History for martinb

First, manufacture a crisis is usually the TINA approach.

I dunno- I’ve lived car free for 6 years and not missed a moment in traffic. Though the walking was supposed to help me not put on weight, which has happened this year in spades. I could probably only do the living car free in Auckland or Wellington in NZ and that’d be with bludging lifts and more car rental bills than we’ve had here. And not getting to the good places you need a car for that much.

Anyway, Mum keeps telling me to look outside Auckland, but I’m not sure I’m still kitted out for that. At least there are no bears!

Bernard Hickey in the Kaka says all the fiscal problems that are justifying ripping up the Health service etc are bollocks:

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So a lot of the depressed economic conditions are the result of the government firing people and cutting spending to fund their pet projects for their backers. Which is a depressing thing to read or think about. 

Hope you’re all doing okay and are more flexible and ninja-like than our primary produce and ex-state owned companies dominated economy. It is intimidating to listen when most of you talk about your skills and the training you’re doing! 

Met someone from Ohakune last week and they’re anticipating closing the business they’ve had there for 15 years once the mill goes.

Great news about Taranaki. It seems like a nice part of the country. For me the only thing would be that in Auckland you have this BS feeling of being part of a multi-cultural international city and you have to look carefully to see the 19th C. 

In Taranaki I felt the race relations, perhaps as a visitor. (Which I don’t and should in the Waikato, perhaps because the river isn’t as powerful on the skyline as the mountain!) It feels hard to hide from the idea that everything between the x and the mountain was taken or ‘sold’ for a pittance. I mean I guess I’ve benefited as much as anyone, but it’s harder to ignore that clear view of New Zealand. It’s more honest I guess.