Protect your bananas!

From the weird, wacky and wonderful file…

The creator of the banana protector answers the question on the lips of many a banana-toting New Zealander:

“Are you fed up with bringing bananas to work or school only to find them bruised and squashed?”

The unique, patented Banana Guard device allows for the safe transport and storage of individual bananas, letting you enjoy perfect bananas anytime, anywhere. They’re designed to fit “the vast majority of bananas” and feature “small perforations to facilitate ventilation…preventing premature ripening.”

Well, I’m glad someone’s got their priorities straight. Go bananas in our fresh produce section and grab yourself some fresh fruit.

Ah, if only Sundays came round more often

Heading into the weekend (is it just me, or do they never seem long enough?) this tidbit definitely fits the bill.

What if every second day was a Sunday? Well, it almost was for one lucky person. Scott, an Auckland bookstore assistant, wrote to the NZ Herald saying:

“A customer returned with a 2008 diary he purchased on the weekend. As he was flicking through his diary, he was dumbfounded as every other day seemed to be a Sunday. He told staff he thought he was going mad. But we realised he was quite correct… Sunday, Monday, Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday, Friday, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday… We found that it was a huge printing error and were told to destroy it. Just think how wonderful it would be if every other day was a Sunday.”

I couldn’t agree more.

What do occultism, rocketry, USA, New Zealand and Greek gods have in common?

Ever heard of a fellow called Jack Parsons?

He was a dedicated occultist who co-founded America’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It has been reported that “before each rocket test launch, Parsons would invoke the god Pan.” The New Zealand relationship? Sir William Pickering of New Zealand is the most famous Director of JPL.

Wernher von Braun is widely recognised as the leading figure in the development of rocket technology in America, but he held Jack Parsons in high regard… “von Braun remarked that Parsons, and not he, should be regarded as the father of the American space program.”

In 1952, Jack Parsons died in an accidental explosion of fulminate of mercury at his home laboratory, but there is an interesting connection between Pan and Apollo. “Once Pan had the audacity to compare his music with that of Apollo, and to challenge Apollo, the god of the lyre, to a trial of skill.” Of course, the US went on to name their most influential rocket program Apollo (originally meaning “the destroyer”). In addition, the new Orion (God of Hunting) capsule designed to carry people to the moon will be launched by the new series of rockets Ares (God of War).

Why has America gone for such provocative names for their rockets? Why didn’t they choose some nicer Gods like Eros, Aphrodite or Hestia? Why did they choose Greek Gods as a naming convention in the first place?

All in all, a series of interesting coincidences and I’m sure Jack Parsons will be smiling in his grave. There’s little wonder conspiracy theorists have a lot of fun in America!

Kaitaia UFO… an encounter in the Far North?

We may be at the bottom of the world, but we’re on the aliens’ radar.

A mysterious, dome shaped object was spotted in the sky on April 28th, 2007, near Kaitaia in the Far North if New Zealand. Our buddies at UFO Focus New Zealand have taken a look at photographs of the as-yet-unidentified-flying-object and declared that the object seems to be a craft, a view backed up by an international expert. Dr Bruce Maccabee said the craft appeared to be of a circular shape, with a dome shaped top.

The lucky onlooker who captured the UFO photos watched the UFO for five minutes as it manoeuvred north, before eventually disappearing. Adding to the ‘mystery’ factor, there were no scheduled flights in the area at the time and the Carter Observatory has ruled out the possibility that it could be a meteorite or space junk.

While there’s no comment on whether the photos may be a hoax, the series of images would have required hours of work to pull off. Until further information comes to light, Northland’s unexplained flying object remains (officially) a UAP, or Unusual Aerial Phenomenon.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for other odd things in the sky…