coffee.geek.nz

a members bill from Roger Douglas to undo the last government's change that abolished youth rates. He wants a return to paying someone less than minimum wage if they're under 18.
http://blog.greens.org.nz/2010/02/25/is-roger-anti-youth/

There was a protest today at parliament over the threats to existence of National Radio
http://wellingtonista.com/nice-day-for-a-protest-picnic

Steve Biddle has blog and photos of a tour of Telecom's exchange on courtenay place
http://feeds.geekzone.co.nz/~r/GeekzoneBlogUsers/~3/fOr4BEXaJgg/7113

Leaked: Microsoft's document on your private data that they store for government to come get.
http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ggc6FzGp7tA/the-secret-govern...

Amazon, oh Amazon - how sad for you. Microsoft claims they own patents for something in linux, but they won't say what.. they just say "pay up".. and Amazon paid up to their threats.
http://blog.christophersmart.com/2010/02/24/amazon-microsoft-sign-linux-...

Mark Atwood tells how to add more memcache capacity without an outage
http://fallenpegasus.livejournal.com/884224.html

A postive bathroom scale
http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/WGpSAHUk9OY/body-scale...

cool things: blood bath and ninja hook shower thingies
http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/O0t48obDNzA/blood-bath...

WTF happened to question time? Parliament is sitting under "urgency", so National have cancelled question time. This isn't normal practise.

There's an e-petition on Wellington city council website, to ban smoking on the golden mile. Lambton Quay, Willis Street, Manners Street/Manners Mall and Courtenay Place.

This will create a corridor from railway station to mount vic where you don't need to be breathing in second hand smoke - while leaving many alternate routes for smokers.

I have asthma. I cannot walk behind a smoker for more than a moment. If I do my airway closes, and someone better call an ambulance quickly. It's not fun.

If there's a smoker, I try to overtake as quickly as possible. Right now i'm 7 months pregnant so cannot over take anyone. So, if I'm walking with a smoker near by, I have to stop, and wait for the smoker to meander ahead, and then watch carefully that I don't catch up to their killer stench. -- and then hope there isn't another smoker just behind me.

Likewise, when i'm at the bus stop, I shouldn't have to stand out in the rain while smokers puff away under the shelter. Every bus stop on the golden mile being smoke free is a great start.

People are welcome to smoke - do whatever you want to yourself - just don't do it in places i need to be in ways that mean I'm breathing it too. I need to walk down the street in Wellington. I ought to be able to do this without their choice to smoke meaning I have to actively avoid them. They can smoke on the next block.

Please Sign the petition

Wellington city council have a section on their website for "e-petitions".

The petitions currently active are:
Ban on smoking along the city's "Golden Mile" - A proposal to ban smoking along the streets making up the city's Golden Mile - Lambton Quay, Willis Street, Manners Street/Manners Mall and Courtenay Place

A Positive Dog Policy Petition - allowing dogs into more areas of the city, and allowing dogs to be let off leads in the townbelt, as well as fencing and poop rubbish bins in existing exercise areas

Ban the sale of 300-330ml glass beer and RTD bottles from off-licences in Wellington. - title says it all really

Resolution of traffic pinch-point on Tory St/Courtenay Pl intersection. - Change the configuration of the lanes for north-bound traffic on Tory Street where it crosses Courtenay Place.

Downhill traffic via The Rigi - change to the top of The Rigi to stop people going down it

After 18 years in the same Courtenay Place location, Espressoholic cafe has been given a month's notice by its landlord to close up shop

So, head on down to espressoholic for your last cup of mediocre coffee, at 4am, before it's too late.