Virtual Phill

Young sports fans

2009-11-12T06:46:00.001-08:00

Get a load of this 12 year old kid from Invercargill (NZ) who has a witty little ditty for the All Whites this satruday
Well done son!

Mozart

2009-11-12T06:32:00.001-08:00

I've probaby posted this video before. These guys are goodies.

Climate Change - some of the science

2009-11-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

I read today, that some very recent research seem to suggest that the proportion of CO2 being absorbed by non-atmospheric receptors (i.e. water, trees, land) has not chnaged since the 1850's. This is surprising news, seeing as it has long been predicted that the rise in CO2 emissions from human activities would change this balance so that it was skewed in the direction of the atmosphere.

Now, the OVERALL amount on Co2 in the atmosphere is still going up. It's the proportion of capture that is revised by this research. What's good about this research is that it is dependent on empirical results, rather than modelling, which is the mechanism by which much of our climate predictions have been made.

So does this mean that climate change might not end up being as bad as many fear? I don't know. The question to be asked now is, when do the non-atmospheric sinks reach capacity?

Literally, some video clips for you to enjoy

2009-11-11T03:14:00.001-08:00

Swine Flu: Who won?

2009-11-11T02:17:00.000-08:00

According to various media outlets, swine flu appears to have peaked and reported cases are possibly on the decline. Now that the "end of the world disaster" is over.... Who won?

Well, undoubtedly, the pharmaceutical companies won. And the media outlets who are in co-hoots with them. The sales of non needed vaccines for Swine Flu have started arriving, just at the time that the flu is reducing in virulence and infection rate. And who pays? We do the tax payers. Thanks to the media for stoking the panic and fear (and forcing governemnts to spend up large on precautionary measures/ vaccines), we all came out worse off. All, that is, except the pharmaceutical companies. .. and the media outlets.

SHAME!!!

High Speed 2 Railway

2009-11-10T03:47:00.000-08:00

Sir David Rowlands (HS2) published, in September, a letter to stakeholders outlining progress on the development of the High Speed Two project. Of note is this section:

APPRAISAL OF SUSTAINABILITY

Consultation on the scope of the Appraisal of Sustainability was completed in August and this included valuable contributions from the AoS Reference Group. This will help inform the work to identify referred options. Linked to the AoS work, we have set up two specialist groups to advise on noise and climate change impacts. Both groups comprise a wide range of experts in their respective fields and will provide a peer review/technicalsupport function to the work being carried out on these areas by our sustainability consultants, Booz & Company and Temple Group.

THFC: Northumberland Park Development

2009-11-10T03:20:00.000-08:00

Back in October, Spurs submitted their planning application for the redevelopment of White Hart Lane, and the surrounding area. The plan is about much more than just a new stadium. It will include housing regeneration, public space, commercial and hotel buildings also. The planning application is available online at the Haringey Website. Due to the lack of imagination from the press (regurgitating the same images over and over), I have decided to start a series of posts describing the development and looking through the submitted application.

First up, the stadium plan. The proposal is for around 56,000 seater ground. The club has stated that the design brief of the stadium was for "atmosphere". I think they've (KSS) done a great job with this design. The club are proposing a single tiered 6000 seat stand at one end of the ground, which will apparently be the largest single tiered stand in England (and possibly europe?). Of note also is the plan to bring the Spurs retail (club shop) within the stadium structure. This will be a welcome change from the rather grotty high street shop they currently have.

Here's an extract from the application showing the basic ground-floor layout of the stadium. Click to enlarge/ view the whole image.

And here's an elevation drawing. Note the roof height of around 50m.

Less crap on the internet

2009-11-09T06:27:00.000-08:00

Woohoo, not only is Ruper Murdoch going to charge for his 'news' content, but he's planning to block his outlets' news stories (fabrications?) from being viewable on serach engines, such as google. This is undoubtedly great news for all of us, as it means less crappy nonsesne blocking up our internet pipes.

Thanks Rupert, thanks for putting your crap back in the dark where it belongs.

I love this quote "It costs us a l lot of money to put together good news papers"... uhh? How would Murdoch know that? Newscorp and "good" newspapers? That's a contradiction, surely.

this is a goodie

2009-11-09T05:57:00.000-08:00

Click image to see all of it.

HT to Richard Beck for this find.

VfB weekly - was passiert hier?

2009-11-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

"Richtungsweisendes Spiel"

Trotz einer langen Verletztenliste und der Sperre von Timo Gebhart aufgrund seiner fünften gelben Karte aus dem Bayern-Spiel machte VfB-Cheftrainer Markus Babbel vor der Partie am Samstag bei Borussia Mönchengladbach seinem Team Mut. . . . . continued here.

And here's the Table, not so good for VfB right now. .. what's going on guys??

Racism alive and well in New Zealand politics

2009-11-05T14:37:00.000-08:00

Last week it was Michael Laws making racially heated comments. Now it's MP Hone Harawira's chance to show how race hate is not absent from the political scene in New Zealand. This kind of attitude cannot be acceptable. Craziness.

Does this kind of language belong in the political sphere?

"white motherf***ers" of "puritanical bullshit"

"... you're no better than that w***er Rodney Hide and the white mofos you complain about,"

How stupid is this guy? Not only to have such rediculous and hateful views, but for being a dumbass enough to put them into an email. ..

Christians! this is how bad things have become!

2009-11-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

How did this happen?

The Prosperity Gospel from The Global Conversation on Vimeo.

a little slice of kiwi revisionism

2009-11-05T09:12:00.000-08:00

Dean somebodyorather at a NZ blog seems to think that New Zealanders celebrate Guy Fawkes' act of terroroism on Guy Fawkes Day.... In my experience, and based on a few little sources I have, it seems the contrary is true. As with the other commonwealth nations, we celebrate the foiling/failure of his plot, and the victory of parliament and the King over this "terrorism" .. .

Does dean simply have a hazy memory? Or was he from a perculiar part of the country? Or is he revising history for whatever reason?

Christmas Presents

2009-11-05T06:12:00.000-08:00

Two days in a row, Mr Kruse gets a virtuphill hat tip. This time for linking a story on the annaul waste associated with christmas presents that are bought, but not wanted.

For all those people who whinge about government spending waste, think about this. Do the people you buy things for at Christmas REALLY want whatever it is you're buying for them. If not, find something they do want, or don't buy anything for them. Be smart.

That is all.

Bad Science/ or bad media? child psychology

2009-11-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

Studying whether or not parents THINK their children are aggresive, is not the same as studying whether or not children ARE aggresive. There is a difference between how parent perceive their child's behavious, and the behaviour they exhibit. That is why this study fails to draw the conclusions that the niaive, lap-it-all-up journalists at fairfax have drawn. Once again, our 'professional' reporters have not been able to provide any real insight into the science.

Journalists: generally useless since. .. . oh... just about the dawn of printing.. . .

who likes beauty?

2009-11-04T07:06:00.001-08:00

pick me!

.

Income, Poverty, Literacy and fertility

2009-11-04T04:53:00.000-08:00

An interesting analysis of demographics from the economist. HT to Michael Kruse for this video.

This is a nice little presentatino to have up your sleve when people start offering their opinions on "population".

Sun up

2009-11-02T05:04:00.001-08:00

Footage of my band, z.electric playing back in august.

Safer Communities Together

2009-10-30T04:18:00.001-07:00

Always blow on the pie.

Michael Laws is at it again

2009-10-29T11:40:00.001-07:00

For those among us who are apologists for Mr. Michael Laws, hows about you explain this one? Irony perhaps? Sarcasm this time? Or the rantings of a sad old bigot (albeit a bigot with an honours degree - - ooooh).

How many percent?

2009-10-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

This is a lot of percent. . . is it not?

If I had a dollar for everytime some one used such an exaggeration .. .

Twitter isn't so cool you know

2009-10-29T05:18:00.001-07:00

DOS DOS DOS DOS, yeah!

2009-10-29T04:20:00.001-07:00

sythesized for action in Deutschland

2009-10-29T02:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a wee mash together of various bits of video I've taken in my trips to Germany. Backing track is "synthesized for action" by z.electric.

I'm writing a book!!!!

2009-10-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted to announce that I've been offered a deal and publishing contract to work on a book! The book was inspired by my good friend Eduardo-Version Bergerac. The book is to be entitled "Phill Smith Perspectives: European Agriculture in the 21st century" and will hopefully be the first in a series of "Phill Smith Perspective" books.

"Phill Smith Perspectives: European Agriculture in the 21st century" will cover 5 key areas of agricultural practice in Europe. These being:

1. Collectivisation
2. Slash and burn (in the sense of going on a rampage)
3. Ploughing (with a horse)
4. Ploughing (with a badger)
5. Using humans as livestock to create manure

The project is expected to be finished by April 2010, and on shelves early Summer 2010!