The ACC debacle has shown what happens when politics and business mix - group eat group. The bikers that are to protest the enormous increase in fees, are, quite justifiably aggrieved; so are the rest of us, but you'd never know it would ya? Aside from... Read More

After decades of making jam as a fundraiser for the local hospice, a Good Samaritan from Kerikeri in the Far North was forced to lay down her wooden spoon and hang up her apron when officials from the local council demanded that she upgrade her kitchen... Read More

At Projects and Services Committee, elected members had a comprehensive presentation about progress with the Tauranga City Council's and ratepayer's investment in the war against graffiti. It looks like the plan is working. But it's all uphill as... Read More

I am not called the 'chocolate crusader” for nothing and it just goes to show us old dogs still have what it takes to impress even the young whelps. The boss and I were out on a training mission (for the canine cup) in the middle of the day,... Read More

A French comedy, from French master, Francis Veber (The Valet, The Dinner Game); Francois Pignon (Patrick Timsit), whose wife (Virginie Ledoyen) has just left him for a shrink, checks into the same nice hotel as hitman Ralf (Richard Berry). Ralf is... Read More

We've had a record number (more than 3) of you writing and emailing and sending morse code and carrier pigeons, complaining about the addition of the H to Wanganui. Okay, so we're exaggerating about the morse code. We all know pigeons can't tell a... Read More

Reading the following from Monday's New Zealand Herald one could be forgiven for thinking that we have come a long way. Numbers on the unemployment benefit declined from a postwar peak of 177,000 in 1993 to 17,710 in June last year, but rose almost... Read More

Last week I had a rare insight into the highs and lows of a sports team chasing success and glory when I stayed three nights with the Bay of Plenty Boxing team at the Boxing New Zealand National Championships held in Rotorua. Early morning on day one... Read More

When economies go to the pack, or as I like to say, 'correct themselves”, politicians, on the whole, start to interfere even more in the economy. If the worn-out lines oft refered to are, 'capitalism has failed,” 'we need to regulate more,”... Read More

It is very disappointing to see Paul Holmes backing an escalation of the War on Pleasure. And disappointing but not surprising to see John Key sticking his oar in as well. The two of them seem to think retaining the prohibition on methamphetamine, while... Read More

Coincidence is a funny thing, in the week that Google released its new communication system called Google Wave, Samoa suffered from a tsunami. My commiseration's and best wishes to the people of Samoa. Of course there was another smaller wave which... Read More

With the sad news coming from Auckland about finding the poor wee girl, my first post today will be about something life affirming, and joyous - Art & Poetry. My children and I visited the Tauranga Art Gallery on Saturday to see the Rembrandt... Read More