Tag Archives: GLASS

New Zealand

Covid 19 coronavirus: Shortage of plumbing, electricity and glass supplies | Instant News


Business

3 minutes to read

Some pipeline supplies take up to four months to land in New Zealand. Photo / Warren Buckland, Files

Shortages of building materials prevented the construction sector from completing projects on time and within budget.

Plumbing, electricity and glass suppliers reported difficulties obtaining basic materials as supply lines have been blocked by the pandemic.

The general manager of Active Electrical Suppliers, Kevin Pollock, said it was becoming increasingly difficult to bring in products since the middle of last year.

“The consequences of this delay mean that product installation by trade personnel is also delayed and in some cases alternative products are taken, but this requires additional time and resources to manage as well.

“So this becomes a more complex problem.”

Delays can mean payment of fines for projects that are not completed on time. Photo / Peter de Graff, Files
Delays can mean payment of fines for projects that are not completed on time. Photo / Peter de Graff, Files

RNZ spoke with glass, tile, heating and ventilation suppliers who reported similar delays.

Master Plumbers Association chief executive Greg Wallace said the challenge was the result of a unique set of circumstances combining to create the perfect storm.

“What happened was the supplier [when Covid-19 first emerged] predict a decline on the basis of all banks and all those who predict a decline and reduce some of their futures orders.

“Most of the piped goods come from abroad and there is a gap of three to four months, so that’s a problem.”

The supplier’s decision was exacerbated by an unexpected spike in home renovations as well as severe congestion at Auckland Harbor, Wallace said.

The state will not run out of supplies, but the delay causes headaches for plumbers and gas workers because if they have to replace equipment halfway, it means they have to go back to the board that will ensure compliance. with the building code, he said.

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To make matters worse, supply of some products will drop as production in China slows down for the Chinese New Year celebrations in February, Wallace said.

Construction industry expert and partner at business advisory firm BDO, James MacQueen, said it was construction companies that could ultimately pay for the delays.

If there is a delay with work like plumbing – which is one of the first things that go into a project – it will delay all other work that follows, he said.

“If not planned properly this can be a significant problem because most construction projects have very clear timelines and then often, especially large companies, there is damage being liquidated if a building is not completed on time.”

Liquidated damage is the financial penalty a construction company receives for each day the project is delayed.

MacQueen said there was a risk that the ongoing long-term delays could cause some companies to crash, particularly those with projects on their way to similar challenges.

All the suppliers RNZ contacted expected the delays to continue until at least the end of March.

Their advice to customers is to be patient and flexible.

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New Zealand

Auckland pub Anagram beer: Is this New Zealand’s most expensive beer? | Instant News


Lifestyle

4 minutes to read

It comes with an outrageous price tag – but experts say it’s more than justified. Photo / Provided

A pub in Auckland is pouring a beer that will set you up to pay $ 25 for a small 200ml glass, and beer gurus say the price tag is more than justified.

Anagram is a Blueberry Cheesecake Imperial Stout, by Omnipollo and Dugges, nine months old at Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels and shipped around the world from Sweden to New Zealand.

With 15 percent alcohol, that’s one to drink, not crush, and The Fridge and Flagon in Auckland sells it in just 200ml glasses.

The price tag means a beer costs $ 60 per pint, possibly making it New Zealand’s most expensive beer.

Deep black and with a thick, syrupy consistency, Anagram may not be a beer for light beer fans, but it scores a net 100 percent on RateBeer’s global ranking website, making it one of the best beers on the planet.

The curator of The Fridge and Flagon beer, Matt Eats, said Anagram was “a very rare and exciting beer you’ve never tasted before.”

To Eat, this glass of beer has a much better value for money than the average glass of wine people pay in a restaurant: “People don’t blink when they pay $ 25 for a decent glass of wine at any wine bar but for that price you’re experiencing. something very special, “he said.

With 15 percent alcohol, that's one of them to drink, not crush. Photo / Provided
With 15 percent alcohol, that’s one of them to drink, not crush. Photo / Provided

“This is one of the best beers in the world, as strong as wine (even stronger), made with equal love and care and far more interesting ingredients. Wine is basically just old grape juice, where’s the fun?”

Kiwi craft beer experts agree that, despite its high price, this beer is a worthy investment.

Beer Jerk co-founder Luke White said he saw this type of beer as “similar to cake”.

“I don’t eat cake every day and when I do eat, it’s in moderation. I’ve never spent $ 25 on a mass-produced trash box like Heineken but I’d definitely drop $ 25 off a glass of beer that the experts have perfectly crafted using ultra premium materials and processes, “he added.

For White, the problem is that beer is seen by many as “a commodity product they buy in big boxes along with toilet paper and bleach.”

“We sell some beers for $ 3 and others for $ 60 and, like every product, some items are more expensive than others. I drive a Honda moped and would never dream of spending $ 100k on a car but I wouldn’t regret anyone. others do it, “he explained.

A cold drink sent around the world from the legendary Swedish magician Omnipollo and Dugges, a beer, called Anagram, is Blueberry Cheesecake Imperial Stout. Photo / Provided
A cold drink sent around the world from the legendary Swedish magician Omnipollo and Dugges, a beer, called Anagram, is Blueberry Cheesecake Imperial Stout. Photo / Provided

White said he would love to see “people in New Zealand spend more on drinking less alcohol”.

“The ingredients used to make good beer are very expensive. ‘Cheap’ beers such as Heineken and Corona are actually much more profitable for brewers because they are mass produced and use exponentially fewer ingredients, especially hops,” he added.

Michael Donaldson, author of “Beer Nation” and editor of “The Pursuit of Hoppiness”, says “not everyone will see the value in beer like this”.

“But, if you’re the kind of person who enjoys taste and enjoys unique experiences with a good friend, go for it! Definitely don’t buy it if you can’t afford it,” he adds.

Beer Jerk’s co-founder Brent Grove believes that, if you’re having trouble importing beer into New Zealand, it might as well be a good beer.

“I don’t see any point in importing a beer that tastes like Steinlager or Lion Red. If we’re going to try to import beer, it will be unique and world class,” Grove said.

“This is definitely not the case for the ‘New Zealand rip-off.’ This is simply a very expensive beer to produce and we sell it for the same price as bars in the UK and Sweden, despite the hefty shipping costs here and NZ alcohol excise rates notoriously high. “The scams actually originated from people charging $ 14 for a bottle of Heineken by the beach,” he added.

“Of course that’s five times more than a regular beer,” said Flagon regular Fridge and Dave Sanderson. “But it’s about 100 times better so I think it’s really good.”

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Germany

Trump Named ‘Loser Of The Year’ By German News Magazine Der Spiegel | Instant News


President Donald Trump not making Time Magazinechoice as Person of the Year this time – but he was named “Loser of the Year” by Germany’s leading news magazine Glass.

Der Spiegel was awarded the informal title in an article on Thursday, the same day Time identified the two as President-elect Joe Biden and the elected Vice President Kamala Harris his Person of the Year 2020.

Der Spiegel, which offers a circulation of about 870,000 readers, slammed Trump for refusing to accept defeat in the presidential election. He “never cared about the common good, but always with one thing – himself,” wrote journalists Roland Nelles and Ralf Neukirch in an article entitled “The loser this year(The Loser of the Year).

“Nothing is normal under Trump,” the article added. “He refused to admit defeat. Instead, he spoke of massive election fraud, although there was no evidence for that. All of which is not surprising. The Trump presidency ends where it began: Without decency and without dignity. “

The article also tore apart the GOP for its failure to fight against Trump and his deliberately divisive politics. “Abraham Lincoln’s vaunted party had slumped before a collection of prickly men, ”Notes the magazine.

Trump is unpopular with Germans. Some 85% of Germans are not confident that the president will do “the right thingIn world affairs, according to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center.

In 2018, Der Spiegel described Trump as a person middle finger flipped from Europe. This “it’s time for Europe to join the resistance … against America, “insisted the magazine.

“Trump is only an expert in destruction,” said Der Spiegel later. “The West as we used to know doesn’t exist anymore. this it is impossible to overstate what Trump has uncovered. “

German-American relations “could only get better” with Biden, a top German official told Der Spiegel on Friday. Biden is “predictable, reliable, and anything but grumpy, ”Said the article. “The most important thing is that he’s not Trump.”

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Germany

Thuringian Royal Cemetery Investigated in Germany | Instant News


HALLE, GERMANY—Live Science reports that researchers are investigating the burial site of central Germany’s Brücken-Hackpfüffel, which is associated with the early medieval mansion of a wealthy aristocrat. Discovered during excavations in the summer of 2020, the burial was used between 470 and 540 AD, during the brief period of the Thuringian Kingdom. Among 80 burials at the cemetery, researchers found imported glass bowls; gold jewelry including brooches, hairpins, and necklaces; and weapons such as swords, spears, spears, and shields. The richest graves are thought to belong to those who live in the palace, said archaeologist Arnold Muhl of the Halle State Museum of Prehistory. The researchers also found holes that housed the bones of four cows, five horses, two dogs and shards of bronze that may have been the remains of a cauldron. The contents of the holes have been removed from the site within a block for future study, Muhl explained. The positions of some of the graves suggest they were placed to avoid disturbance of these pits, which may be part of a burial mound that holds the remains of important people, he added. A chemical analysis of the bones that could reveal the birthplace of the burial inhabitants was also planned. To read about the discovery of the grave of a wealthy Roman woman by German archaeologists who was buried with her jewelry and make-up kits, go to “Beauty Endures. “

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Australia

The virus that causes COVID-19 persists for up to 28 days on surfaces, Australian scientists found | Instant News


The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can live for up to 28 days on surfaces like cellphone screens and ATMs – far longer than previously thought – new Australian research has found.

CSIRO scientists tested the SARS-CoV-2 virus to see how long it lasted on surfaces such as cotton, paper, stainless steel, glass and vinyl.

Trevor Drew, director of the Australian Center for Disease Preparedness, said the research team used the same amount of virus that would be found in someone who is infected.

“It is important to know how long this virus can last so we know how often we need to disinfect something and the kind of risks that common surfaces pose,” said Professor Drew.

He said the fact that the virus persists for so long on glass-like surfaces is important the results are published today in the Virology Journal.

Previous research has revealed the virus that causes COVID-19 detectable in aerosols for up to three hours and on plastic and stainless steel surfaces for up to three days.

SARS-Co-V-2 droplets in artificial mucus were tested on banknotes.(Provided: CSIRO)

But the new study found the virus remained on most surfaces for about six to seven days before starting to lose its potency.

“What we found is that even after two weeks, there are still a lot of live and infectious viruses there that could potentially infect someone,” said Professor Drew.

And on some surfaces, like glass and banknotes, the virus is still there after one month.

Debbie Eagles, deputy director of the Australian Center for Disease Preparedness, said the findings were surprising.

“It looks like it lasts longer than other viruses like influenza which only lasts a few days, or even other coronaviruses,” he said.

Surface contact and the risk of COVID-19

Experts say people are more likely to catch the coronavirus through direct contact, such as someone who sneezes or coughs near them.

But a person can still become infected if they touch a contaminated surface before touching their face, nose or mouth, and potentially ingest the virus.

“That’s why using disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer regularly makes a difference,” says Professor Drew.

“This really strengthens the mantra that you should wash your hands, don’t touch the surface unless you absolutely have to, and don’t touch your face and mouth.”

Dr Eagles said if someone infected with COVID-19 sneezes or coughs near a phone, the virus can stay on the phone for a long time if not cleaned properly.

“And it’s exactly the same for eftpos machines and public transport, but obviously there are more people exposed there than just your own phone, where you’re the only one with close contact with it,” he said.

“We know that on surfaces like public transport, there’s a lot more to cleaning up public spaces, because with effective cleaning you can get rid of the virus.”

Cold weather makes the virus last longer

The scientists also tested the effects of temperature and found that the colder the temperature, the longer the virus stays on the surface.

One drop of liquid that formed a circular mound was in the middle of the small rectangular glass shards
The virus remained on the glassy surface longer than previously thought.(Provided: CSIRO)

That means countries could be more likely to face the COVID-19 outbreak during cooler weather.

“We found temperature had a very big effect on the virus, so if you lowered the temperature to about 6 degrees Celsius, you could extend your lifespan 10 times,” said Professor Drew.

The findings could also explain the COVID-19 outbreak involving meat processing and cold storage facilities.

Several Victorian meat factories and a butcher experiencing a major outbreak of COVID-19. There are also a case of a virus mystery in New Zealand that was at one point suspected of being linked to frozen food storage.

A person wearing a fully covered biosecurity suit in bright yellow is sitting in a laboratory cabinet
The research was conducted in CSIRO’s highly secure Level Four biosecurity laboratory at the Australian Center for Disease Preparedness.(Provided: CSIRO)

Dr Eagles said the required cold temperatures in such workplaces could be a contributing factor to the cluster.

“There are a number of factors at play in slaughterhouses,” he said.

“For example, close contact, maybe some difficulty wearing personal protective equipment, and cooler temperatures may play a role.”

In warmer temperatures, such as 30C, viruses are less likely to survive.

In terms of cash, the virus lasts longer on banknotes than in plastics like Australia’s polymer-based currency.

“It is very important for us to clean and sterilize frequently touched areas such as public spaces, shops, eftpos machines,” said Dr Eagles.

“If cleaned properly, cleaning is very effective.”

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