Chaucey

How WFF puts me off working

2007-06-28T11:57:00.000+12:00

Working for families is great for those families, like mine, that are eligible for a wee bit, even if it is a bit inefficient to pay taxes and then get this bit back.

The main issue I've been having with it on a personal level is that it discourages me from working. Even a bit of part time work would mean that we'd get a reduction in our WFF. And then factoring in childcare and transportation costs makes working seem foolish. I think it is important for my baby to be cared for by his parents, so hurrying back to full-time work isn't something I want to do. I've done spreadsheets to work out my breakeven point and employment when you have a baby is all just too much work for too little reward.

I guess in a way this means that families are actually encouraged to spend time together, because it isn't worth doing overtime or part time work if you can get money for doing nothing.

kiwisaver, how it will affect me.

2007-06-28T11:48:00.000+12:00

Well, I think I'll be signing up for Kiwisaver soon. I'm not working as I'm full time caring for my wee baby, but there are still benefits to joining up. The $20 per week matching, $40p.a. fee subsidy, $1k kickstart etc.. I would need to make regular contributions for at least a year, and could have a "holiday" after that, although I suppose it is better to carry on for the matching if you can.

I am disappointed though with how confusing it is to try and choose a fund to go with. Quite a few places haven't got their investment statements or application forms ready yet.
Having worked in the financial industry though, I know how many drafts are required to get customer documentation precisely right and have the legal dept happy.

I'm less sure about whether it is worth signing up our baby. He wouldn't be eligible for the $20 per week matching from the government. He would be eligible for the $1000 kickstart though, and getting him started early means he'll be eligible for the 5 year mortgage thingy earlier too.

I'd love to see comments on what other people are doing with kiwisaver for themselves or their children.

A blog for Bevan

2007-01-26T17:39:00.000+13:00

I'm starting a blog focussing specially on our little boy Bevan.

The link is http://babybevan.blogspot.com/

Australian political test

2007-01-26T17:29:00.000+13:00

I've just done the Australian political test that David Farrar mentioned on his blog.

My results can be found here:
http://www.ozpolitics.info/blog/index.php?page_id=206&id=7da0d0a4f8218069903e10ab20406039

Interesting to see that I'm most closely aligned with their Liberal Party. Overall my results came out as centre right.

My baby Bevan

2007-01-15T16:55:00.000+13:00

I don't update here very much but thought I should do so for the very exciting news that my baby arrived on the 1st of january (my birthday).

His name is Bevan Lachlan Ellis and he weighed 8lbs 11oz at birth.

Here are some photos.

tickle me elmo

2006-09-29T17:21:00.000+12:00

Oh - this is seriously cute and funny.

I want one!

There is a new Tickle me Elmo 10th anniversary toy. He actually does the whole ROTFL routine.

Check out a video at:
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=tmx+elmo

Comically bad waiter

2006-09-26T12:17:00.000+12:00

I feel almost mean bringing this up, but couldn't resist.

On Friday, I was invited along to a family dinner at a restaurant in Upper Hutt. Pretty much everything that could go wrong did go wrong from the minute we stepped in the door.

The waiter couldn't find our booking, although we could see it plainly written down in the bookings book. Perhaps it was because he couldn't seem to grasp the (extremely common) name the booking was under. Even pointing at the entry didn't help.

He didn't escourt us to a table. We found a suitable one by ourselves. Then he plonked our menus down and told us all about how we couldn't have coffees (we hadn't asked for any), and how he was new on the job and that he didn't like working in the kitchen so he preferred to work out the front. Great, I'm not sure that we felt particularly reassured by these comments. He took our drinks order, and then promptly forgot to bring us our drinks, although he did bring over water and 5 glasses for our table of 4.

He came over to take our dinner orders, but he didn't know what the soup or the fish of the day was, after checking with the kitchen he reported back that the fish was "te-ra-ki-hi or something", we corrected his pronounciation and felt so proud when he got it right the next time when another diner enquired. You might wonder how we knew that he got it right the next time, this was due to his habit of standing far away from the table he was serving and raising his voice to be heard.

He brought out our entrees and proceeded to bump the spoon in the pesto sauce dip onto the pale tan pants of one of the members of my group. Strangely, he didn't apologise for this, and instead said "accidents happen", as if it had been our fault he was clumsy.

Eventually our mains arrived and it was interesting to see that he'd stuffed up the order. He'd muddled my pork sirloin steak meal with a steak meal, with the result that the steak meal was served medium instead of the requested rare.

It was about this time that he got confused about who we were again and interrupted our conversation to say that he'd been rung by his boss and that our meal was free. Of course, this was too good to be true, he was actually meant to tell someone else this good news. Oh well.

All in all, it was actually quite funny to be served by this guy. He was bad in an almost sort of Fawlty Towers way.

Thinking about it now, I feel sorry for the restaurant that employed him. They will have to invest a lot of time and effort into training him, rather than cutting their losses. With unemployment at low levels and laws that protect incompetant workers it must be so hard to get the right staff. Still, who knows? Maybe this waiter will be a fast learner and learn before he drives away all the business of this restaurant.

Politics

2006-09-26T11:44:00.000+12:00

I don't seem to write about politics very often, even though I enjoy reading other peoples blogs about politics. I guess if I was more interested then I'd take the time to follow the issues better and perhaps have something unique to contribute to discussions.

But my interest in politics is at a bit of a low. I think this is because for months politics has been about personalities and allegations and not at all about policies. It has deteriorated into a mud-slinging match.

What I'm interested in is what ideas politicians have to improve the functioning of New Zealand. This either isn't happening, or it isn't being reported by the main stream media. Perhaps the media in NZ have realised that character assasinations by politicians sell more papers than reporting policy .

Perhaps our elected officials should be held accountable for meeting measurable performace targets, in order to keep them focussed on the job. For example, when Don Brash was the Reserve Bank governer he had to keep inflation below a certain level. If he didn't then I imagine his employment agreement spelt out the repurcussions.

I suppose the electoral system is designed to work this way, but in practice everyone forgets the promises shortly after the election, and the goalposts change, and the excuses begin, and the blame shifting starts.

I dare say that this post reveals how naive I am about human nature.....Ah well.

Richard Hammond

2006-09-22T22:11:00.000+12:00

I've been reading the news sadly about the accident that Richard Hammond (a presenter on "Top Gear") had.

Yes, Top Gear is funny, cheeky and daring, but without Richard Hammond on it then the whole female audience would lose interest. Cars don't seem particularly interesting, but when you add in some jokes and a cutie like Richard to present their crazy automobile activities then somehow cars become interesting. And if he doesn't get better then no-one will want to try any of those crazy stunts on the show ever again - so the show wouldn't be worth watching and would end.

Anyway, I hope that he comes out of this okay. The words "Brain Damage" have been mentioned though. :-( So sad for him, for his family, and for his fans.

New carriages for the trains!

2006-09-22T22:02:00.000+12:00

I am very excited by the news that tenders are being called for for new carriages for the Wellington commuter trains. This is well overdue and much needed.

There doesn't seem to be enough carriages to meet current demand and so all the trains during peak commuting times end up very full. For example, today I had to stand for my journey and even though I'm six months pregnant there was nobody willing to give up their precious seat for me.

Sometimes the trains are so packed that the ticket collecters have to give up and not collect tickets as they wouldn't be able to safely navigate through the overcrowded carriages.

Hopefully the new carriages will have plenty of space for prams. The current style carriages have no space to park a pram at all, thus making it impossible to safely have a modern pram on the train. There is also limited space for wheelchair users. I can't even imagine if wheelchair users can even use the "red rattler" carriages at all.

computer-less

2006-09-19T11:14:00.000+12:00

If anyone has been trying to email me at my paradise account then I'm sorry to say that I can't pick up my messages at the moment.

My computer at home is being repaired, and I probably won't get it back for another week and a bit. Mean-time, my work email address still works, so drop me a line there.

Only 7.5 weeks till I leave work - wahoo!

Got a cold

2006-09-11T11:52:00.000+12:00

I've got a cold, the second one since becoming pregnant. It isn't much fun as you can't even dope up on cold medication. I can have lemon and honey drinks and paracetamol and unmedicated cough lollies. At least I have a nice supply of aloe vera tissues.

Michael also has a cold, but he is off jet-setting to Europe. So I think I'll be filling in my evenings with early nights and with all the housework and stuff needed to get the place ready for a baby.

Perhaps when my cold passes I can also attempt to have friends around for dinner and socialising.

Yay for Hayley

2006-09-06T08:40:00.000+12:00

I was pleased to hear that Hayley Westenra will be awarded a 2006 Outstanding young person's award by the International Jaycees. Good for her - I think she is so nice.

But I've been searching and searching the net and I can't find ANY info from outside NZ to back the news report up, nor can I find out anything about the other 9 nominees. Anyone else know where to find out?

Updates of Baby news

2006-09-04T10:04:00.000+12:00

Finally we are over halfway with the pregnancy. It does seem to have taken a long time.
I'm just starting to look pregnant rather than fat, and my waist is almost gone now that I am 23 weeks along.

At 20 weeks we went and had an anatomy scan, where they check that the baby has been developing okay. We wanted to find out the gender of the baby, and I'm very happy to announce that we are having a little boy. Yes, we have picked out a name, but it is still secret.

Ever since around 19 1/2 weeks I've been able to feel the occasional movement from the baby. At one point I even felt the baby having hiccups, which was a pretty weird feeling.

18 weeks!

2006-08-03T10:16:00.000+12:00

I'm 18 weeks pregnant now.
In two weeks I'll be having an ultrasound scan where we will hopefully find out whether the baby is a boy baby or a girl baby.
I know some people think it is cheating to find out beforehand, but I'm certain that I will have plenty enough to do and think about on the actual day I give birth, without fretting about how I've ruined the suprise.

I'm mostly over the puking now, but the tiredness is ever-present. I guess it was quite naive to think that I would suit pregnancy and "glow". I'm starting to look a bit pregnant too, and it isn't just because of the junk food I've been craving!

I haven't felt any movement from the baby yet, but apparently with an anterior placenta, that is pretty normal. Maybe I'll feel it in a few weeks time.

Umbrella Etiquette

2006-08-03T09:59:00.000+12:00

Yesterday on my way to work it was a bit drizzly, but unusually for Wellington it was not windy at the same time. This makes for a potentially dangerous situation!
All the Wellingtonians who normally have the sense to leave their brolly's at home decided that it was perfect umbrella weather. The problem is though, that Wellingtonians have no idea about proper umbrella etiquette.
They carry huge golf umbrellas which span half the width of the footpath. You have to be nimble (and very tiny) to get out of the way before you get poked in the face with the prongs of their brolly and shunted into the road.
There are those who continue to keep their umbrella's raised even under canopys, sending drips cascading down the back of the necks of those who have the misfortune of getting too close to them.
Then there are the people who try to share umbrella's. But, just like hot showers with your lover, there is always one person who is getting more wet than the other.

I'd like to think that the umbrella toting people I observe on windy days are tourists to Wellington. I'd be ashamed if they were locals, as a local should know that even super-reinforced golf umbrellas are no match for Wellington winds. It is sad to see the umbrella carcasses stuffed into rubbish bins, looking like some kind of alien modern sculpture.

Scan success

2006-06-28T08:44:00.000+12:00

Yay. My scan went great yesterday.

One baby (phew!), with a heartbeat (158 bpm). Baby is even on the large side, so instead of looking 13 weeks, it looked 13w6d! The sonographer said it was about 70mm from crown to bum. She said the placenta was on my front, so I won't feel kicks as early as other people might. All limbs accounted for too.

So I think I have nothing to worry about at the moment.It was great when the baby was wriggling around.

Brilliant idea

2006-06-25T21:52:00.000+12:00

On friday night I was struck by a brilliant idea. Someone (with more motivation than myself) should research and publish a Wellington CBD car park review book.
It'd have prices, including the restrictions on the specials, "cause i get caught out by that sometimes. It would have ease of use and access reviews, hours of operation, number of parks...

I'd pay good money for a booklet like that.

Now, if anyone writes this book, please remember to pass some of the profits my way :-)

KFC visit

2006-06-25T21:47:00.000+12:00

Michael and I visited KFC today. Their chips seem to call my name :-)

Anyway, for a change we received great service and even some freebies. Well done to KFC.

On the more funny side though, I noticed that one of their new motto's is about how fresh their chicken is, but then in smaller letters underneath it says 'excludes emergency stock". Hehehe. That is honesty isn't it? I wonder how often they resort to the frozen emergency stuff?

The big news

2006-06-23T08:13:00.000+12:00

The time has come to reveal to you all the news. Michael and I are expecting a baby!
I am 12 weeks pregnant, and the little one is due on the 2nd of January.

So now you all know why I've been so sick lately - I've been suffering from excessive morning sickness. It got so bad I had to get rehydrated at hospital one time, and I lost over a stone. This week I think things are starting to get better.

We are having our first ultrasound scan next week.

:-)

2006-06-08T11:34:00.000+12:00

I haven't posted much lately. The main reason for that is that I have been sick for a MONTH. Yuck, my brain isn't up to thinking of anything worthwhile to write.

And it doesn't help that my life has been pretty dull. For example, on the recent long weekend I stayed at home all weekend (& the friday too) with the exception of a 30 minute grocery shopping trip on the Monday.

On the plus side, the cats are ecstatic to be getting so much extra attention, and I have lost a stone's worth of weight.

City Safari

2006-05-22T11:09:00.000+12:00

We participated in the City Safari event again this year. It was a lot of fun although pretty tiring.
Michael and I managed to come midfield with our total of 205 points. In the space of three hours we took a train to Johnsonville and back, bussed to the airport, bussed back, and went up and down the cable car.

We were pretty wiped out after that and only managed a short while at the Shetland Island Society Viking ball in the evening - got in a gay gordon, and a strip the willow and then felt far too tired.

Kids miss out twice

2006-05-17T13:26:00.000+12:00

Donna Awatere Huata appears in todays papers because she has been let out of prison and onto home detention.
The thing that is bugging me the most about this all is that the local school took kids out of class to go and welcome the crim back home, holding up supportive signs and the like. These kids are the same kids who could have benefited from her reading programme which she stole from.

So not only did she steal financially from the education of these kids, she is now having their class time too.

Poor wee kids. Encouraged to worship a criminal.

Happy Bath Day to me, happy bathday to me!!

2006-05-16T10:21:00.000+12:00

Following the recent installation of a bath in our home I have been given a bath-day present of some Lush bath bombs from my friend Rachel. Yay!

It is so lovely now to have the option of running a yummy warm bath at night to relax into.

We've also getting winter ready with the installation of some underfloor and ceiling insulation. It is nice and subsidised.

It was our anniversary on Saturday. A year of marriage has just sped by so quickly.

Littering

2006-05-03T08:23:00.000+12:00

On my way to work this monring I passed two men talking and noticed one drop a crumpled ball of receipts onto the ground, and then fail to pick it up.
It bugged me, so I decided to say something. I asked him if it was his rubbish and would he mind picking it up. He was standing about 10 feet away from a rubbish bin.
I thought he'd be so embarrassed that he'd pick it up without a fuss, but he mumbled that he'd do it "later", and that I didn't need to police him.
Gee, guess he didn't know how to cope with my simple request. I left then, and I bet he won't pick it up... SOme people just won't take responsibility for their own actions.

Contact energy pricing

2006-04-21T13:11:00.000+12:00

Yesterday we received a letter from Contact energy asking us to switch to them, complete with a random bar of soap.
I noticed they have an extra discount for having both gas and power with them so I decided to do the sums to compare them with Genesis who we are currently with.

Using last months bill as an example I have discovered that Contact are 50% MORE expensive. Can't think why anyone would switch over. It was a difference on our bill of $60.

Oh well, I guess they figured they had to try. At least I got a free soap and a laugh.

Knitting

2006-04-05T11:21:00.000+12:00

I've been thinking about my knitting projects. I don't seem to be making much progress!
This is a list of things on the go:
*Pink and purple scarf for my mum. This is the closest to being finished.
*Rainbow scarf for me. 2/3 done. Not entirely happy with the colour of the middle section of it.
*Maroon slippers for Michael. I unravelled them again and am trying another pattern. 1/14th of the way there!
*Gryffindor scarf for Michael. On 2nd (3rd?) attempt, and will be starting again. Am planning on finishing what I've done and calling it a cowl, and starting a new scarf on much smaller length circular needles. Will have to get some smaller needles...

I've also got lots of wool and lots of ideas for things I'd like to knit. I just don't seem to remember to do my knitting though. With winter coming perhaps my motivation will increase.

How to top a wedding journal

2006-04-03T22:38:00.000+12:00

I've had so much postive feedback about my wedding journal. For something that I created to keep my planning memorys in one place it certainly seems to have held the interest of at least a few other people.

Apparently I even had a "stalker" who talked about me in her office as if she knew me. Her co-worker dobbed her in to me. I guess that is flattering in a weird way.

Anyway, I think the only way I can top the popularity of the wedding journal is for me to get pregnant. You'll hear it here if/when it happens!!!

Crying

2006-04-03T22:30:00.000+12:00

I seem to be a real cry baby these days. I cry at tv programmes, movies, and even ads (Blast those olympic moments!)

Normally it is happy things that get me blubbering.

Will anyone else admit to this too?

Paremata

2006-04-03T22:05:00.000+12:00

There is an infamous roundabout on SH1 in the Wellington region. It is in the suburb of Paremata, named for Parramata in Sydney

I was suprised to hear the pronounciation of the name Paremata on the radio today. They pronounced it as Pah-reh-maa-ta. It's almost as if people think it is a Te Reo Maori word - but it is in fact Aboriginal, from Australia.

it's all about me!

2006-04-02T21:42:00.000+12:00

I got a comment recently that said I wasn't writing enough here. I guess it is true. I could write plenty about what I get up to, but somehow that seems like cheating when the blogs I most enjoy are those that comment a lot about current events and politics. I was so proud of Michael for getting his blog quoted in the newspaper today.

If you want to know what I've been busy doing, well! I've been rediscovering my hobby of geocaching, and have found 6 caches in the past month. I'm even thinking of hiding one. I've been busy at work wrapping up my tasks as I'm being seconded to another department for nine months. I've been doing my studies, completing an assignment on Organisational behaviour this weekend.

Coming up soon is my friends engagement party. I'm a bridesmaid so I will be quite involved with the preparation. And next week I am even hosting a tupperware party (who would have thought...)

I've had recent trips to CHCH to see Michaels Aunty, and a trip to AKLD to see my friends.

I've been Orienteering lately and feel like I've made great progress with my navigational acuracy.

In a few weeks time we have to remove HEAPS of rubble and junk from under our home. Previous owners just left stuff there and now we have to remove it all so we can get underfloor insulation. We will be hiring a skip and wearing our oldest clothes. The insulation is being installed with a subsidised price, which I am stoked about. Also on the home improvement agenda is a bath installation - the plumber and his builder mate will try to work on it this week. So exciting!

My obsession with all things baby continues. I guess that is understandable seeing as it is coming up to our first anniversary in 6 weeks time.

So I have been busy!!!!

Please comment on whether you'd like to see current events stuff or stuff about me. I'd be interested in hearing your opinion.

Another midwife horror story

2006-03-20T10:04:00.000+12:00

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3610109a11,00.html

I really think maternity services in New Zealand require some rethinking. The whole system of LMC's isn't working. Handovers between midwives and specialists aren't happening promptly enough when there are issues.

And so much choice has been stripped out of the system due to the free health care model. For example, in Wellington there are no private birthing facilities. And specialists and doctors aren't interested particularly in being a LMC because the pay rates are so poor. And the amount of midwives in Wellington is so low that any choice between them is really removed, you have to take what you can get even if you end up with someone awful.

But with the choice between free and paying for services most people will chose free and that keeps the demand for higher quality and expensive services too low for the services to be worth offering.

Parking fines

2006-03-20T09:57:00.000+12:00

I've been reading recently about people upset with receiving parking fines for various reasons, for infringements on their own street.

One thought I have had about that is that not all streets are designed for parking cars. And not everyone has off-street parking.

Perhaps people in those situations might consider not owning a car. If having a car is essential to them, then perhaps they should move house or keep the car in a rented space (garage, parking building etc..)

If you don't have a suitable place to put a car then don't buy one.
It's a bit like if you don't have enough space for a dog to run around in then don't keep a pet dog.

Blocked roads

2006-03-10T01:12:00.000+13:00

Interesting chat over on gps.org.nz about councils blocking off public roads for the benefit of private groups (eg logging companies etc..)
Apparently this sort of thing is going on all the time.

Also in that link is a discussion about the country's worst council web sites. The site of Whakatane District Council is pretty amateur...

How clean is your house?

2006-03-09T14:12:00.000+13:00

I watched the programme "How clean is your house" again last night. It is very interesting to see how some other people live. And boy, there are people living in squalor when they are smart enough to know better!

I find that the show inspires me to do some cleaning - I think the theory is that I don't want to end up like the victims on the telly. Last night I cleaned my oven. Last weeks show saw my cleaning my rangehood.

I was a bit disappointed in the cleaning recipient last night. She was quite rude to the hosts and so unappreciative of what they had done. After they left she made no effort to keep the place clean and when they revisited her the place was a mess again after only 3 weeks. She was horrid enough to say that only dull woman have clean houses. Hmm...think she just insulted 95% of the female population. I can see why they decribed her as a single parent, rude and messy is not the way to attract and keep a man! Poor kiddies, living in mess and learning bad habits.

It is hard to keep a place clean, but it is worth it. I try and partially succeed and I don't give up. Obviously there is more I could do though. www.flylady.net has heaps of info and support for people who want to get more routine and cleanliness into their lives.

Weekend spent in chch

2006-03-06T09:55:00.000+13:00

We made a quick trip to Christchurch over the weekend to see Michaels Aunt Bernadette who is not very well.
Highlights of the trip were meeting Aunt Bernadette, catching up with cousin Jennifer, seeing my father, and attending a service at the Catholic basillica on Barbadoes Street.
You can do a virtual tour of the Basillica here.
We didn't get enough time to visit friends though, as it was a quick last-minute kinda trip.

Pegasus, a town for dreamers

2006-03-06T09:30:00.001+13:00

http://www.pegasustown.com/

Yesterday Michael and I visited the model town display in Christchurch of a WHOLE TOWN that developers are trying to develop. The model is apparantly the largest scale-model of a town ever created, and is worth seeing, especially when the lights are dimmed and all the model street lights come on.

The town they are marketing is called Pegasus (for Pegasus Bay), and is to be located 25 kms out of Christchurch near the existing town/suburb of Woodend. It isn't your typical subdivision either, these guys are thinking big. In fact, I was shocked by what they are hoping to achieve and wonder if they'll be able to pull it off. It's supposed to have a huge man-made yachting lake and 5000 residents.

I was left wondering about other more fundamental things though. Is a new town really needed in the area? All the workers and high-school students there will end up commuting into Christchurch anyway. Somehow they are hoping to have gas on tap for the houses, but Canterbury is not ideally located for gas, as it isn't near any gas fields. Thinking about water treatment and sewerage and stuff is a bit overwhelming. And do we even have enough builders in New Zealand to build this town?

One other thing caught my eye. They had no churches on their plan. It makes me a little sad to think of communities without any spiritual hubs.

Blanket Man

2006-03-06T09:23:00.000+13:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanket_Man

Is there not some beach we can send him to?
It seems blanket man is starting to become a bit iconic. First there were newspaper articles and now he has his own wikipedia.
Clearly I haven't properly understood that rather than going to work everday and showering regularly, to get true fame I should stop washing my hair, get a dirty blanket and sit around in my underpants in the inner city.

Perhaps he could appreciate the "sun god" better from somewhere sunnier, perhaps a beach in the tropics???

kittens are the best

2006-03-03T13:48:00.000+13:00

You've just gotta check out the cute picture here http://flickr.com/photos/kazzielah/50733910/in/set-1106847/ showing a monkey and a kitten being friends.
Just adorable.

It's my lucky day

2006-02-27T14:21:00.000+13:00

I just got an email saying that I've won a $50 book token - WOOhoo!!!!

Yay.

Ooohhhh what should I get with it...

Visitor

2006-02-27T13:17:00.000+13:00

My friend Annette who has been living in London for the past seven years stayed with us over the weekend. We managed to take quite a walk down memory lane with the activities we got up to.

Saturday was spent checking out the new Queensgate mall, and catching up with schoolfriends at a bbq.
Sunday we went to H20xtreme and played in the wave pool, the spa, and the "river ride". Great fun for $4.50.
In the afternoon we went with Penny and with my husband Michael off to the Pirates Mini Golf in Porirua. It was a close game for top spot between Penny and Annette and there was only 1 point in it at the end.

I had a half day today so I was able to drop Annette off at the airport. The lady at the airport carpark has kindly explained to me where the cheaper carparks are for next time, apparently you have to NOT follow the car parking signs and you'll get to a cheaper area. Good to know as airport parking is a rip-off.

It was lovely to catch up with Annette and to see quite a bit of Penny too. I've lost touch with a lot of school friends - they seem to just drift away...

Four things

2006-02-12T18:33:00.000+13:00

David Farrar at kiwiblog has filled in the "four things" blog survey. I thought I'd do the same.

Four jobs I've had:
1. Telephonist
2. Bank teller
3. Petrol station attendant
4. Mystery Shopper

Four movies I can watch over and over:
1. Monty python anything
2. Forrest Gump
3. Lemony Snicket
4. My Fair lady

Four places I've lived:
1. Christchurch
2. Wellington
3. Upper Hutt
4. Lower Hutt

Four TV shows I love:
1. Desperate Housewives
2. Red Dwarf
3. Rosemary and Thyme
4. Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy

Four places I've vacationed:
1. Japan
2. Western Europe for six weeks
3. Noumea
4. All around the south island including Stewart Island

Four of my favorite dishes:
1. Pizza
2. Fish n Chips
3. Pasta anything
4. Lamb korma with Naan bread

Four sites I visit daily:
1. Kiwiblog (via bloglines)
2. Stuff
3. Forums relating to my hobbies
4. kiwicompers.com

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. San Francisco
2. New England
3. Manchester visting my brother
4. Auckland visiting my friend Cassy

Brokeback Mountain

2006-02-12T18:03:00.000+13:00

I've just come back from seeing the movie "Brokeback Mountain". I have to confess that my crying at the end of the movie was worse than normal. It just felt like it left quite an impact on me.
While it is known as "that gay cowboy movie", which is superficially true, it is really a star-crossed lovers story. And the two lead characters know they can never be together.
On a lighter note - Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhal do a great job and are very easy on the eye. ;-)

For those straight men who are wondering why they should see this movie there are plenty of reasons why at this link, "the straight dudes guide to brokeback.

Geocaching

2006-02-10T09:55:00.000+13:00

On "Closeup" last night there was a great report about geocaching. Michael had to leave the room when I was getting more and more loud as each person I recognised was interviewed.
There is a video available over at www.tvnz.co.nz
Hmmm...maybe I should try and get enthusiastic again about getting out there and doing some.

Gullibillity

2006-02-02T15:08:00.000+13:00

I'm very gullible, I tend to be trusting and believe people when there is no evidence that I shouldn't. Often this ends up with me being embarrased.

But I've just met someone more gullible than myself.

She has been asked to collect can ring pulls, from things like fizzy drink, and to send them off to help kids get more dialysis treatment.

This immediately made me think of the article at snopes.com which I'd read before. I was especially suspicious when she told me it was organised by a friend of her Mothers (you know, a friend of a friend of a friend), but couldn't tell me the specific charity involved.

There is nothing on the www.kidneykids.org.nz site or on the www.nzkidneyfoundation.co.nz site.

Further, this girl told me that the can tabs are made from titanium! Hmm.. I think that would make the tabs more expensive than the $1 or two you pay for the whole product. And I can't imagine why they'd make part of the can from a different metal instead of just stamping out a can from the one source. She seemed to think that recyclers were paying $100 for a 2l container full of tabs. I doubt it.

And what exactly would the money be spent on? Machines for the public health system? I thought our taxes paid for that.

I explained that I'd heard that this was a legend, but she didn't want to know...

Ah well.

Memoirs of a Geisha

2006-02-02T09:31:00.000+13:00

I went to the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" last night with a group of girls from my office.
It was great and I cried at the end. According to my friends who have read the book though, there were some bits changed and missed out.
It certainly does a good job though of portraying the changing times that Japan was going through, showing peasantry, the industrialisation of the cities, traditional geisha ways, the war and rebuilding of Japan... For most of the movie we are shown things from the Geisha point of view and so it is a shock when we meet contemporary non-geisha high class females, with their westernised ways. Seeing them both in the same shot is almost anachronistic.

So I recommend this movie, although perhaps to girls and not to guys so much.

Blog Game

2006-02-01T11:01:00.000+13:00

I've come across a novel idea for gaining blog readership and commentary.

Wendy at http://wendyswhimsies.blogspot.com/ is running a competition for everyone to check out one other blog and comment.

Go have a look now, the game is open till 5:30pm.

Party Leaders favourite songs.

2006-02-01T10:14:00.000+13:00

Did anyone read this story about NZ party leaders favourite songs?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3556536a1860,00.html

I laughed out loud. I thought Winston Peters choice of "My way" was particularly appropriate. And I thought Helen Clarks choice of Poi-E was a little safe.

What I want to know is how the reporter managed to get all these politicians to answer the question?

2006-02-01T09:30:00.000+13:00

Read this article on Stuff regarding a survey about purchasing decisions based by gender.

All I can really say about it is, "Duh". Not a single result in the survey is any different from commonly known stereotypes.

But perhaps the average of 11 pairs of shoes for each woman seems a little on the low side!

Cheese Rolling in Gore

2006-02-01T09:14:00.000+13:00

Oh dear.
Quaint traditions are nice - but I'm not sure that means we should be copying them.
Gore will be holding a Cheese Rolling race, in the style of the races in the Cotswolds in England.
In the race there in 2004, there were 50 participants and 18 reported injuries, a one-in-three chance of something nasty happening.

So I'm hoping the starters for the Gore version have taken out private health insurance beforehand!

quiz: what should you major in?

2006-01-25T13:31:00.000+13:00

You scored as Engineering. You should be an Engineering major!

Engineering

75%

Mathematics

75%

Psychology

75%

English

67%

Biology

67%

Dance

67%

Journalism

67%

Linguistics

67%

Theater

58%

Chemistry

58%

Anthropology

58%

Art

42%

Philosophy

33%

Sociology

25%

What is your Perfect Major? (PLEASE RATE ME!!<3)
created with QuizFarm.com

coke zero

2006-01-20T09:34:00.000+13:00

The drinks vending machine guy just topped up our stash of cokes in the machine. And we now have "coke zero" in there.
Apparently it is the tast of regular coke, but with the <1 calorie of diet coke.
I did some quick web research and have discovered that it has half the amount of aspartame as diet coke, but that it has a new sweetener named Ace-K (for short) too. The caffeine levels are the same as for regular coke.

So I'm not sure whether this makes it healthier than diet coke or not....

I shall do a taste test later and see if that influences me!

Anyone else tried it?

Edited to add: Saw a link about the marketing campaign trying to take advantage of blogs...Yuck. I'm just pleased I found out about this product the old fashioned way, but I'm sorry to have played into Cokes hands by blogging about it....

Smart Cards

2006-01-16T09:19:00.000+13:00

Stuff article.

Well, it has been a long time coming. Apparently banks in NZ are going to issue smart cards this year. The article is unfortunately short on detail as to which banks that might be.
Also, just putting a microchip in a card doesn't make it "smart". The microchip has to be used to give extra features in order for it to be smart in my opinion.

A quick analysis of my purse shows that Telecom phone cards and Stagecoach fare cards already are using this technology.

I am hoping that when the smart cards come in that they also consider pre-printing signatures on the card, similar to the Drivers licence method. On all my cards the signiture strip wears off within a couple of months (although I AM a heavy user!). It would also cut down on fraud because then cards couldn't be intercepted in the mail and signed by the theif. (although perhaps they would be able to study and learn the signature on the card).

yay - I was a techie guru today

2006-01-10T15:42:00.000+13:00

A girl in the office had the disconcerting problem that the display on her screen was rotated 180 degrees so it was upside down.
Rebooting did not help.
The help desk hadn't heard of the problem before.

A quick search on google revealed that pressing ctrl-alt-up arrow would solve the problem. Yay!!! It was a good feeling to solve the problem.

I'm going to be a bridesmaid again!

2006-01-08T17:19:00.000+13:00

Or perhaps I should say a matron seeing as I'm married already.

My friends Rachel and Dave are marrying next March (10-3-2007). Rachel asked me to be her bridesmaid by going down on bended knee and offering me a pretty sparly silver ring. I said yes, of course. It's an honour.

Also on the girls side of the Bridal Party are Cassy, and a girl named Nichola who I've met just a wee bit before.

Rachel has mentioned the possibility of green dresses which sounds fine to me, but I'm pretty flexible.

toe

2006-01-04T11:26:00.000+13:00

I've hurt my toe - and don't laugh - I did it by kicking the wall accidentally while exercising with my eye-toy game.

It's a beautiful shade of blue now...

We have a piano!

2005-12-21T12:27:00.000+13:00

It arrived yesterday. I've been practicing already. I'm a complete beginner but I've been teaching myslef (slowly) how to read music. Yesterday I managed to play the first verse of the singers part for the Beatles song "Yesterday", as well as On Top of Old Smokey etc....

Moan about KFC

2005-12-15T09:19:00.000+13:00

I love the food at KFC, it may be naughty but it tastes yummy.

But I have seldom found the service to be good. There just seems to be fundamental problems with their processes.

Last night is a good example. I drove to the drive through lane, and waited for my turn to place my order. The wait was long because they weren't moving people through the queue quickly. I got to the board and placed my order and thankfully I already knew what I wanted as the board was unreadable at nighttime with small fancy fonts.
Finally I was at the pickup window...I waited....and then the staff member tells me that my burger will be a ten minute wait.
Ten minutes plus the twelve minutes I'd spent waiting already equals 22 minutes trying to get a burger meal. Not exactly fast food. I was so cross!

Anyway, I said "No..I've already waited 12 minutes", and I drove away.

The story has a happy ending - at home I ate a yoghurt and 2 strawberries and saved myself a few calories and $8.

World famous in the Womans weekly

2005-12-05T13:36:00.000+13:00

My wedding photos have made it to the Womans Weekly weddings page. Wahoo!
And there are TWO photos! And the blurb about us is so cute.

Anyways - go and check it out, Dec 12th issue, page 40....

Why the difference?

2005-12-01T10:18:00.000+13:00

I was looking up information at WINZ after a conversation at work. I discovered that people over the age of 25 get $28 more a week than people under 25, for the unemployment benefit.

What I'm not sure about is why. Surely the need is the same??? I'd be suprised if there are differences in expenses.

Any thoughts?

SAT's - did you know?

2005-11-22T16:31:00.000+13:00

I have just discovered that you can sit SAT's (the US college admitance test) in Lower Hutt!

Who would have thought?

I'm half tempted to shell out the $80 or so to sit them and participate in it as a cultural opportunity. hehehe

no hugging allowed

2005-11-22T13:26:00.000+13:00

Fergusson Intermediate kids have been discouraged from hugging each other.

Now I can understand that if a class was taking ages to settle at the beginning because they were rushing about hugging everyone, then you might want to ask the students to hurry up and sit down. But blaming the actual hug? And letting the kids think that hugging itself is perceived as wrong?

Very sad.

Do we want to encourage emotional coldness??

Anyone else want to share their opinion on this?

the marmite art site

2005-11-17T08:59:00.000+13:00

www.marmite.co.nz has a wonderful gallery of 100 pieces of art created with marmite and toast! Check it out.

I've been a fan of marmite ever since I was a little girl.

quiz results

2005-11-14T16:46:00.000+13:00

Which of Henry VIII's wives are you?
this quiz was made by Lori Fury

Americas youngest mayor

2005-11-14T09:33:00.000+13:00

I was interested and intrigued to learn that the town of Hillsdale in Michigan has just elected an 18 year old to be its mayor. His name is Michael Sessions and he is still in High Scool. Even more amazing, he was too young to be included on the voting paper and so he had to encourage people to hand write his name in.

And he doesn't sound like a normal flakey 18 year old.

Yay! Good for him. I hope he does well.

disappointing "fun" run

2005-11-14T09:05:00.000+13:00

I participated yesterday in the "champagne in the park" fun run/walk, supporting victim support and promoting womens health and fitness.

Unfortunately it was very disappointing.

Was advertised as 5km, but it looked pretty short and my GPS measured it as 3.5km.

A route map wasn't published, that should have helped me realise that that meant - yup, round and round the park. (the waterfront was tantalisingly close too, so no excuses).

The number sticker left a sticky residue on my shirt that washing didn't remove.

The "continental breakfast" I was given consisted of a muesli bar, 2 oranges and 2 bananas. Not quite the pastries, yoghurt, breads I was hoping for. The website says it is a "fantastic" breakfast.

The short course meant participants were finished by 10:45am, but the prizegiving was still at 12noon! I ate my orange and left.

On the plus side I got some yummy water, a glass of lindauer, and two mini size choccy bars. I also got a yellow plastic wristband thingy. Not sure what I'll do with that. I also had the company of a lovely friend, and the weather was lovely.

Next year I think I'll go for my own walk, go to brunch in a cafe afterwards, and just donate the difference to charity. I was so sad for the people celebrating what they thought was an accomplishment of 5km's, when they still had another third to go.

Not much political action

2005-11-08T14:26:00.000+13:00

I haven't been up to much political stuff lately. The elections are all sorted out and I can't help but think that I hope Labour just gets on and runs things as smoothly as they can. I think this term will be quiet in terms of legislation. But there will probably need to be lots of measures put in place to help us through the coming economic downturn.

Actually, that is one thing that has been bugging me about Dr Bollard, he keeps saying that we're spending too much and saving too little - but I find that to be too general to be helpful. Perhaps he could be a bit more specific and say HOW much spending is too much, and HOW much savings is good. Are there percentages that would satisfy him? Eg saving 20% of after tax income? Of course, it could just be that the media don't go into all the details.

So what have I been doing instead of politics? I've been studying, knitting, spending time with family, orienteering, going to parties, reading books (seventh tower series by Garth Nix), playing on the computer...

And coming up I have more of the same, with a spot of geocaching thrown in.

Knitting?

2005-11-05T14:47:00.000+13:00

I picked up a copy of "Stitch 'N' Bitch" at the bookshop today - and now I'm all inspired to knit.
I'm a beginner. All I knew was how to do a knitting stitch, provided someone else cast on for me. And that is remembering back to my childhood.
Anyways, with the book and the internet I have sussed out enough to get started knitting a scarf. Woot!
A harry potter one would have been cool (and i could wear it at the 4th movie premiere later this month...) but the craft store in town (and the $2 store) didn't have many solid colours of yarn - it was all variegated and fluffy and stuff.

Lion Red & ZM don't like your neighbours.

2005-11-02T09:43:00.000+13:00

Article here.

I'm suprised at the lack of concern shown by lion red and ZM in planning this promotion. Basically they were encouraging people to turn up their stereo's so loud that the neighbours would be forced to complain about the racket. Ouch! Probably not good for neighbourly relations!

At various times we've been victim to loud music after 10pm. It's really annoying and interrupts your sleep.

I'm actually very noise sensitive. I have left nightclubs that are too loud. I put my hands over my ears when sirens go past. I really care about my hearing and don't want to lose it. If I can hear the music of the headphone wearing person sitting on the train next to me then I worry about the damage they're doing their ears.

At parties a comfortable level of music is one where you don't need to raise your voice to speak to the person next to you - after all the whole point of parties is to socialise. At a Lion Red/ZM party I guess the music takes precedence over actually getting to know someone - although, come to think of it, you might get to know your neighbours pretty quickly that way!

Orienteering last night at Hikoikoi

2005-11-02T09:35:00.000+13:00

I was feel a bit lack-lustre last night, but I'd planned on going to an orienteering event. So, I dragged myself over to Hikoikoi reserve and found a huge burst of energy. Running around certainly did me some good. Petone was so pretty in the evening last night. I discovered lovely sites, like some cute old boatsheds, and lovely harbour views.
I think I found a good spot to hide a geocache too, yay!
The course was only 2.7km, but I think I must have to add on a whole extra lot of distance to make up for my difficulty finding the last control.
Next week the event will be in Wellington - I'm looking forward to it.

Remember, Remember the 5th of November

2005-11-01T08:52:00.000+13:00

That time of year is upon us again (and I don't mean the Melbourne cup!)

Guy Fawkes night is on Saturday, and already I've been to a party with fireworks, and heard fireworks going off every evening for the past week. On Saturday I'm going to watch the public fireworks display from the National Party HQ.

I really like fireworks, they are pretty. But I think that a ban on sales of fireworks to the public is inevitable. Backyards are getting pretty small and really aren't appropriate for the super-sized fireworks commonly sold. Already there have been fires caused by fireworks.

So enjoy it, because this year may be the last. Hopefully we'll still have sparklers though!!

Halloween

2005-10-31T20:17:00.000+13:00

This year I decided to give up my grumpy anti-halloween attitude and embrace the spookiness and sweeties.
And I'm happy I did. It was FUN to give lollies to little kids. We had 4 groups of kids come around. And the costumes were cute.

I guess most people don't like it because it isn't traditional isn't much practiced and so you don't know whether kids will come or not and so you feel foolish for preparing or foolish if you don't prepare.

Seeing as I love dressing up I think I'll have to plan a halloween party next year. I attended a fun party on the weekend where I dressed as a witch and there were cute decorations.

which planet is this guy from?

2005-10-26T16:56:00.000+13:00

"Student didn't realise assault was illegal.

Okay, I'm shocked - how could someone get to age 19 and not realise that there are laws against violence? He's completely missed the point of all of society, where society forms in order to protect its members.

Did he not ever wonder why people didn't try to beat him up whenever they could? Or wonder why people go to jail???

another question

2005-10-26T16:51:00.000+13:00

If you are of african descent, but you are albino - are you still treated in a rascist way???

other tv shows

2005-10-26T16:30:00.000+13:00

In addition to watching Desperate Housewives each week, I was happy to discover that channel one is showing a new season of Rosemary and Thyme on friday nights.

Now I suppose I'm only supposed to enjoy that kind of show if I'm an old lady spinster, but it is actually a lot of fun. Each episode has a murder mystery type, and is set around gardening. Very English! Very, um...Agatha Christie..

Protesters outside ANZ

2005-10-21T13:10:00.000+13:00

After being forced to listen to the noise pollution coming from the rent-a-protest group outside ANZ next door, I thought I'd blog about how misguided I believe they are.

They are trying to say that ANZ are evil and are hurting Iraq. They believe that because ANZ are part of an international banking group who are putting together a trade bank in Iraq, then they are bad.

I think that having access to lending can only help develop Iraq's infrastructure. If people can borrow money to start businesses then they can employ their fellow countrymen and improve living standards. And after-all, people have a choice whether to be a customer or not.

But the protesters don't want Iraqi's to have that option. They'd rather the Iraq people were left to their own devices, with rampant unemployment and poor infrastructure.... The protesters believe that lending Iraqi people money is taking advantage of Iraqi's, and that it is a tactic to take Iraq's wealth back to countries like the USA.

But I believe it is a win-win proposition for all parties.

Anyway - I want these protesters to quieten down - they're interrupting my lunch break and are awfully loud for 15 people. And in case you are wondering, yes, I am an employee of ANZ National, so don't say I didn't warn you of any potential for bias in these comments... Do a google search for more information and make up your own mind....

Winston Peters as foriegn affairs minister?

2005-10-19T08:48:00.000+13:00

Many other bloggers have noted that they think it is a bit of a bad joke that Winston Peters has been made minister of Foreign Affairs.
On the plus side - perhaps it'll keep him busy overseas and out of the way.
However, he is not known for his racial/cultural tolerance, and has often made a point of being outspoken against immigration.
I would have thought that someone more open-minded would be better. Someone who is willing to look at the potential opportunities that diverse people can bring to the country.
{sigh}
I just hope that he can use some of his charm (and he must have a bit of it to keep winning over the seniors vote) to show NZ off well to people overseas.

Gelateria in Wellington

2005-10-19T08:43:00.000+13:00

I am so happy - I have discovered a place in Wellington to buy proper Gelato!
Kaffee Eis is on Oriental Parade and they have a beautifully displayed gelato cabinet. I tried the raspberry and the caramel flavours yesterday and they were just like the real thing that I experienced in Italy and Austria on my honeymoon. Wahoo.

The Gelateria in Frank Kitts park is just not the same, when I tried their selection I thought their gelato was very icey, and not creamy. They also seemed to specialise in sorbets than in actual gelatos.

So get yourself to oriental bay for a wonderful gelato treat!

Highland gathering

2005-10-16T00:10:00.000+13:00

Today I spent most of the day doing my duty as a McLachlan (even if I am now an Ellis) at the highland gathering in Upper Hutt.
Most of the time i had to hang around by my table to make sure that the display didn't blow away, but I did have opportunities to go and watch the kaber tossing!
And I enjoyed wearing a kilt all day :-)
I think my ears are ringing though from listening to the bag pipes all day.

Sir John Anderson Retiring

2005-10-15T07:43:00.000+13:00

I was disapointed to discover yesterday that the CEO of ANZ National bank is retiring.
He has been my boss for the past 8 years (although I don't think I've ever met him one-on-one).
It seems like a bit of an end of an era. I think now that the special National Bank culture will find it difficult to hold on, and we'll be "assimilated".

Update

2005-10-10T13:45:00.000+13:00

Well, I haven't been doing much on the blogging front lately. Without an impending election it certainly takes the pressure off!

I've been working on an assignment for Open Polytech - almost finished now.

On the weekend I went orienteering, which was fun as always. It's exercise, but the mental challenge means I don't notice the hard work so much.

I've also been finding time to play some computer games - a series of adventure games all about Nancy Drew. They are fun even for "grown-ups" like me.

And it is the last quarter of the year - wahoo. That means Christmas is not far away.

Tea.

2005-09-30T07:58:00.000+12:00

I love the new Tea Shop in Dukes Arcade. It is called "T Leaf T", and they sell things as fabulously yummy as "Creme Brulee" flavoured tea with actual caramel pieces in it, and "Cocoa Mate" which smells identical to chocolate biscuits. I also found a neat Tea Shop on the net at www.chai.co.nz, which has very reasonable prices.

Hypothetical questions

2005-09-29T09:23:00.000+12:00

I thought I might use this blog to occasionally add in snippets about the weird hypothetical questions that pop into my head and which I plague Michael with.

For example, If you believe in Heaven, what "age" would all your friends appear as? Would they be the age they died at, or at the prime of their life, or the age you remember them from best? WOuld each person appear differently to each other person?

Another one I was thinking about today was, if I had to lose one of my rings for some reason (like being robbed or something) which one would I most want to keep and which would I be willing to sacrifice? That's a hard one! My engagement ring is very pretty, more $ valuable, and I've had it for longer, however, my wedding ring is about a bigger commitment, marriage, and was hand made by Michael. TRICKY! I feel so attached to both of the rings.

Here's another question - how do you chose the seat you chose on a bus or train?

Hair cut.

2005-09-29T09:12:00.000+12:00

I had my hair cut the other day. It is short-ish now, and so my curls are free to do their curly thing. For a long time I have had long-ish super-thick wavy hair. I wore it that way in an attempt to keep the frizz down.
Anyway - now I'm trying the opposite and it's working well.

Just no one tell me I've got "married" hair. I hate the idea that girls change their looks as soon as they get married!

Which state?

2005-09-29T09:02:00.000+12:00

You scored as FLORIDA. FUN IN THE SUN FLORDIA

FLORIDA

67%

NEW YORK

59%

WYOMING

59%

UTAH

50%

WASHINGTON

42%

California

33%

NEVADA

33%

LOUISIANA

17%

What state should you live in?
created with QuizFarm.com

I don't think I'd enjoy the heat of Florida, but I can understand why New York and Wyoming are high on the list.
Actually, I think I'd love somewhere like Connecticut the best. Think of the letterboxing opportunities!

The OKCupid Politics test - my results

2005-09-26T22:02:00.000+12:00

You are a
Social Moderate
(55% permissive)

and an...
Economic Conservative
(76% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Capitalist

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid

Elections are Childs play

2005-09-20T19:19:00.000+12:00

Last week I was sad to read about people who exercise their right to vote but have no real understanding of what government is all about, eg moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. I was also sad to read that some people try to take advantage of this by influencing them, or in other words, telling them how to vote.

And then I thought about how people under 18 can't vote. Of course, a teenager might have a much better understanding of what government is about than someone with a very very young mental age. But one can vote and one can't.

The main argument for intellectually handicapped people voting is because no one has come up with a fair way of how to judge whether they have a suitable understanding of the issues. How would you test their understanding? Where would the cut-off point be?

What brought all this pondering back to the forefront of my mind was a conversation about my 9 year old brother. For fun on election day he ranked which issues he felt were very important, moderatley important, and not important. Then he analysed the short summaries of the policies from each party, and ranked them. He scored the parties based on the intersections of importance of issue and policy ranking. Coming from a non-political household he certainly came to some interesting conclusions!

Anyway - I think he put more effort into picking his favourite party than most people I know. So I wish the general public would put as much effort (if not more effort) into their voting selections as he did.

So, if you have the right to vote then please use some responsibility when casting it. Encourage people to take an interest in the issues in plenty of time for next election.

Pointless Taxpayer funded Ad

2005-09-20T19:13:00.000+12:00

Just noticed an ad in the Hutt News 20/9/05, page 10. It was placed by Murray Smith, an ex-United Future MP. It offers his help or advice on "any matter", and names him as an MP. It also displays the parliamentary crest, a signal that the ad is taxpayer funded.
But I don't think that this ad was in the interests of tax-payers - seeing as he's no longer an MP. In fact, it is practically false & misleading advertising!

I guess he forgot to stop his standing order for ad placements. Perhaps he thought he'd win and it wouldn't be a problem?

Regardless, I hope he plans on paying back the money.

voter turnout

2005-09-18T12:55:00.000+12:00

www.elections.org.nz report that there was a voter turnout of around 80%.

My estimate had been 76% earlier this week so I wasn't quite right there.

Up from around 72% in 2002.

Sad and worried

2005-09-18T11:45:00.000+12:00

I'm sad and worried about the result last night. With 1% in it it was such a nail biting time!
Whatever government can be cobbled together is going to be pretty unstable in my opinion - perhaps we'll all be back at the polling booths in the not too distant future.
Sadly I think that Labour is going to be the ones putting together a government.
Today is going to be a day of moping around at home a bit I think.

On a brighter note I have to say how proud I was of Rosemaries work in reducing Trevor Mallards majority. I think she did a great job and was a really hard-working candidate. She's proven how capable she is. I only wish she had been given a higher list ranking so that she might actually have been rewarded for what she did.

Scrutineering

2005-09-18T11:38:00.000+12:00

I scrutineered at the Hutt South Headquarters for the advance ordinary votes. It was really interesting watching the ballot box opening, watching the sorting and counting. They operated a very efficient system and they managed to finish their count by 6pm. Of course then we had to wait until 7pm before we were allowed out of the room, in case we influenced any votes still to be made up until 7pm.

I really enjoyed it and perhaps another time I will apply to be an election officer.

It was wonderful racing back at 7pm with the first results from the electorate to show to Rosemarie and Michael.

Busy with election stuff

2005-09-14T18:42:00.000+12:00

I've been helping Michael deliver pamphlets and letters in our electorate. I'm not sure that this kind of material actually changes peoples minds, but at least I'm getting exercise!

Tonight I'm going to a session about what my scrutineering duties will be.

Roomba!

2005-08-26T12:07:00.000+12:00

Yay. Read a Harvey Normans brochure last night and discovered that the Roomba is finally available in New Zealand. I've wanted one for around two years.

It is a robotic vacuum cleaner, that can clean without your help. Just switch it on and away it goes.

It is pricey at $688, but being an early adopter doesn't come cheap!

video demo at Irobot

More on labours pledge to first home buyers

2005-08-26T08:01:00.000+12:00

I've done some more research.

Labours website

"Securing your future" Budget 2005

IRD's Kiwisaver explanation

Housing NZ FAQ

Apparently the amount of "suspensory loan" that you are given is determined by how many years you've been in their kiwisaver programme, $1000 each year for a mininum of 3 years and a cap at 5 years ($5000), per person. And it has to be repaid if you move within a certain (unspecified) period.

And they are measuring eligibility on whether you already own a home - Does owning one by proxy by being a beneficiary in a trust count??

There are all sorts of restrictions too, like caps on the cost of the house that you're allowed to buy. And you mustn't earn more than $85,000 p.a. between joint applicants. And that Kiwisaver package looks scary - all sorts of things like having to opt out rather than in if you start a new job. On the plus side, they are looking at allowing the mortgage to be with banks other than Kiwibank.

So, all in all, not really very generous. Which is good of course, from my point of view, because I don't think that governments should be spending money on stuff that people should work for themselves. So, I'm happy that this isn't a generous pledge, but kind of surprised that they thought they could get much traction from this.

Now, I have to go and check out the other pledges! Perhaps they are not as generous as they sounded on the opening speech tv programme either!

P.S. I got a laugh at the phone number that IRD have set up for questions about this. 0800-SAVE4ME !

Poxy Labour website

2005-08-22T16:39:00.000+12:00

Argh, went to www.labour.org.nz to try to check some of their election pledges, and discovered that they automatically try and play a video to you.
Too bad my work pc won't play videos. But I had a whole heap of error messages to try and cancel out of after that.
Oh - and I'm sure it is really convienient for people on dial-up!

Labours first home buyers package

2005-08-22T16:32:00.000+12:00

article on stuff

On TV on Friday, Helen Clark mentioned their election pledge to help first home buyers buy houses, the broadcast said $10,000 for couples, $5,000 for singles. I thought it sounded interesting (for example - would a couple qualify if one person in the couple has previously owned a house?).

Anyway, I was dismayed to find out today that the reality of this pledge is WAY different to what they explained on air last week. For starters, not everyone is eligible - they consider your income when granting you the money. Also, it isn't fee money, it is actually effectively an interest-free second mortgage - you have to pay it back when you sell the house.

So, this is just not the same as what they said on friday night.

working for families...

2005-08-19T08:25:00.000+12:00

Labour has announced an extension to the working with families package. Now even more working people with children will be paying less tax. That might sound great, and for those families it is great - BUT, how about families like mine?

Michael and I have no children yet. We both work. We are paying off our mortgage and saving so that we are not financially strained by having children. I think this is the responsible thing to do. I don't expect other people to pay for our decision to have children. I also don't want to pay for other peoples children.

But that is what is happening to working people without children or with grown children, we give and give and give through our taxes and without any thanks or appreciation.

For example, a work colleague of mine would be eligible for the working for families extension. I asked her how she felt about receiving my money. She was very cross about the way I'd worded that - she felt it was her due from paying taxes previously - never mind that I have also paid taxes and get nothing.

I guess the belief out there is that having children makes you more deserving?

Labour has found their surplus

2005-08-19T08:17:00.000+12:00

Labour has suddenly realised that they do have some money to spend. The way I look at it, they either are incompetent and so didn't realise they were over-taxing, or else they lied about not having the money.
Both options are BAD.

MMP Quiz

2005-08-18T13:22:00.000+12:00

MMP Quiz

I've just done the MMP quiz at Stuff. I'm not very attentive whenever people talk about electoral systems, but I surprised myself by getting 17 out of 20.

How did everyone else do?

local billboards

2005-08-12T10:27:00.000+12:00

We have some National party billboards on our fence. They've been up for 3 days. On the first night, Don ended up with a graffitti phallic symbol drawn near his face.

I thought that was pretty bad, but then I noticed that the Labour billboard down the road has had graffitti too, and has been pulled down in two stages.

So I guess the vandalists point isn't about the political party, it's more about having the most visibility in the area. They don't like competition!!