There’s a LOT of stuff going on in New Zealand at the moment as the new Govt takes control and is starting to / trying to (not sure which) roll back everything the previous Govt was doing. C’est la vie.
In parralel, the topic of efficiency seems to be on everyone’s lips - different learned people in different positions essentially reporting ‘findings’ .. new budgets in cities … and the eternal question of whether we are getting what we pay for.
Just one small example from Wayne Brown in Auckland … a speed bump in a road to slow traffic down costs multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars. I’ll let that sink in.
I am far from qualified to comment much on this (other than that seems a lot to me), but Bernard Hickey definitely is - and if you want to read his excellent Substack around not just speed bumps - but all things political and fiscal in this fine country - look no further than 🔗 here.
Meanwhile - Aotearoa - don’t feel so bad - this 🔗 🎙️ podcast from Freakonomics relects on the US construction industry. Turns out it is the only industry that has not become more efficient over the past seventy years - because that is how it is designed!
2023 | 12 | 12
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‘Megayachts’ are environmentally indefensible. The world must ban them.
yachts are currently exempt from most of the emissions rules overseen by the International Maritime Organization
who knew?
🪦 Safe travels Shirley … you made some wonderful films.
He’s got it the wrong way round … Tucker should pay me 72 bucks just to listen to his inane drivel.
Any of you fine folk have Text Expander 11? I am missing out if I don’t upgrade?
📺 The Umbrella Academy
I certainly didn’t dislike .. but somehow it didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat .. some characters entertaining .. some not …. Story? Meh. Still, I did get to the end ..if we have indeed reached the end. Who knows?
If you want to rent a property out in New Zealand - it has to pass a ‘Healthy Home’ inspection. All good. Makes sense.
TIL
If you want to rent a property out in New Zealand for 89 days or less - it does not need to pass a ‘Healthy Home’ inspection.
Pretty much means that unscrupulous landlords can bypass the law by listing their properties on AirBNB - because really, who in Govt is tracking how long an AirBNB is rented out - and to who?
📽️ Finally steadily working my way through ‘The Morning Show’ .. review forthcoming at some point in the future - but meanwhile - a track that got played on last night’s episode …
🔗 🎵 One Way Glass by Innerspace Orchestra
Gorgeous. So of course I had to look it up …
it’s a repeat.i know. It’s 9.30 ish. Fully caffeined and pretty much failed to find anything positive in my morning wanders … except this. A timely reminder.
Otherwise .. Jane Kenyon.
I got out of bed
on two strong legs.
It might have been
otherwise. I ate
cereal, sweet
milk, ripe, flawless
peach. It might
have been otherwise.
I took the dog uphill
to the birch wood.
All morning I did
the work I love.
At noon I lay down
with my mate. It might
have been otherwise.
We ate dinner together
at a table with silver
candlesticks. It might
have been otherwise.
I slept in a bed
in a room with paintings
on the walls, and
planned another day
just like this day.
But one day, I know,
it will be otherwise.
2023 | 12 | 11
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Dear ‘Chris’ Over in Australia, 🔗 Foreign investors who snap up Australian homes to face higher taxes.
Do you need to be conscious to have a stream of consciousness?
You might remember that I was never a fan of 🖇️ Ramaswamy
Just 4 months later - even Fox has tuned on him … FOX!
Fox🔗 News Goes Absolutely Nuclear on ‘Court Jester’ Vivek Ramaswamy - The Daily Beast
🎥 Heart of Stone, 2023 - ★★½
It was alright. I try out Gal Godot outings from me to time because I clearly am missing something. Whatever it is I continue to miss it!
2023 | 12 | 10
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🔗 Seventh Russian general confirmed dead’ … hoist by his own petard’?
Not keeping a strict count now - but someone should, along the lines of …
Russian Generals killed by Ukraine: 7
Russian Generals claimed to be killed by Ukraine: 16 plus one admiral
Russian Generals accidentally killed by Russia
Russian Generals purposely killed by Russia
That last one isn’t as strange as you might think - putting aside this from a year ago : 🔗 Putin said to be conducting internal purge of military generals, intel personnel we ‘know’ a bit about 🔗 this one at least.
Meanwhile, Putin just created 60 more … I wonder what the Russian department of ‘Workplace Safety’ thinks?
