Greatest Hits of Viral Video

The BEST of your favorite videos, although i think the guys at PC WORLD geeked out a little to much on the star wars…
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Sweden Turns to a Promising Power Source, With Flaws

Wind energy is coming under scrutiny, not just from hostile neighbors but from energy experts who question its reliability as a source of power.
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A comparison of cash rates

Cash rates set the cost of capital which plays a big role in how much banks can lend at.  This has flow on effects to the economy in that it sets a minimum for the rate of return on investment.  The higher the rate the greater the cost of capital.  However, the more interesting issue [...]

Inflation? No Inflation.

Here is an article i wrote for the BERL Forecasts in September.  Disregarding the dated stats i think it still holds some value as a discussion piece.  The full article is on the BERL website here.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) saw reason to raise the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to 8.0 percent last [...]

Carbon price anyone’s guess

They say that if you ask an economist a question about what is going to happen you get one of two answers: “It depends” or “It’s too soon to tell”. The same is true if you ask people in the carbon market where prices are heading. New Zealand is now committed even though uncertainty [...]

In Eco-Friendly Factory, Low-Guilt Potato Chips

Frito-Lay is redesigning a potato-chip factory aiming to reduce the energy it consumes and waste it creates. Example of industry led solutions with appropriate incentives rather than a heavy handed regulatory approach. Get the incentives right…
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Spag Bog (Spaghetti Bolognese)

Spag bog usually comes out mid-week. We can prepare the ingredient and get it all going on the stove in 15 minutes. Then we let it simmer away for about 30 minutes while we deal with the toddler and tidy the house a bit.
Ingredients: 1 small onion (finely diced); 1 small [...]

Challenges to Both Left and Right on Global Warming

New books on global warming steer away from partisanship and urge a move to the pragmatic center on climate and energy. As a pragmatist i guess i am in the centrist camp and think it is the only way to get any traction – although the passion and ideology of the left and right certainly [...]

Rise of the manbag: Are gadgets to blame?

We’re carrying too many techie toys…forced to embrace the metrosexual phenomenon of the ‘manbag’. So if its needed how do we make it fashionable? Too big looks fugly. too small it wont fit the laptop and the lunch!!
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Beef and Bean Nachos

This is a basic nachos recipe that we use at home almost weekly. It is really quick and simple as the major ingredients are out of a can. It takes around 1/2 an hour from prep to plate and is cheap at less than NZ$10. OK. I admit it. My wife [...]