Since 1985 I've only missed a couple of these Superstock teams Championship speedway weekends so here we go again, and good luck to our Rotorua Rebels!
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I do my bit to try to help the environment, but regular readers and listeners will know very well that it is not my favourite topic.
Largely because of the radical ideas that get thrown around by many greenies, activists and experts, and this week's notion that potentially spells the end of the good old Kiwi barbecue is right up there amongst the worst.
Right in the height of summer as we are all enjoying a barbie every second night, they decide to hit us with that one?
Mind you, based on the record of lots of talk and no action, maybe our BBQing days are pretty safe.
So we can continue to soak up the sun, and the smells of the delicious food being cooked, from the veggies to the meat.
And when it comes to those smells, apparently when it comes to bacon it is actually the smell that makes it irresistible, even more than the thought of the taste.
According to Canadian-based AsapScience, when bacon is heated, the fats melt, and the sugars and amino acids have a chemical reaction known as the Maillard reaction, which gives browned foods their distinct flavour.
Some 150 chemical compounds waft through the air as bacon cooks to create the amazing aroma.
So it's not just the taste you desire, the smell itself is an example of chemistry at work, stimulating your brain and body. And even better when cooked on the barbeque right?
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One of the big changes at The Hits this year has happened this week.
We have said farewell to Laura McGoldrick while she heads off to have bubba number 2, and to fill her boots we are excited to welcome the one and only Hilary Barry to our team!
Long regarded by many as the modern mother of the nation, Hilary is the perfect fit for what we are all about at The Hits.
What many people enjoy with radio is that you get to hear and know the real person, much more so than what you can get on the television.
And I reckon we've learnt a lot about Hilary already in just this first week on air with us.
So if you are a Hilary Barry fan – tune in for The Hits 3PM Pick-Up every weekday afternoon between 3 and 4pm.
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We are approaching the most romantic time of the year, so The Hits Rotorua wants to hear about your extremely romantic Valentine's Day experiences.
Listen to me this week for your cue to call, or get online to thehits.co.nz/win to tell us all about it.
All calls and online submissions will be in the draw to win. Thanks to Extreme Beauty at 1241 Amohau St, we've got a hair treatment and blow wave to giveaway. Win it for your valentine, or to treat yourself this Valentine's Day.
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Paul Hickey is the host of the local Rotorua show on The Hits Rotorua weekdays between 9am and 3pm. Listen on 97.5FM or download the iHeartRadio app. Follow The Hits Rotorua and Paul on Facebook and Instagram.
