My intending to blog more does not really seem to be working so well.. Am pretty busy between work, going to the gym, going out and life generally that time is flying. Is less than 7 weeks till holiday, now have the USA sorted with flights, hotels and a tour option to go down to Mexico.
Wellington is treating me well and on a nice day it is fucking gorgeous to look down over the harbour from my whare :) Work is great and meeting lots of people, even a potential or two along the way!
I originally was thinking that I might post more political stuff on this blog, but not sure I want to rant just yet.
Hope every(any)one is well :)
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Live from the Capital!
What a couple of weeks!
Have been in Wellington now for just under a month and am pretty much set, just need the SKY to be hooked up for tele watching and to grab my car from Auckland in a couple of weeks but otherwise, I'm here!
Works been good, am loving being back in underwriting and have a really good team that I work with. Have even been doing longer than required hours if hitting the gym and filling my days.
More importantly I have myself a 2 bedroom place in Crofton Downs which I am loving. It's just me here, a change from the last living situation but given how picky I can be, it's probably for the best. Glad I ended up in a 2 bedroom too, I own a lot more stuff than I realised! It's a 10 min walk to the train, 8 min to town and then another 10 to work, all in all about the same length as in Auckland. Feels so civilised being on the train to work in the morning, like in a real city, even if the trains on my line are nearly 60 years old!
The only downside about Wellington is that it is fucking cold, but I guess all one has to do is wrap up warm and make sure the heater is always going! It'll be great in summer when it is warm but not humid. Alas the cold has been a bit of a shock to the system and I've caught a little bit of a bug that is going around, but managing to fight it off ok..
That's it for now, will get some pix up in time...
Ka kite
Have been in Wellington now for just under a month and am pretty much set, just need the SKY to be hooked up for tele watching and to grab my car from Auckland in a couple of weeks but otherwise, I'm here!
Works been good, am loving being back in underwriting and have a really good team that I work with. Have even been doing longer than required hours if hitting the gym and filling my days.
More importantly I have myself a 2 bedroom place in Crofton Downs which I am loving. It's just me here, a change from the last living situation but given how picky I can be, it's probably for the best. Glad I ended up in a 2 bedroom too, I own a lot more stuff than I realised! It's a 10 min walk to the train, 8 min to town and then another 10 to work, all in all about the same length as in Auckland. Feels so civilised being on the train to work in the morning, like in a real city, even if the trains on my line are nearly 60 years old!
The only downside about Wellington is that it is fucking cold, but I guess all one has to do is wrap up warm and make sure the heater is always going! It'll be great in summer when it is warm but not humid. Alas the cold has been a bit of a shock to the system and I've caught a little bit of a bug that is going around, but managing to fight it off ok..
That's it for now, will get some pix up in time...
Ka kite
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Interrupted Transmission
Have moved to the capital, but as I'm not yet of a fixed abode, have not had a chance to start posting properly. Work is very busy, so much to learn, am enjoying it though. Looking at flats this weekend and hoping to sign a lease next week :)
Monday, 1 June 2009
Ambitious for New Zealand, not...
The budget was presented here last week and if the aim was soley to avoid a ratings downgrade from S&P you have to say it passed the test, however if that is really the best that the National-led administration can come up with, bring on 2011 I say. I'm only going to touch on 3 areas, they signify just how bad the government here is IMO.
To recap, since the election we have had tax cuts passed under urgency in November and the second two tranches cancelled (deferred is the word used, but even if implemented in 2011/12 they will be different to the original scheme) also under urgency this past week. Now remember the tories campaigned hard on tax cuts and how they were fully costed yada yada, so for them to cancel the next lot is really quite unforgivable IMO. I understand that it is easier to remove something we have only been promised rather than delivered, but hearing Bill English prattle on about 'entitlements' when talking about WFF etc seriously made me question if he'd come across to Labour. I would have rather seen them be true to their supporters and spend some political capital, keeping the tax cuts and removing some of the middle / upper-middle class redistribution like WFF or putting interest at the rate of the CPI on Student Loans - although the latter would have pinged me in the pocket, I think interest = inflation is fair otherwise over time inflation eats away at the loan balance. On the tax cut front, sorry NACT you don't pass, even allowing for the current situation.
Superannuation is number two. Remember the 1970's where the Labour government introduced a compulsory super scheme that would have done what Australia's has but sooner, only for the tories under Muldoon to bring in universal and sometime when the baby boomers retire unaffordable National Superannuation? It's happened again. The Kiwisaver changes I could understand, if you are going to remove the tax break for employers reducing their compulsory contributions by the same amount is fair and 2% minimum makes it more accessible, but to essentially gut the NZ Super Fund is plain stupid. Yes, the fund, designed as a pre-funding mechanism for the boomers retire, made a loss over the last 12 months, but so did everything else and now that there are signs things are picking up it is back making acceptable profits. I don't buy the argument comparing government to households as a reason not to borrow to contribute, the long run return on borrowing to invest (and investment by NZ in NZ is a great way out of recession) will be greater than the cost of borrowing so should have been done. Given the deficits you can argue that government is borrowing to do anything.. By canning contributions for a decade NACT will leave the country with a pension problem in 20 years time, they could have at least had the balls to spend some political capital realising this and signal a raise in the age of entitlement to a pension as Australia has done. NACT, on superannuation you get an epic fail from me.
More epic is the transport fail, especially with respect to Auckland. In November we had funding mechanisms in place for a whole raft of improvements in public transport that would have come onstream soon and delivered massive benefits. What does NACT do? Ditch the regional fuel tax which Aucklanders were accepting of to pay for these improvements, delaying integrated ticketing and jeopardising the whole project as well as delaying the electrification project for rail, the single most important PT improvement Auckland needs. Instead we have billions being poured into roads, roads and more roads, a solution that the last 50 or so years has shown does not work. When Steven Joyce prattles on that 84/86% of Aucklanders get to work by car, he forgets that politicians have made sure that it is the only effective transport option, so not shit Sherlock, Aucklanders use their cars. Since 2003, when improvements have been flowing, this has been changing and once again, as with superannuation, it looks like Auckland will have had a clear path of where it wants to head with alternatives to the private car only for National and its' allies to torpedo that, making sure that the private car continues to reign supreme. Electrification is delayed by at least 6 months, possibly more, the tender was meant to happen in March, no action yet, integrated ticketing is uncertain as are some of the major upgrades that up until this lot came in were agreed, timetabled and most importantly funded. I'm mixed about the Waterview connection, the twin tunnels did not have room for expansion but I am still not convinced that this is the best option, especially around Great North Road, that will be chaos during construction. What happens when oil gets expensive again? Where is the move to more efficient transport options that are less oil dependent?
Those are my three areas, I was going to include the response to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance and Law and Order, but this is a long post as it is and you get the idea...
To recap, since the election we have had tax cuts passed under urgency in November and the second two tranches cancelled (deferred is the word used, but even if implemented in 2011/12 they will be different to the original scheme) also under urgency this past week. Now remember the tories campaigned hard on tax cuts and how they were fully costed yada yada, so for them to cancel the next lot is really quite unforgivable IMO. I understand that it is easier to remove something we have only been promised rather than delivered, but hearing Bill English prattle on about 'entitlements' when talking about WFF etc seriously made me question if he'd come across to Labour. I would have rather seen them be true to their supporters and spend some political capital, keeping the tax cuts and removing some of the middle / upper-middle class redistribution like WFF or putting interest at the rate of the CPI on Student Loans - although the latter would have pinged me in the pocket, I think interest = inflation is fair otherwise over time inflation eats away at the loan balance. On the tax cut front, sorry NACT you don't pass, even allowing for the current situation.
Superannuation is number two. Remember the 1970's where the Labour government introduced a compulsory super scheme that would have done what Australia's has but sooner, only for the tories under Muldoon to bring in universal and sometime when the baby boomers retire unaffordable National Superannuation? It's happened again. The Kiwisaver changes I could understand, if you are going to remove the tax break for employers reducing their compulsory contributions by the same amount is fair and 2% minimum makes it more accessible, but to essentially gut the NZ Super Fund is plain stupid. Yes, the fund, designed as a pre-funding mechanism for the boomers retire, made a loss over the last 12 months, but so did everything else and now that there are signs things are picking up it is back making acceptable profits. I don't buy the argument comparing government to households as a reason not to borrow to contribute, the long run return on borrowing to invest (and investment by NZ in NZ is a great way out of recession) will be greater than the cost of borrowing so should have been done. Given the deficits you can argue that government is borrowing to do anything.. By canning contributions for a decade NACT will leave the country with a pension problem in 20 years time, they could have at least had the balls to spend some political capital realising this and signal a raise in the age of entitlement to a pension as Australia has done. NACT, on superannuation you get an epic fail from me.
More epic is the transport fail, especially with respect to Auckland. In November we had funding mechanisms in place for a whole raft of improvements in public transport that would have come onstream soon and delivered massive benefits. What does NACT do? Ditch the regional fuel tax which Aucklanders were accepting of to pay for these improvements, delaying integrated ticketing and jeopardising the whole project as well as delaying the electrification project for rail, the single most important PT improvement Auckland needs. Instead we have billions being poured into roads, roads and more roads, a solution that the last 50 or so years has shown does not work. When Steven Joyce prattles on that 84/86% of Aucklanders get to work by car, he forgets that politicians have made sure that it is the only effective transport option, so not shit Sherlock, Aucklanders use their cars. Since 2003, when improvements have been flowing, this has been changing and once again, as with superannuation, it looks like Auckland will have had a clear path of where it wants to head with alternatives to the private car only for National and its' allies to torpedo that, making sure that the private car continues to reign supreme. Electrification is delayed by at least 6 months, possibly more, the tender was meant to happen in March, no action yet, integrated ticketing is uncertain as are some of the major upgrades that up until this lot came in were agreed, timetabled and most importantly funded. I'm mixed about the Waterview connection, the twin tunnels did not have room for expansion but I am still not convinced that this is the best option, especially around Great North Road, that will be chaos during construction. What happens when oil gets expensive again? Where is the move to more efficient transport options that are less oil dependent?
Those are my three areas, I was going to include the response to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance and Law and Order, but this is a long post as it is and you get the idea...
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
I'm leaving, on a jet plane...
So the big news from this part of the world is that I am packing my things and leaving town! Have accepted a new Wellington based role within IAG, as Personal Lines Underwriter, which I am very excited about. Will be good to get back into underwriting, though I will miss what I am doing as I have really come to like it, a case of Plan A and Plan B both being acceptable.
I start in Wellington on June 11 and all going well will be moving into my new place the following week. Moving itself does not really excite me and leaving Fleetwood kinda sucks, as J and I have a really good flat, but this opportunity was too good to pass up.
I start in Wellington on June 11 and all going well will be moving into my new place the following week. Moving itself does not really excite me and leaving Fleetwood kinda sucks, as J and I have a really good flat, but this opportunity was too good to pass up.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
A Motivating Time
The weekend before last I went to two sessions of a really good motivational seminar. Had been put onto it through Revive a semi-vegan restaurant in town that specialises in healthy and yummy food. Normally it costs $249 to attend but due to sponsorship from Sanitarium Health Foods, this year it free, so on the Friday evening off I trotted. Had done a bit of reading about this All Power Seminar on the web as you do and was a little suspicious due to it being 'bible-based,' after all me and religion do not go together, however I was pleasantly surprised..
Leo Schreven, the speaker was great, really funny and talked a million miles an hour, but not too fast you couldn't understand him. Had a lot of funny anecdotes and made a lot of sense. The 'bible-based' nature of the seminar was in the proverbs that were selected for use as they related to the material being presented. I can deal with someone quoting a book. Though he believes in 'God' Leo was not pushing a religion, somewhat suspicious of organised faith and mindful of a diverse audience.
All in all it was a great couple of days and I got a lot out of it, especially in the finance session where he referenced a lot of the books that I had been reading as having sound advice. Especially liked the bit where he showed the math on if you want to win the lotto in NZ, don't buy a ticket each week at $13 a go, invest it and let compound interest make you a millionaire over time..
The investment seminar last Monday again backed up stuff that I am trying to follow and have been reading, so that was good to have similar messages come from different sources.
My next post will contain the source of my excitement and euphoria for the last few days...
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Now playing: Faithless - Mass Destruction
Leo Schreven, the speaker was great, really funny and talked a million miles an hour, but not too fast you couldn't understand him. Had a lot of funny anecdotes and made a lot of sense. The 'bible-based' nature of the seminar was in the proverbs that were selected for use as they related to the material being presented. I can deal with someone quoting a book. Though he believes in 'God' Leo was not pushing a religion, somewhat suspicious of organised faith and mindful of a diverse audience.
All in all it was a great couple of days and I got a lot out of it, especially in the finance session where he referenced a lot of the books that I had been reading as having sound advice. Especially liked the bit where he showed the math on if you want to win the lotto in NZ, don't buy a ticket each week at $13 a go, invest it and let compound interest make you a millionaire over time..
The investment seminar last Monday again backed up stuff that I am trying to follow and have been reading, so that was good to have similar messages come from different sources.
My next post will contain the source of my excitement and euphoria for the last few days...
----------------
Now playing: Faithless - Mass Destruction
Monday, 4 May 2009
A Quick Update
Things are trucking along nicely with me atm. My weight is the lowest it has been in over 6 months and continuing to fall :) I'm super stoked about this and it is really motivating to keep going with it. Have the 3rd Run Auckland this week, so going to aim for 1h 10m which I think is achievable given my training.
Went to a really good motivational seminar over the weekend and off to an investment one tonight, so will post about them at some point this week...
Went to a really good motivational seminar over the weekend and off to an investment one tonight, so will post about them at some point this week...
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Sunday, 26 April 2009
A giggle for a dreary Sunday
The football team won overnight so that made up for the Blues effort. 3 pts behind the mancs and they have a game in hand, so not ideally placed..
Anyhows, this on Stuff made me laugh so I thought I'd share..
Anyhows, this on Stuff made me laugh so I thought I'd share..
Tough times spell end to baby boomJust goes to show that even economists can be funny!
... 'Professor Tim Hazeldine, the head of economics at Auckland University's School of Business, said that if the country's birth rate did drop, any impact on the economy would not be felt for many years. He said he would be surprised if the birth rate did fall, as experience showed that when times were tough, people opted for low-cost entertainment, and having sex was "fun and cheap"'.
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Piss poor effort that :(
Just got back from the Blues vs Reds debacle. If the Oteha Substation failing just after kick off, causing a 1 hour delay wasn't bad enough, the Blues for the first 60 mins played like a bunch of muppets and well deserved to be 31-5 down. That they managed to pull it back to 31-24 and get 2 bonus points is a testament to how average the Reds have been this season. That said, if some how the Blues had have pulled it back to 31-all or even more amazingly won it would have been worse for the Reds.
With the Hurricanes, Brumbies and Crusaders left to play I don't fancy the Blues chances of making the semis, but funnier things have happened.
With the Hurricanes, Brumbies and Crusaders left to play I don't fancy the Blues chances of making the semis, but funnier things have happened.
Friday, 24 April 2009
Coming soon....
I'm somewhat of a lefty.. vote Labour and have even been on the goggle box (2002) saying why. Just before the election last year I blogged the following;
Post election there when this situation eventuated the mood was a litle more 'meh'
'New Zealand goes to the polls on Saturday and is likely to elect a centre-right (or very right depending on composition) National-led government in place of the centre-left Labour-led administration of the last 9 years. IMO the middle class are turkeys voting for an early Christmas, but I hope I am wrong... At least it looks as though the US election will go better for those on the progressive side of the divide'
Post election there when this situation eventuated the mood was a litle more 'meh'
'So most of the reaction has made mention of John Key's time as an investment banker and that there was a mood for change, but unlike the USA we were changing from a progressive to a conservative government. This however in the Melbourne Herald Sun is pretty good IMO, highlights include 'New Zealanders have voted for change - a leap from Left to Right - with all the enthusiasm and reasoning power of a doped slug.' and 'Bring Barack Obama to mind -- strip him of charisma and vision, then douse him in White King (a brand of bleach) -- and you've got NZ's new PM.'Well 6 months down the track and I'm nearly ready to make that post, so coming soon after the budget next month is my analysis of our new administration...
Sums up how a lot of us on the centre-left are feeling, change for changes sake is not a good response to current conditions, hoping that the new government will be more centre than right, but not going to be shocked if it is not. I really don't want to have to say I told you so, and given 40% of the 'poor' in NZ Herald analysis of who voted what voted for National, there would be a lot of people to say it to!'
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Running Man #2
Was the second Run Auckland race this morning out at Te Atatu. 10 km around the Harbourview Park. Finished it in 1h 16m which was about what I expected, I've lost 10min of speed since the half marathon in November but that's all good given how little I have run since then. Next one is in 3 weeks time so will keep at it and aim to knock 5 min or so off my time :).
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Now playing: Britney Spears - Circus (Junior Vasquez Club Mix)
via FoxyTunes
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Now playing: Britney Spears - Circus (Junior Vasquez Club Mix)
via FoxyTunes
Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Close, but not enough
Football can be a funny game at times.. Normally 4 away goals in Europe sees you through, but as we lost 3-1 to the Chav's at home last week alas Liverpool are out of the Champions League beaten 7-5 on aggregate. Bit of shame as there was no reason why we couldn't will the CL, don't think the Chav's will and with us out the Manc's are looking good to retain that one..That just leaves the Premier League for this season and though Europe is always good to win, I'd rather they won the league any day. Fingers crossed that a couple of results go our way and come May 24 so has championship #19.
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
The First Post
I hope to do a better job at this than my old one.. time will tell I guess.
What am I going to post on? Pretty much anything and everything but I imagine there will be a fair few posts on NZ politics, transport in Auckland, English football, rugby, men and my travels around the world.
What am I going to post on? Pretty much anything and everything but I imagine there will be a fair few posts on NZ politics, transport in Auckland, English football, rugby, men and my travels around the world.
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