Chris Keall

No idea of its financial feasibility (Duncan has a story coming for NBR) but NZ’s Burger Fuel has opened a store in Iraq. Here’s the press release pic (click to zoom).

I like this pic of Key and Shearer swapping phone numbers at the Chinese New Year Festival in Auckland. There’s a lot to dislike about NZ politics, but at least our leaders are surrounded by fewer layers of BS operatives than most. (From the Sunday Star Times, Jan 22; the online version of the article has different pics).

Waikanae Beach.

Final Keall brother married off (at Massey University gardens – who knew Palmy could be Jane Austin-esque). Beautiful wedding, Steve & Carla. More pics on the Facebook.

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Basically, it’s a wooden cupboard with a ray heater built into the back. Touch claustrophobic. (Fitness centre, Coachman Hotel, Palmerston North.)

Fred and Barney, dazed and confused at Kowhai Park, Whanganui.

An example of a detection notice under our new copyright legislation, courtesy Tech Liberty’s Thomas Beagle (click to zoom).

“Counting the ways that this notice does not meet the requirements of the act/regulations. Current count: 5,” tweeted Thomas.

Read Tech Liberty’s detailed analysis here and its check-list for a valid notice here.

We switched to naked broadband (DSL without a home phone line) on Tuesday. The new setup will soon be bolstered by a femtocell to boost our dodgy cellphone reception.

Our main motivation was to take advantage of regulatory changes, and attendant savings.

But telemaketers – who found our (extra cost) unlisted number no hindrance to hunting us down – also did their bit. If I was a Telecom shareholder, I’d be agitating for a national, US-style do-not-call registry (not a voluntary industry one; see Comments below). More after NBR returns Jan 16 …

Spotted by my sister-in-law, who’s re-reading the Arthur C Clarke classic, originally published in 1968. (Thanks to @GaryTurner who pointed out this YouTube clip of a related sequence in the movie.)