My age is beginning to betray me. I seem out of touch with the new kind of gung ho approach by politicians; the fostering of solidarity and admiration among an audience that is most impressed by seeing them as 'good sports' and 'a laugh' and 'one of... Read More

Google has teamed with Twitter and is launching "Social Search". It's all the rage this week as it's due out for the masses on Monday. Sites all over the web are discussing it and telling us how it will work and how great it will be. Google have... Read More

While the rugby season in the Bay of Plenty has wound down with the finish for the Bay Steamers in the Air New Zealand Cup, local attention now turns to the international stage in several sports. While the All Blacks head to Europe by way of a stop-off... Read More

Long weekends are great for those of us who get to enjoy them and I've always loved Labour Weekend in particular, especially when I was younger, especially because I have a birthday at this time of year. I still love the holiday; still love the birthday... Read More

Simon Bridges and the National Party have been beguiling the public with hollow promises and propaganda since they got into power, but I am not taken in for one millisecond. You see, in their effort to make you believe they are doing something to eradicate... Read More

Recently I read an article by a well known property expert who stated recently that you should not be investing in real estate unless it had a 10 per cent net yield. - forget about anything at the Mount then. Another very well known author stated that... Read More

In 1985, New Zealand's Attorney General, Sir Geoffrey Palmer, launched the ‘great quango hunt'. He threatened to strangle many of the useless ‘quasi autonomous national government organisations'. According to political reporter Jane Clifton,... Read More

It looks as if there will be an attempt to revisit the bus station decision at council. With seven elected members present, Willow Street was chosen by majority vote 4 to 2 with one abstention. This was one occasion when abstaining from voting was... Read More

As the Strand has been a little quiet this week, I thought I would share this story with you, and since it concerns a ‘furry feline' - all the better. Down in Te Kuiti, the home of the living legend ‘Tree', a certain household was not finding... Read More

The brilliant Audrey Tautou plays the headstrong, self-sufficient designer who, in pre-First World War France, was one of the first women to assert herself in a man's world. Born poor in 1883 in rural France, Gabrielle ‘Coco' Chanel overcame... Read More

It's been a huge week of sporting highs and lows. 1. First up is Mike Delany's call up for the All Blacks squad. It's great to see another Bay of Plenty player making the grade. Delany has had AB written all over him and has steamed into the line up... Read More

There is too much wrong with Tim Hazeldine's defence of ACC's viability (New Zealand Herald, October 20) to take any comfort from his ‘she'll-be-right' reassurances. First, he likens the cost of funding the results of accidents to the costs of... Read More