An unexpected side effect of roasting my own coffee- June 28, 2008 Since I started roasting my own coffee beans, I have noticed a few things. Im saving money (a couple of hundred a year, I think); Im drinking a little more coffee than I used to (it tastes nicer); I have a wider variety of blends on the go at once; I can now associate certain flavours and textures with certain beans. I expected that. However I have also developed a much greater appreciation for anyone who consistently produces a commercial coffee blend. When I roast at home I am basically...http://vital.org.nz/entry/title/an_unexpected_side_effect_of_roasting_my_own_coffee Adam Smith, futurist- June 27, 2008 The other day I read that Daniel Gilberts Stumbling On Happiness is a good book. So yesterday I borrowed it from the Wellington Public Library. (I nearly didnt, because I couldnt find it on the shelf, and I had to ask a librarian to help me. Apparently 158 GIL is shelved before all the 158.xxx AAAs years of programming and university libraries that work on the Library of Congress system have given me different intuitions about natural sort order to whatever librarians do with Dewey...http://vital.org.nz/entry/title/adam_smith_futurist Oh noes, a blow to my toes- June 23, 2008 Last night we were practicing a thing called au mortal, which is where you go up on your hands like a handstand, take a hand off, and fall backwards, with any luck landing lightly on your feet, facing the same way you started. Pointing your toes adds to the likelihood of a smooth square landing. With any luck. If you dont have luck, you end up swollen toe that is a colour I have never seen in a toe before. I think I managed to smack the toe-knuckle (is that a word) with my full bodyweight. It...http://vital.org.nz/entry/title/oh_noes_a_blow_to_my_toes Home coffee roasting with a corretto setup- June 22, 2008 After weeks of watching Trademe like a hawk, I scored exactly what I was after this weekend. I got a breadmaker that no longer heats but still has a working knead-only cycle. It cost just $1. As a result, I have now constructed what seems to be an emerging standard for home coffee roasting: a corretto. This setup is named after the member of the Coffee Snobs forum in Australia who popularised it there. Heres what I did. I have a heat gun which I bought for $20 from Mitre 10. It is mounted on a..http://vital.org.nz/entry/title/home_coffee_roasting_with_a_corretto_setup The Ngauranga-Airport transport corridor- June 19, 2008 The next step of the Ngauranga-Airport transport corridor consultation process is upon us. Good discussion over at Eye of the Fish. I intend to make another submission. The plan as it is notes the possibility that petrol price rises might make car traffic increases less likely, but doesnt actually take them into account, other than to say that theyll change the plan if that happens. Dudes, its, like, a plan. That involves modelling scenarios for the future, working out probabilities, and then...http://vital.org.nz/entry/title/the_ngaurangaairport_transport_corridor Live by the sword, die by the sword- June 16, 2008 The real estate industry is apparently unhappy about media coverage recently. Fairfax New Zealand group executive manager Paul Thompson confirmed a meeting occurred with real estate bosses. They were feeling bruised at the moment over negative headlines about the property market and industry reforms. Personally I don t believe that the newspapers are likely to cave to threats from them, if only because I cant see where else the real estate people are going to advertise But anyway, I dont recall.http://vital.org.nz/entry/title/live_by_the_sword_die_by_the_sword Licensed to froth- June 15, 2008 David has found a James Bond clip in which my La Pavoni (or a very similar model) plays a starring role. Famously, we programmers are irritated by Hollywoods unrealistic portrayal of computers, but it never occurred to me that I might go into full outraged trainspotter mode over an espresso machine. For the record, they dont come up to heat in less than five minutes, you cant grind enough coffee that fast, they take at least 20 seconds to pull a shot, and you dont froth milk directly in the...http://vital.org.nz/entry/title/licensed_to_froth Cheese puffs- June 10, 2008 We have made a Discovery. There is a old-school coffee shop on Willis St, the Willis St Lunch Cafe, where they serve sausage rolls and pies and scones and slices and things of that nature. They also sell a thing called a cheese puff. The cheese puff is like a very soft scone, perhaps one that is contemplating retirement as a muffin, laden with so much cheese that when you break a warm cheese puff open, it forms little strings of cheese across the gap. I say warm cheese puff because there are no.http://vital.org.nz/entry/title/cheese_puffs The Herald fights crime- June 8, 2008 Thank goodness the Herald Newsdesk is at the forefront of solving crime and tracking down the perpetrators. Thats why you should always tell them straight away if you know anything. I believe there is some goverment agency or other which sometimes collects information on these events, but if it was important to tell them, Im sure the Herald would have mentioned their contact details. (screenshot take from this story). Earlier. Update: in fairness, a new story about the same incident today now..http://vital.org.nz/entry/title/the_herald_fights_crime |