Charles on… anything that comes along

Over at The Register I’ve written about how an environmental catastrophe (or at least serious problem) was averted when a man unwittingly imported an iPod with some nasty ants on board to New Zealand.

The solution was.. ah, but you’ll have to read it. I did get in touch with the Min of Ag and Fish in NZ, but they weren’t giving any more details, and wouldn’t let me join the mailing list that might have provided more. If you think “ants”, though, it makes the iPod ads suddenly a lot funnier.

However having been in New Zealand last month, I can attest that pretty much the whole place looks as though it’s just had turf laid, apart from the mountains, which have just been groomed for skiing.

And I just have to note that it seems to be a population fuelled by caffeine. You can’t walk 10 steps in Wellington, the capital, without seeing a coffee shop. Walk five more steps, and you’ll see a hairdresser or barber. What the connection is, I’ve no idea, but it must exist. Plus in Christchurch (on the south, less populated island) I saw, for the first time in my life, a coffee shop that accepts coffee vouchers - clearly for those times when you’re just too desperate and don’t have any cash.

These posts might be related (the database thinks..):
• The dramatic news from the Apple Expo: Phil Schiller is *funny*! (31 August 2004; score: 45.63%)
• Why dropping Firewire from the iPod is, frankly, annoying as hell (18 October 2005; score: 35.41%)
• More Live 8 fun: the Ricky Gervais dancing clip (6 July 2005; score: 34.6%)