We were pretty darn lucky this week and had a beautiful day heli-skiing in the vicinity of Mt Cook with friends Nic and Andy. I wasn’t sure whether to mention this and share pictures with people in other parts of New Zealand as, if I was in Auckland, I am not sure I would wantContinue reading “What to believe”
Monthly Archives: September 2021
Did It
I thought I had better take my own words to heart and get out there. During lockdown I thought about what I wanted to do that I hadn’t been doing. The answer was, spend time in the backcountry. Even more specifically, my answer was spend time in the backcountry by myself. When I told myContinue reading “Did It”
Wrong strategy already?!
When you get to Alert Level 2 you go do things that you couldn’t previously. Who knows how long you will be in Level 2? Therefore we headed to Wanaka on Wednesday to have dinner and go cycling with friends. We were hoping to ski but the weather gods took away the promised snow andContinue reading “Wrong strategy already?!”
Do It Now
There’s nothing like unexpected lockdowns to make you think that you should do what you can, when you can do it. Is there someone you haven’t seen lately? Give them a call or, far better, go visit them. You don’t know when a lockdown might get in the way. Want to spend some time inContinue reading “Do It Now”
Level 2 here we (some of us) come
The best thing about scarcity is the period of time when you anticipate an end to the scarcity, and then the fulfilment when scarcity turns into availability. Humans’ very simple internal chemical mechanism for feeling a reward (a shot of dopamine) means that the hit when you get your needs fulfilled doesn’t last long –Continue reading “Level 2 here we (some of us) come”
Vaccination vs hospitalisation
The future is looking brighter for those outside Auckland, given that Ashley Bloomfield today talked about a new and improved COVID Alert Level 2 that will be proposed to Cabinet tomorrow. Cabinet will make its decision tomorrow afternoon as to what Alert Levels the country will be in when our current levels expire at midnightContinue reading “Vaccination vs hospitalisation”
Which is my bestest interest?
I have been discussing vaccination issues with my friend Phil, including debating whether people act in their own best interests, or not. Richard Thaler won the Nobel Prize for economics in 2017, for his work demonstrating that limited rationality, social preferences, and lack of self-control systematically affect human decisions, and thus market outcomes. Thaler is a proponentContinue reading “Which is my bestest interest?”
The unlucky country (not us)
Back in May 2020 I wrote about the lucky country, which is a nickname that was given to Australia in the 1960s. In May 2020, it seemed like both New Zealand and Australia were lucky countries, as both had zero to two new COVID cases a day following on from successful hard lockdowns. At theContinue reading “The unlucky country (not us)”
Vaccination & the trolley problem
I have realised that COVID vaccination could be considered as a variation on the trolley problem. The trolley problem is a famous set of thought experiments in ethics and psychology, examining whether it is acceptable to kill a smaller number of people in order to save a larger number. The trolley problem is often referredContinue reading “Vaccination & the trolley problem”
Level 3 treats
People were asking me yesterday what sort of treat I would like once New Zealand, other than Auckland and Northland regions, today reached the coveted status of COVID Alert Level 3. My answer was, a different place to exercise. The Level 3 rules allow day walking in the conservation estate (where Level 4 was ‘closeContinue reading “Level 3 treats”