? nothing at all... If you guys are worried about how much its gunna cost, I recommend you stop spending so much on new ways to nuke shit and start spending it on the people in your country who really need it.'
Dave Hyams : 21 years old.

Further reading:

Positive

Why I love the NHS
Crazies attack the NHS
Why Yanks must stop bashing the NHS: Read on...
NHS Support Federation

Bizarre / Crazy / Negative

The Problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples money: read on...
This guy thinks that Socialised Medicine is the equivalent of pointing a gun at your fellow citizens head 'to pay for it': Read on... (but you might need to duck, I think he's serious!)
Getting Beaten By Your Husband Is A Pre-Existing Condition: read on...
Raped : A Pre-existing condition: read on...
Investors Business Daily on the defensive after a stupid comment about Professor Stephen Hawking and the NHS, apparently he is worthy of saving by the NHS, but only because he is famous: Read on...

Vegetable Humour

2009-10-14T10:35:00.006+13:00

I got these in my email today and just had to publish them. I'd love the know the source so I can credit, link to them...

The best thing about Eddie's new job was the huge celery...

Kevin has spent the entire day downloading corn on the Internet...

Tom swam for his life, but the currants were too strong for him...

Barney was in now doubt. They were now looking for a cereal killer.

The conference pears made many fruitless attempts
to send and receive emails on their new blackberries.

The plumber was called in when they found
a really bad leek in the bathroom

vegetable, humour,

David Tua v Shane Cameron

2009-10-04T19:12:00.005+13:00

What a fight!, it was short, but amazing!

I had the bright idea last night of going to watch the boxing 'fight of the century' at my local pub in Devonport. Turns out of course that they were not showing it because Sky TV had the bright profiteering idea of charging $1,500.00 for any pub which wanted to show it.

I decided to try my luck in Takapuna but the only pub showing it there was the Sin Bin and lets just say, they were at capacity. There was about 50 people waiting outside on the off-chance that they might get in and I joined them. Of course, as the time ticked toward the kick off at 10.15, no-one was getting in except a few choice VIP's and those people who knew the bouncers.

I figured, well I can watch through the window and stay outside or, I can try my luck...

Lets just say about 30 seconds before the round 1 bell sounded, I got my pint of Tui and turned to watch the fight on the big screen and I need to thank the 2 guys who helped me out. I could not thank them at the time, because it would have drawn attention but I figured I could at least thank them on here.

Cheers guys, for making my trip to Takapuna worthwhile!

Scots in New Zealand : A Guide

2009-07-29T13:19:00.019+12:00

If you are a Scot who is coming to New Zealand to live, or even for a holiday, you might like this random little guide to some things that you might find when you get here...

Language Quirks.
(Using the Scotland accent as a baseline comparison, as long as you don't roll the 'R')

How things sound....

Kah = A Motor Vehicle
Folk = Usually used with a knife
Noife = Usually used with a fork
Naw-oo = To answer in the negative
Yese = To answer in the affirmative
Patty = A social gathering
Sher = Something you use in the morning to get clean
Texas = What you must pay to the government
FS = What you pay to get on a plane
Eh-Points = What you earn as a frequent flyer
Choi-nah = An Asian country
Pooh-piss = The object toward which one strives or for which something exists
Gools = Young females
Fleg = The wavy thing than represents a nation.
Grend-Foi-null. = the final game of a Sporting competition.
Bee = An Alcoholic beverage
Woking = Not quite as fast as running
Wooled = Our planet
Ooth = The name of our planet
Spote = Organised physical activity
Dota = Female offspring
Mooda = To kill someone
Nooses = Valued employees in hospitals
Broi-berry = A crime
Oy = to see with
Oy = Myself
Stendids = Everyone should have them
Hezid = Danger
Ba = A public house
Lie-buh = NZ political party
Nesha-null = NZ political party
Pooh-sins = More than one human
Foost = better than 2nd
Woe-ta = A clear drinking fluid
Boke = Something you read
Peen = Something you write with
Teen Munuts = A unit of time, (minutes) one more than 9
Seventeen = $7.10
Deet = When you owe someone money
Tomb = A part of the school year
Palli-mint = Where the government meets
Kroist = Our Lord
Tramah = Trauma
Low-ah = Law
Voodict = Something the jury should arrive at
Cote = A legal venue
Toking = Expressing yourself orally
Quota = A fraction
Pooh-voot = A person who displays an unhealthy sexual desire over someone
Kroish = A place to send your kids while you are working
Fush = Sea creature
Oakland = New Zealand's largest city
Kroist-Chooch = The south islands largest city
Sand = Something you hear
Unglund = The nation south of Scotland
Meericas-cap = A huge sailing event (which no one else in the world watches)
Hole = A large room
Skol = Where kids go to learn
Looning = Something you should be doing at school
Booth-Die = Celebration of the day you were born
Wook = What you do to earn your wages
Moaning = The earliest part of the day
Fearie = A vessel used for car and passenger transport
Fearie = A magical flying creature
O-strall-yah = The nation to the west of NZ

How things differ...

Bought = Brought
Brought = Bought
Furtherest = Furthest
Cellphone = Mobile phone
Chips = Crisps
Chips = Chips
Soccah = Football
Station-Wagon = Estate car
Jug = Kettle
Flog = Steal
Chook (sounds like: choke) - Chicken
Shiela's = Women
Rort = Fraud

You live in New Zealand during Winter when...

2009-06-03T08:15:00.017+12:00

You live in New Zealand during winter when...

You are sitting in the work staffroom first thing in the morning and laughing at the local expat Scotsman because he must be 'used' to the cold while you sit there and drink your tea with your gloves and big coat on...
You go out for a nice relaxing meal and leave your jacket on the whole time...
You buy a $1 Million dollar NZ house and then run out to buy a bunch of crappy little fan heaters from the warehouse to try and keep it warm...
You move into your picture-postcard perfect NZ house only to discover that you have bought a 'leaky home' and the walls turn into soggy biscuits.
You turn up to school and attend class with your scarf and gloves on but everyone considers it 'normal'...
You buy a dehumidifier to combat the moisture from your portable gas heater and then have to open the windows so you do not die from too much carbon-dioxide...
You get out of the shower in the morning, open the bathroom door then 'run the gauntlet' back to your bedroom where your little 1000w fan heater is waiting to greet you.
Your cat refuses to eat its food because it is so cold it cannot smell it.
You see a picture from a wintry Canada and although it looks nice, you say "I wouldn't want to live there!, it looks too cold!...
You laugh at people from 'cold' countries such as Canada, Scotland and Norway whilst not realising they are warm, healthy and dry. (unlike you)

Kiwi Houses Exposed as a health risk..

Seriously Though, check these stats!

45% of existing homes are mouldy
16% of homes have no insulation at all
21% of people aged 18–24 say their home is cold and uncomfortable
84% of households say they don’t have the financial means to make energy-saving renovations
Typically more than one third of the energy used in the home is for keeping warm
Nearly two thirds of homes in New Zealand were built before insulation became a legal requirement in 1979—just over one million properties
More than a quarter of the nation’s homes could be making their occupants ill
More than 75% of people who rented or bought a home in the past two years did not check insulation, hot water cylinders, heaters and other water and energy efficiency appliances

New Zealand Winter Sucks.

Moving Back to Scotland from New Zealand

2009-05-01T14:19:00.015+12:00

I left Scotland in 2002 when I met my other (Canadian) half. We now Live in Auckland, New Zealand.

We love it, but after visiting back home to Scotland twice in the last few years, I find that I miss it and could easily move back.

In a few years time, due to family reasons we probably will move to the northern hemisphere again either to my partners home of Nova Scotia in Canada, or my home of Edinburgh, Scotland.

I was one of those people who always wanted to emigrate and I did. I feel really happy about emigrating and I have amazing adventures to show for it. Once we hit retirement (we are only 30 at the mo) we will probably end up coming back to Aotearoa (NZ)

Is Scotland a good place to move back to? obviously there is the family links and amazing social scene which I have to admit, is far better than anything in NZ or even Australia for that matter. There is the culture, history and festivals which all fall in the correct season for my northern sensibilities (I hate a warm Xmas).

One thing that I discovered after I left Scotland is when there is a show on TV here in NZ about Scotland or even the UK in general is how bloody amazing it looks from the other side of the fence. New Zealand and Australia have the beaches and the warm weather (although don't get me started on NZ winter) and Scotland definitely lacks in consistent blue skies and high temperatures, but what about Scottish Winter?

Winter in Edinburgh is absolutely amazing! having lived through some very hot summers I can tell you, if it has to be cold in winter, I would prefer the nice crisp and clean air that we get in a lovely winters day in Scotland than the wet, uncomfortable winters day in Auckland.

Another thing that looks great from the other side of the fence is the nature and history. NZ has amazing scenery but then so does Scotland. The thing Scotland has in addition to the amazing scenery is the history and stories that go with it. One thing I find it hard to comprehend is that New Zealand is actually slightly larger than the island of Great Britain, but with only 4 million people it seems that even after my initial 6 week tour, I basically saw the majority of the place.

The UK however is somewhere that you could explore for many years and you would still never see it all.

When we move, I will miss New Zealand. Its an easier and perhaps slower pace of life here. People are friendly and the beaches and the weather are amazing. But once upon a time I would have placed weather and exotic isolation near the top of my list on places to go, I guess they have lost the top spot to things like culture and family and the proximity of Europe.

It is an interesting reversal that probably comes with getting older.

So, in a few years time, we will leave NZ to move back to Edinburgh or Nova Scotia and then I will discover if all those things we get nostalgic for are worthwhile or not.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has done this!

Muzzerino

You Little Bastard!, You've Killed us all!

2009-04-30T20:11:00.008+12:00

Swine Flu, how it all started. "You little bastard!, You've killed us all!"

Most Amazing Youtube Video Ever! Danny MacAskill Bike Stunts

2009-04-26T11:03:00.017+12:00

This has to be probably the best video I have seen on Youtube so far and if ever Youtube needed a justification for its exsitence, then this video is it. Danny MacAskill performs Incredible gravity defying Bike Stunts, but not the usual MTV kind, this video has a certain grace and art to it that I think anyone will appreciate. Amaing footage, editing and a superb soundtrack by Seattle band, "Band of Horses"

It is an absolute must-see!

it also makes the Fine city of Edinburgh look 'fine!'

Bloggin in Scots

2009-04-03T14:20:00.004+13:00

Well ah thought it wiz aboot time thit ah tried my hand again at writing doon a blog post in mair Scots dialect. Ye kin see mah last airticle in Scots here >>

Ah've been concentratin mair oan mah ither blogs over the last few months and ah've kindae neglected this yin fur a while.

The day at wurk ah'm helpin tae set up fur a 'last night at the Proms' type concurt at the boys school. This is the brither school tae the yin that I wurk at. The whole concurt is tae raise funds fur the music dept and its aywiz a right laugh and hugely enturtainin.

anyway ah better git goin since ah'm supposed tae be dain sum-hin else.

cheerio fur noo.

Muzzerino

Socialist America

2009-04-02T16:55:00.009+13:00

Socialism is such a bad word in the Unites States of America.

I recently watched the Michael Moore Documentary 'Sicko' and I have started to realise a few things...

Americans are already Socialist.

Like the documentary points out, the Police, Fire Services and Schools are all government funded. They are not private, they make no profit. Why?

Is it because they are 'essential' services, perhaps?

Are the Police essential to our everyday lives?
Do we really need a Fire Service?
And why bother to allow people to go to school for free?

Yes, I think we can all agree, Right Wing, Left Wing and every single person in the middle, these services are 'essential'.

So, lets assume that Fire, Police and Schools are indeed essential.

You have a right to be safe from fire.
You have a right to be protected from crime.
You have a right to be Educated.
Do you have a right to be healthy?

The USA is the only western country in the world without universal healthcare for its citizens. it is the only country that demands that a citizen must place their trust in a private profit making company to look after their healthcare. But that's the only option I guess, because the mere mention of making the system go public attracts cries of "Socialism!".

I grew up in Scotland, UK. I have lived in Australia and I now live in New Zealand. All these countries share a common belief:
Freedom requires that you as a human being have a right to access primary essential services..

Police
Fire Services
Education
Free Heathcare.

Listing these services as 'essential' does not make a country is socialist in any way shape or form. The UK, Germany, France and Japan (to name a few) are among the worlds largest capitalist economies. Yes they may have what you could call 'social' elements to their structure, but they are free, democratic and capitalist nations anyway.

Making profit is not evil.
Socialised health care is not evil.

So why do Americans fear the 'S' word?

Would you prefer to receive a bill the next time the police chase a rapist from your neighbourhood? or would you stand up to keep it FREE?

NASA is another example of a fully funded United States organisation and is respected world-wide for its amazing achievements in space exploration and science, but if you want to, you could call it a Socialist organisation. Does that make NASA bad? Does that mean that the NASA logo should be replaced with a Hammer and Sickle?

The Cold War is over and just because the the USSR was communist and socialist doesn't mean that there must be fear of public healthcare.

As a side note I'd also like to mention that after NASA's space shuttles were grounded the only vehicle left to fly into space for manned missions was the Soviet era Soyuz. A craft built with no private money whatsoever. Ironic?

Muzzerino

New Zealand from Space : Hi Resolution Image

2009-03-11T10:39:00.003+13:00

New Zealand from Space : Hi Resolution Image

Bloody Aussies.

2009-02-05T22:07:00.008+13:00

This is one of those things that make me glad that I live in New Zealand, bloody Aussies!
Hilarious!

Anonymous Surfing? Check your Digital Footprint

2009-02-04T18:48:00.009+13:00

We all do it, we surf the web and we leave footprints. A Digital Footprint is a term used to describe the digital traces that we leave behind on the world wide web.

In the organisation that I work in, I have reminded staff of the traces they leave behind when visiting websites and leaving their mark on them. This is important because a few slips of the keyboard and an individual can easily bring their organisation into disrepute.

The most basic footprint of all is your I.P. Address.

Every single computer in the world has a unique identifying number (address) and from this IP number you can find out several things about a person when their IP number has been recorded online. The information collected includes your operating system, geographic location, what ISP you are using, how long your visit was, what path you took to the recorded online site, where you went afterward and how many times you come back.

Google Analytics is a great example of how someone can track and trace your visit to a specific website. The level of detail this information contains is incredible, legal and slightly scary.

According to Wikipedia : In an online environment a footprint can be stored by a user being logged into a site when making a post or edit, that registered name gets connected to the edit.

Two years go I caught out someone who was trying to defraud my organisation by amending the terms and conditions on their website after we had agreed to them. I simply checked an Internet cache of what their indexed web page looked like a week before and of course, the terms and conditions were different. Fraud.

Very recently, I was able to successfully trace a username who left a suspicious comment online. A few queries to google later I was able to retrieve their full name, age, location, birth country and even a list of their facebook friends!

I believe everyone should regularly Google their name, username, email address and aliases just to find out how much detailed personal information there is about you online.

Bear in mind that the information on the Internet are just billboards on the highway, they are already there, they are not hidden. If you have anything about you on the net, the information is already more public than you can imagine.

Just remember, as you surf, consider those footprints and think before you say something stupid.

The Real Waitangi Day : NZ's National Day

2009-02-01T16:16:00.019+13:00

Kia Ora.

New Zealand's national day "Waitangi Day" is upon us again!

For those of you who do not know, Waitangi day is the yearly celebration where Pakeha New Zealanders and Maori New Zealanders come together to celebrate their common / shared nationhood.

In 1840 both Pakeha and Maori first came together as one to hunt the Waitang.

The Waitang is a small furry animal native to Aotearoa New Zealand which lives underground in much of the upper North Island (Northland). They can grow up to 17 inches in length and have a light black coat and distinct pale green skin. After long periods of hibernation, small groups of Waitang come out from their burrows in search of food supplies on February 6th every year.

Native Maori have enjoyed the Waitang as a delicacy for centuries. In the late 19th century, European Pakeha (colonists) also tried eating the the Waitang and found it to be a "sweet, tender and juicy" treat, which makes up for it's unappealing look.

Activists from Pakeha and Maori have, in recent years put the spotlight on the annual hunt, where knives, guns and cricket bats have been used to kill the defenceless Waitang.

Overall however, Waitangi day is a day to be cherished and although very few people get to hunt or even see the Waitang, most enjoy the day for the warm weather and relaxation.

I am looking forward to Waitangi day 2010 and I'll be sure to clean the blood and green skin off my cricket bat from last year.

Ka Kite Ano.

You Can Read about the Actual Waitangi Day Here >>

If you find the above article offensive, go and jump in the lake.

The SNOW has arrived!

2008-12-18T07:32:00.006+13:00

Well, after a few warmish days in Nova Scotia the weather has finally kicked into its seasonal norm and the temperatures have fallen, just like the snow!

Schools are already being closed and warnings are out for the highways.

Yesterday, me and Katie went shopping at Mic Mac Mall and had lunch at East Side Mario's which was excellent.

The last few days we have been putting up the Christmas decorations and lights, I have been out taking photos in the snow and I expect tomorrow I will be shoveling it off the driveway.

Today we ate at Cora's in Dartmouth and had a healthy feed, and by healthy I mean unhealthy....if you know what I mean?

The other night we boiled up 8 Lobsters and they were absolutely ace! We bought them for only $5.00 Lb direct from the fishermen since they are getting paid low prices from the distributors, they have taken to selling the Lobsters direct by the side of the road out the back of their vans. Good ones too!

As always the Snow provides for excellent photography and I will be surely returning to New Zealand will hundred's of wintry photos.

This weekend we plan to grab a hotel in the city and go out for a meal and a few Britney's.

Muzzerino.

Winter in Halifax, Nova Scotia

2008-12-15T03:40:00.004+13:00

God! I never want to see Toronto Airport again!!

Between being hungover and waiting for a delayed flight I was desperate to get out of there. I spend about 8 hours in the airport just walking in circles, visiting the same shops over and over, looking out the window and checking the departure monitors to see if my flight was actually going to go or not.

Due to high winds the Halifax flight was delayed but we eventually got there after a very bumpy approach.

Nova Scotia is much warmer this year when I arrived, indeed 25c warmer than last time where it was -12c and now it is +12, indeed much like an Auckland day.

This soon dropped however and we are now sitting at around 0 degree's C and last night we got a wee but of snow, not much but enough for me and Katie to make 2 snowballs from the picnic table!

Today we are off to grab an Xmas tree!

One Day in Toronto

2008-12-15T03:27:00.003+13:00

I decided to take a trip into the city since I was there only one full day so I took a public bus from Dixon Road near the Airport to Kipling Station where I grabbed a subway train (free) to Spadina road then I jumped on a Streetcar to King Street, (also free, was I supposed to pay?)

At around -6c it wasnt too bad for walking around and I had my warm hoodie with me. The good thing about wearing a hoodie in a Canadian city is that you actually need one and are not mistaken for a criminal.

I went up the CN Tower to check out the view and it was great, although it was a grey winters day the views of the downtown area were still fantastic. While I was in the lift I asked the lift operator where all the good Toronto bars were and of course from the CN Tower, it wasnt hard for him to point them out.

I found myself about an hour later in a bar called the "Friar and Firkin" where after a few ales I got talking to a local guy called Trevor who interestingly had a script with him. I asked him about it and we got talking about movies and film-making and stuff and before I knew it was there all night and ended up getting rather minced.

Afterward we headed to a club and shortly thereafter I grabbed a taxi back to the Airport hotel.

Upon arrival at the airport I got the munchies and decided to use the vending machine for a bag of chips (crisps), but of course the offending machine decided to jam up and it gave me nothing, at first....

After a few bashes, shoves and kicks I walked away with about 9 packets of Crisps ranging from Salt N Vinegar to BBQ... all in all not a bad score. Thank god all the other guests were sleeping and did not see me retreat to my room with my arms full of free snacks.

See ya T.O.

Pohutukawa Tree. New Zealand Xmas Tree

2008-12-01T12:57:00.001+13:00

he Pōhutukawa flowers from November to January with a peak in mid to late December (the southern hemisphere summer), with brilliant crimson flowers covering the tree, hence the nickname New Zealand Christmas Tree.

There is variation between individual trees in the timing of flowering, and in the shade and brightness of the flowers. In isolated populations genetic drift has resulted in local variation: many of the trees growing around the Rotorua lakes produce pink-shaded flowers, and the yellow-flowered cultivar "Aurea" descends from a pair discovered in 1940 on Mōtiti Island in the Bay of Plenty.

christmas, widescreen, desktop, Pohutukawa, tree, Xmas, New Zealand, Photo, Images

You live in Nova Scotia when....

2008-11-14T14:24:00.002+13:00

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through
May, you live in Nova Scotia.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and
they don't work there, you live in Nova Scotia.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you
live in Nova Scotia.

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with
someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in Nova Scotia.

If "Vacation" means going anywhere south of
Yarmouth for the weekend, you live in Nova Scotia.

If you measure distance in hours, you live in Nova Scotia.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than
once, you live in Nova Scotia.

If you have switched from "heat" to
"A/C" in the same day and back again, you live in
Nova Scotia.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a
raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Nova Scotia.

If you install security lights on your house and garage,
but leave both unlocked, you live in Nova Scotia.

If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to
use them, you live in Nova Scotia.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over
a snowsuit, you live in Nova Scotia.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are
filled with snow you live in Nova Scotia.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still
winter and road construction, you live in Nova Scotia.

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car,
you live in Nova Scotia.

If you find 10 degrees F "a little chilly", you
live in Nova Scotia

If you actually understand these jokes, and forward them to
all your Nova Scotian friends, you live in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia / Jokes

The Right to Bear Arms

2008-11-02T18:25:00.008+13:00

Ive always thought that if you saturate society with guns, then you are asking for trouble.

Americans are no more angry or stupid than anyone else, incidents of road rage, fights and problem neighbours happen everywhere. It happens here in Auckland all the time. But the difference is, people get a chance to cool down and walk away, but in the States, it seems all to easy to reach for a gun in the heat of the moment and fire.

The quote "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" is certainly true, it is the people after all that commit the crime, but even the most intelligent and educated of us still succumb to rage, one moment you are a pillar of society, the next you are a murderer.

The point is, remove the temptation. Remove the weapon from the mix and things will be surely better. In Scotland and in New Zealand, the police are not armed, except for the armed response unit (ARU) in Scotland and the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) in New Zealand. This works well in both places where gun crime is really not an issue.

Take away rage and you are still left with stupidity. Take the recent "accidents" in the US where an 8 year old boy shot himself with an Uzi Machine Gun

"Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Connecticut, pointed the deadly weapon at a pumpkin under the eyes of an instructor and pulled the trigger as his dad reached for a camera.
But the recoil of the automatic weapon was too great and he lost control of the gun.

He was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Sunday after the incident at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club"
(from Sky News )

...and just the other night a 12 year old boy was shot dead when he went trick-or-treating for Halloween in South Carolina, tragic and crazy.

In the US, many Americans hold precious their right to bear arms and in theory this is fine, but given the massive amount of shootings in the US, how can owning a gun brings anything positive to society.

Recipe for disaster:
Recipe ONE:

One Human,
add stupidity (usually comes included)
add a dash of rage.

Result : You have a stupid angry human PLEASE AVOID.

Recipe for disaster:
Recipe TWO:

One Human
add stupidity (usually comes included)
add a dash of rage.
add Gun

Result : You have a stupid angry ARMED human, PRAY.

substitute stupidity for alcohol, drugs, unstable emotions and you will still need to pray, maybe more so.

Get rid of those guns! >>>

What's Wrong with this Photo ?

2008-11-02T13:01:00.004+13:00

There are 3 things wrong with this image.

The first person to tell me what all 3 of them are gets a Jelly Bean!

Taken by Murray in Vancouver 2006

Tennents Lager Ad : Caledonia

2008-10-15T18:19:00.007+13:00

I think this ad would make any Expat Scot want to pack their bags and head home....

This is a classic advertisement for Tennents lager. Its all about homecoming to Scotland, with the amazing song titled "Caledonia" Written by Dougie MacLean and sung by Frankie Miller.

Lyrics.

I don't know if you can see
The changes that have come over me
In these last few days I've been afraid
That I might drift away
So I've been telling old stories, singing songs
That make me think about where I came from
And that's the reason why I seem
So far away today
Oh, but let me tell you that I love you
That I think about you all the time
Caledonia you're calling me
And now I'm going home

Scotland - A Shamless Plug

2008-10-14T21:53:00.006+13:00

I thought I'd drop a wee plug for Scotland in this post since living in New Zealand I often have to convince people that we dont just sit around in cold houses drinking beer while it rains outside.

I think these Visit Scotland ads are just the ticket for the doubters...

Highlands

Surfing, Boat Rides, Hill Walking, Concerts...

A Perfect Day

Kayaking, Landing a Plane on the Beach, Crabs, Driving, Beaches and Sunsets...

Adventure

Windsurfing, Abseiling, Mountain Biking, Snowboarding, Paragliding, Surfing...

Edinburgh

Check out VisitScotland.com >>

Dear American, Socialism is NOT a Bad Word

2008-10-10T23:30:00.011+13:00

Socialists mainly share the belief that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth into a small section of society who control capital, and creates an unequal society.

All socialists advocate the creation of an egalitarian society, in which wealth and power are distributed more evenly, although there is considerable disagreement among socialists over how, and to what extent this could be achieved.

To me, the greatest reason why I would ever become a Socialist is health care.

100% Free health care. (tax funded of course)

Maybe I am crazy but as far as I am concrned, health care is a Right, not a Privilege which only a certain percentage of society should have access to.

Every human being should have access to free and high quality health care without being asked for a Credit Card or Insurance Certificate, Surely even the most staunch Capitalist would agree that this "basic" human right should be met.

What amazes me about the American system of health care, is the large number of people who seem to have been brainwashed into accepting that any kind of 'free' system is bad because..

Free healthcare = socialism and socialism is a bad word.

Many people in the United States seem happy to pay for medical insurance cover and also seem to believe that it will provide in their darkest hour of need, the cover which it proclaims. I would have serious doubts over trusting a private company to pay for my medical bills, especially after watching the movie 'Sicko' where it was revealed that these companies actually employ people to deliberatly look for reasons to 'deny' your cover and often find one, no matter how small and insignificant that reason is.

I would much prefer to trust the government with my health care. Why? because I believe in democracy, I believe that for the most part, my government (in this case NZ and UK) can be trusted to look after the people. They do not seek profit and therefore are highly unlikely to deny my rights for medical care.

Does this make me A Socialist?

further reading >

P.s. If you are against free health care and don't mind paying for cover, that's fine, but what about Police, Schools, Fire service? Should you get a bill from the Police when they arrest a criminal on your property? should you fork out a few thousand dollars for the fire dept who successfully extinguish your burning home?

Muzzerino.

Keep Our NHS Public!

Dear American, this is NOT the Flag of England

2008-10-09T16:36:00.006+13:00

No offence, but I just saw a news report from a major American news channel talking about the financial crisis and once again they referred to the UK as "England" with a nice big Union Jack graphic next to it.

Please please please, understand that England is merely a "Part" of the UK, albeit the biggest part, it is a "part" nonetheless.

I am sure if people decided to call the United States of America "Texas" or "Delaware" then a lot of Americans might feel a little annoyed about that.

Just to confirm....

This is the Flag of England

This is the Flag of England

and....

This is the Flag of the UK

This is the Flag of the UK

Below is an example of the make up of the Union Jack (UK Flag)

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland make up the "UK"

Wales doesn't have a representation in the flag because they fall under the English flag due to the nature of their Union.

Thanks for listening to me moan.

Muzzerino

In Wir Ain Leid : A Blog Post in the Scots Language

2008-10-07T21:39:00.014+13:00

So ah thought ad bettur write a blog fur yince in ma ain language / Leid an dialect, so here goes.

The spelling in the Scots Leid / Language is still much tae debate aboot so ah make nae apologies fur any o the spelling that ye might disagree wi.

Mah Ain Dialect wid said tae be that o the south o Edinburgh wir ah'm fae (Embra) incase yer wunderin. The map oan the right will tell ye roond aboot where this language is spoken.

Ah Grew up speakin whit ah thought wiz jus "slang" but its turns oot thit mah slang is mair o a dialect than jist some kindae Bastardized version o English. Maist o the time ah wid speak like this tae ma pals when ah wiz wee, but yed aywis git pulled up fur it in school! Mair than likely, ye wouldnae git away wi it when ye wur auld enough tae wurk. Ye could nivur get a joab if ye went intae an interview speakin like this, ken?

Ma Mither and Faither wid have both spokin a bit like this tae when they wur wee, coz they are also frae roon aboot the same place o each ither, that being Edinburgh (Embra)

Ah've bin bloggin for aboot 3 months noo and ahm still trying tae get tae grips wi it. Ah've blogged oan politics, wurld news and various ither hings, an so far ah've managed tae git a guid few hits fae you guid folks oot there on the web, so ta very much fur that.

Mair recently uh've bin bloggin aboot the US Elections, even tho ahm no a yank, ah still find it interestin. Ah've also bin bloggin a guid bit aboot the political situation goin on here in bonny NZ tae, coz oor elections are cumin up soon anaw.

Ah've also written aboot military issues such as thae daft Russians an their huge Warships. Aye, ah've goat a bit o a ship fetish yin could say.

Then yeh've goat the mair abstract subjects thit ah've blogged aboot, likesay the price o Brocolli and "how come were still waitin oan mair Freeview channels in NZ?".

Anither yin that stuck me wis the plight o the brave Gurkhas in Britian, ah hid tae write a few wurds oan that yin, fur its a right injustice!

Then ye've goat yer daft blog posts like the Aussies who blew up "hole in the wa" in Melbourne and then what aboot the blog oan the Kiwi Drivers eh? Ah thought that wiz a guid yin even if ah do say so masel, especially the bit aboot the roondaboots.

What aboot the moon? There wiz a guid few comments oan that yin, especially fae ma blogger pal "Ken", ah still dinnae ken, if Ken got it though. Ken what ah mean?
(Music Monkey will ken though, even through she's a Weegie)

By the way for those o you who dinnae ken, ah've goat two ither Blogs, yin oan Sci Fi and Yin oan Widescreen Wallpaper so away an take a wee look if ye can be bothured.

Well thats aboot it fae me on this, ma inagural "Scots Leid" post, ah hope ye wur able tae decipher it enough tae understand whit ahm sayin.

Bear in mind noo that "Scots" is an Auld language, its a derivative o Auld an Middle English. If yer interested in readin mair aboot the Scots Leid, take a wee look at the links below.

By Fur noo.

Life as a Backpacker

2008-10-04T18:20:00.014+13:00

Back in 2002 I flew away from my old world in Edinburgh, Scotland and launched myself into a new one.

This new world was dominated by hot weather, foreign accents, living with strangers and drinking cheap German wine.

This was the world of the backpacker and It was quite possibly the best time of my life.

Billabong Gardens, Newtown, Sydney, Australia

Life as a backpacker for me here in Sydney basically consisted of 3 things.

Sharing a room with strangers in a hostel, discovering something new in a foreign land, then coming back to the hostel at night, sitting down, chatting with strangers who soon become friends and then drinking, talking and laughing into the "wee" hours.

For about 5 months during 2002 I had enough money to ensure that I could live without a job. I had enough money to eat, for rent, for travel around the city and just enough to purchase a "backpackers handbag" every few days.

"Backpackers Handbag"?

I first heard the name "backpackers handbag" was from my friend Helge. A Backpackers Handbag is a box of wine, or a cask of wine if you prefer, as long as it has a handle, otherwise it doesn't qualify.

For example, myself and a few other backpackers would sit around the outside hostel table each night and drink the 4 or 5 litre variety such as "Kaiser Stuhl" or "Stanley" which has a handle on top.

Only the posh backpackers would by the 2-3 litre versions with no handle.

Names such as "Kaiser Stuhl"and "Stanley" became synonymous with those of us who wanted as much alcohol per dollar as possible in our wine, whereas the slightly more affluent backpacker would choose "Yalumba" and "Lindemans" to satisfy their backpacker habit.

It would often be heard that "I had a good night with the 'Kaiser' last night"
or "I wonder if 'Stanley' is coming out tonight?"

Of course, many of use would drink beer too, but often this would be bought by those of us who had jobs or those who had just arrived in the country and had not yet discovered how much they had to value every Australian Cent to keep them going.

Although backpacking is about travel and many will criticise someone who stays in the same place, I do not regret for one moment the time I spend in Sydney, just talking, drinking and meeting new people.

Many of us would become really great friends, many romances would develop between others and of course people also hated each other. The thing about a small backpacker community is there is a regular intake and outflow and I am not just talking about Alcohol and Urine.

Every week new faces would arrive at the hostel, "fresh meat" as it were and some would join our group, others would not. Some would stay only a day, others would stay for months.

Then there is the goodbyes. Frequently as a backpacker you will meet the most amazing people, then they are gone and you never know if you will ever see them again and that is tough. Often they would come back after a trip round the country, but sometimes and all to often you never lay eyes on them again.

A backpackers life is a life of change and about realising just how much fun you can have in a day without the constraints of a work routine.

I loved being a backpacker in Sydney Australia, it was different from being a backpacker in New Zealand or Asia (I will write about that later) and given the money, I'd happily pick up the backpack, quit my job and spend the rest of my life doing the things I just described above. :-)

Long live the Backpacker!

Muzzerino

The Death Penalty. Is it an Evil Act?

2008-09-28T13:18:00.013+13:00

'under what circumstances would you allow the government to kill you?'

Murder is the ultimate evil, no doubt about it. I hold murder in the same dis-regard as serious crimes such as rape, paedophilia and torture, but I think it is safe to say that Murder itself is the worst, the most evil.

What causes someone to commit murder? passion, revenge or maybe just some kind of twisted mentality? do they even understand the gravity of it? I think many people do not understand the gravity of it whatsoever.

We, the people, the system, the country in our enlightened and civilised view should know and fully understand the impact, the seriousness and gravity of the crime that is murder.

In my mind, how can we, or the system in its cool, calm and collected manner commit murder in response to murder?

If murder is evil, then surely death penalty is even more evil.

At the end of the day, humans commit murder for a variety of reasons, none of which can be tolerated in a civilised society and they must be removed from society for the safety of others.
A murderer kills, and a murderer has a reason for it. This reason may be complex, it may not be understood by society, it certainly is not tolerated and can never be allowed, but at the very least, a murderer has some kind of motive for their actions.

The Death Penalty does not deter murder.
Murder rates are not affected by the Death Penalty, because only a clear-minded person can be deterred and they are exactly the people who will likely never commit murder.
Someone (with a reason) in a fit of rage or passion, will not think clearly about the repercussions at the time of the killing anyway.

Innocent people are executed.
It has happened, it still happens and it will continue to happen. Humans are not perfect, our judicial systems are not perfect, evidence is not perfect and yet we impose the perfect, ultimate and final sentence.

Once an innocent person is murdered by the state, they cannot come back to appeal. Its over.
All over.

Imagine living on death row as an innocent person, awaiting your country, your people and your system to cooly decide your fate. To sentence your existence to be extinguished. Forever.

At the very least, a wrongfully imprisoned person could eventually be set free with new evidence or appeals. A dead person cannot appeal.

Innocent people have been released from prison after being subject to the unimaginable and crushing psychologial weight of being a Death Row inmate for on average, 9.5 Years! >>

Murders will continue to happen in society either way, by the mentally ill one on hand or a simple Joe Bloggs on the other, who knows?

Perhaps medical science will one day discover a gene, or a reason why a person does it, and it gets fixed. How will we feel then, knowing that we exterminated "guilty" people in such a way?

Once a murderer is caught, why not let them sit in a prison and think about it for the rest their lives? I would argue that would be a worse punishment, if they are really guilty, whereas in the event when an innocent person is imprisoned, they at least can have hope.

Short Term Solitary Confinement

2008-09-24T13:44:00.006+12:00

I have been thinking about this one for a while, Short Term Solitary Confinement as a viable and real option for certain crimes.

Criminals who commit violent crimes or thefts which generally receive one, two or three months jail time should be put in solitary confinement instead.

People who commit crimes such as these are often in a position where the only people whose opinion they value, are other criminals.

So if a criminal has peers in the criminal fraternity, then why should they be put in a prison where they can mingle and perhaps gain more peers?

Many criminals value their image, how "tough" they are for example and an image like this has only got value if that person's peers can see it.

Why not lock a criminal away in such a way that they have no social interaction instead? I have known people who have gone to jail for car theft, burglaries etc and they end up spending 2 months in a jail, being clothed, fed, socialising, playing pool and PlayStation's.

Instead I say, don't put them in jail for 3 months. Instead put them in a purpose built solitary confinement complex for 1 week. That's right, One Week!

Psychologically, one week in a cell with no human interaction, no music, no day light, nothing at all to distract the mind and no concept of time will feel like 3 months anyway.

I am positive when I say that anyone who experiences this would Never, repeat "never!" want to go through it again. Whereas many criminals don't really mind too much if they get thrown in a normal jail because all of their mates are probably there anyway!

It would save a tonne of tax payers money and be a much better short, sharp, shock.

think about it. Am I onto something here? or have I got it all wrong?

Muzzerino

New Zealand Winter is Crap!

2008-09-19T08:32:00.016+12:00

I am from Scotland and I am often asked if I prefer the New Zealand climate, (since everyone knows that Scottish weather is crap) and generally I do prefer New Zealand, in Summer that is.

The New Zealand winter however is crap.

Why?

Well, let me begin by stating that yes, the Scottish winter is much colder than New Zealand and the New Zealand winter is actually quite mild. So whats the problem? sounds good right?

No.

The reason I think the New Zealand winter is crap, is that the mild winters they have here in Aotearoa NZ are drastically offset by the low standard of insulation and heating in NZ buildings.

Let me ask you this, even in summer, 'where do you spend most of your time? Indoors or outdoors?', well unless you are a gardener, farmer, or road worker perhaps, most people will spend most of their day inside at work and then inside at home, with shorter periods outdoors.

So if that's the case in summer, where do you spend most of your time in winter? that's right, indoors!

New Zealand offices, New Zealand homes, New Zealand pubs, New Zealand cafes and New Zealand restaurants are all bloody freezing in winter.

New Zealand is the ONLY country I have ever been to where I have had to keep my coat on while at a restaurant or a pub.

In Scotland, like many places around the world with a colder climate, we have heated offices, pubs, schools, homes and in fact, pretty much every indoor place you can think of has some kind of modern heating, or at the very least basic insulation.

What I find funny is that New Zealander's just accept it, they think it is normal. Many seem to think that New Zealand is as warm as our neighbours in Australia, so why do we need heating?

Trust me New Zealand buildings need heating and insulation!

So, being a Scot, I just laugh when people mention how cold it must be Scotland, I say, "yep, its cold, but only outside".

Little do people realise that Scots, Canadians and probably Scandinavians are all a bunch of wimps when it comes to cold weather. We like to be warm, dry and comfortable, like most healthy human beings require.

Give me a frozen lake or a snowball fight over a cold damp house, any day. :-)

You live in New Zealand during winter when...

Here are some stats about NZ Homes

45% of existing homes are mouldy
16% of homes have no insulation at all
21% of people aged 18–24 say their home is cold and uncomfortable
84% of households say they don’t have the financial means to make energy-saving renovations
Typically more than one third of the energy used in the home is for keeping warm
Nearly two thirds of homes in New Zealand were built before insulation became a legal requirement in 1979—just over one million properties
More than a quarter of the nation’s homes could be making their occupants ill
More than 75% of people who rented or bought a home in the past two years did not check insulation, hot water cylinders, heaters and other water and energy efficiency appliances

The Moon is Upside Down

2008-09-11T20:54:00.011+12:00

The Moon is Upside Down

One day, late in 2002, I arrived in Australia. I looked up into the night sky one clear Sydney evening and saw it. "Holy crap, the moon is upside doon!" (thats Scottish for "Down")

The "man in the moon" was indeed there though, but I had to sort of turn my head and twist my neck before I could see his crater scarred face looking back at me, upside down "cooooool" I said to myself.

Since then I've moved from Australia to NZ, where being a bit further south, the moon is ever more upside down.

A couple of times I have dropped the fact that the moon is upside down into the odd random conversation here and there, what I find interesting is the amount of people who don't believe me!

I was in Paihia (Small NZ Tourist Town) a few years ago for summer and I met up with a bunch of other backpackers (mostly English) and we hung out having drinks each night and I mentioned to some of them "have you noticed that the moon is upside down?" a couple of them thought I was winding them up, others gave me a strange stare as if I was on drugs.

"Um, no" was the reply from one of the girls, "what are you talking about?" and I tried to explain to her the fact that when we are in New Zealand or Australia, we are pretty much upside down in relation to where we would be back in the UK, therefore the moon appears to be upside down to our perspective.

This merely gained me more strange looks and after an awkward silence, someone simply changed the subject.

I've noticed that Some people love it when this question is raised. It often leads the conversation in a direction other than how good last nights episode of Coronation Street was or how hot Justin Timberlake looked at that award ceremony the other night.

I admit, I have an ulterior motive when I ask that sort of question to someone I may have just met, because what I am actually asking is, "do you think the world is flat?"

Now of course if you were to ask that question directly to anyone, they would always say "no, don't be stupid" but asking about the moon being upside down is another way of asking the same thing.

Someone's reaction, or level of interest pretty much lets me know if they are someone Ill get on with or not :-)

The Moon is Upside Down by Muzzerino

Moon / Upside / down / southern / hemisphere /

Things I Love about New Zealand

2008-09-08T14:28:00.008+12:00

OK, I have been slagging off New Zealand a bit recently, with the blog on bad Kiwi drivers and the state of the New Zealand Defence Force, so I have decided to say why I live here and the things I love about New Zealand in comparison to Scotland.

People:
New Zealanders are friendly, really friendly and that goes beyond those who are in your own ethnic groups (European White, in my case) for example, at the local corner shop (dairy as we call it) you will always find a smile and a conversation with the person behind the counter, be they Indian, Pakistani, Chinese whatever. Something about NZ really brings the friendliness out of people. In Scotland, the local shop is usually manned by someone who is yapping on the phone, ignores you, takes your money and doesn't say "thank you"

Weather:
As much as I hate the New Zealand winter (cold, miserable, damp and long on the North Island) I love the NZ summers, they are long, hot and for about 4 months out of the year you really do feel like you are in that movie with the picture postcard beaches, bikinis, cars, smiles and general feeling of joy.

Food:
The food you can get here is just fantastic, especially the range of Asian food you can get, such as Thai, Chinese, Laos, Malaysian, Japanese, Korean, Indian and many more. Food is more authentic, cheaper and everywhere! by comparison to Scotland. Food courts are abundant and eating out in general is far more affordable to NZ compared to many other western countries I have been to. Even though NZ is just as far, if not further away from South East Asia than other western nations, we seem to get all the really good stuff here. I have found that since I moved to NZ, my diet has been substantially improved.

Drink: Wine and Beer, NZ does them both in great quality and in an amazing variety given the small size of the country. New Zealand Wine and Beer makers seem to have no problem with experimenting with different flavours and combinations.

Scenery:
Now I would never go as far as saying that the scenery here in NZ is as amazing as Scotland, but in its own right, NZ is simply a spectacular country full of snowy mountains, giant lakes, long rivers, rolling green hills, steep valleys, dramatic gorges, exotic golden beaches and wild surf. One thing in particular that always stands out to me as a Scot (northern-hemispherian) is the colour of the water. What I mean by that is, lakes are blue, silver, turquoise and almost white in some cases. Amazing! The harbours and islands have sublime green and emerald water, enough to make you just stare at it in wonder.

Easy:
Things are generally easy, such as Tax, owning a car, immigration, paying bills. Due to the fact there is only just over 4 million people here in New Zealand, doing the above essentials are just easier, you don't have to wait as long and processes are much more simplified.

Eftpos:
Now I know the rest of the world has probably caught up by now, but NZ was one of the first countries to get EFTPOS and I love it, 99.9% of places accept it.

Beaches:
Where I live in Auckland, we have numerous beaches we go to in summer. One called Cheltenham beach which is simply superb. Clean, clear water, no rip tides, no sharks, golden sand, just perfect and the great thing about NZ is, even here in Auckland, a city of 1.2Million people, you can always find a parking place and get a swim in without too much stress. By comparison, even in Sydney Australia, it can actually be a very stressful and time consuming mission just to get to the beach.

Crime:
Although there is a high rate of organised crime here, I have always felt safe when it comes to my car, house and property etc. Burglaries do happen I am sure, but generally crime here is low and confined to only certain bad neighbourhoods.

Socialising:
Although NZ lacks the great British pub culture, they make up for it in summer when people get together for that Barbecue on a warm summers night, beer flows and steaks sizzle, awesome.

UK-ish
NZ still retains a great many things handed down from the UK and I am not just talking about the parliamentary or legal system. TV is similar, humour can be very similar and if you do find yourself craving something from home there are always expat shops filled with your favourite goodies and you can easily get fish n chips or a pie and probably in much better quality too. Also there is UKTV on Sky (which is awesome) and Sky News regularly cuts over to London for the latest headlines.

It can be very strange watching the Weather report for the UK, while sitting in Auckland :-)

New Zealand Needs Fighter Planes !

2008-09-01T12:02:00.018+12:00

Current Royal New Zealand Aircraft : Photos >>>

OK here is my rationale. I know this is a touchy subject among Kiwis but yes, I do think New Zealand needs to get its own Fighter Planes for the RNZAF after labour scrapped them a few years ago.

here goes,

EEZ: Exclusive Economic Zone, we need to patrol it and indeed we do, but with Orions and maybe the Hercules, but they are too slow for all the jobs they will be required for. Orions and Herc's are great for incidents where endurance is neccessary, but sometimes high speed is the top priority.

Shipping Accident / Air Accident: If there was a shipping accident, an airliner went down or perhaps a naughty Japanese whaler in our waters and we needed to get MK1 "Eyeball" on it as quick as possible to assess the situation, then the NZ Prime Minister would be quicker to call up the Australian Prime minister and ask (very very nicely) if he doesn't mind getting the RAAF to take a look, because they would get there quicker than we could by scrambling some F111's or F-18's.

Air Support: We have warships, we have a Royal New Zealand Navy, but no air support? Would any NZ leader risk sending a $200 Million Dollar warship into harms way without air cover? Probably not. So whats the point in having a Navy anyway?

Skills: I am sure that most Kiwis would agree that New Zealanders are at the cutting edge of most industries and NZ skills are regarded highly by international standards, however we do not have a single person in NZ who could call themselves a highly skilled modern fighter/fast jet aviator (unless they are a tourist), or support engineer because they have all ran away! to work for other nations.

Insurance: we all have insurance on our cars and houses and that's what a piece of military hardware is, insurance. Full stop. We may never need it, but the fact that it exists says something about our capability to defend our country or simply secure our airspace if we need to do so.

Airshows: An Airshow is not complete without the roar of a fighter jet squadron overhead. Sorry but it just isn't.

Pride: Also what can instill national pride more that seeing our skies screaming with the sound of our very own Defence force doing their stuff?

Pacific Neighbours: if we needed to help a Pacific neighbour with fast Air Support, "well um, Australia, hello can you do it for us please?"

So that's my rationale why I think NZ needs to get fighter planes back into the RNZAF. Perhaps we should ask the UK if we could grab a few Harriers when they flog them off, they would be awesome in NZ, no need for stealth but still formidable in the air and look amazing at Airshows :-P

Current Royal New Zealand Aircraft : Photos >>>

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Tsunami the first test of HMNZS Canterbury >

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2008-05-20T20:23:00.000+12:00

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