I had a minor light bulb moment yesterday when talking with Chris’s sister, Lindie. I have offered pondered the problem of drivers of change for major issues – how much can or should the government do and how much change should be instigated and driven at the community level. In relation to climate change, IContinue reading “Scales of change”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Inflation & interest rates
It was time to pull out my crystal ball to contemplate the future of interest rates and inflation in New Zealand. I actually pulled it out a few times in the last 2 months, and meant to document my prediction of interest rate rises by the end of the year, but more other interesting thingsContinue reading “Inflation & interest rates”
Productivity
I found myself fuming today when I read about the Ministry for Business, Innovation Employment (MBIE) being a ‘telly offy’, in regard to people using software innovations to book slots in Managed Isolation Facilities (MIQ). A ‘telly offy’ (as defined by our household early in COVID times) is someone who comes from a rules-based perspectiveContinue reading “Productivity”
Third waves
It’s the 7th wave that is supposed to be the big one if you are at sea, or surfing. Let’s hope its not that way with COVID-19. Three waves appear to be more than enough for most countries, and by the seventh wave everyone will be extremely jaded with lockdown procedures. It is quite interestingContinue reading “Third waves”
Reactions and over-reactions
This week saw me variably succeeding and failing in some of those difficult personal conversations that happen all the time in close relationships. The COVID world has taken its toll on all our brains, as well as many bodies, and stress and anxiety are rampant. I was reminded of a first aid class in whichContinue reading “Reactions and over-reactions”
The role of insurance
I hate insurance companies. That is not too strong a word. One could ask why I even get insurance because the very thought of dealing with an insurance company makes me feel stressed. My abhorrence of insurance companies stems from the Canterbury earthquakes. Up till that time, I thought of insurance as a generally expensiveContinue reading “The role of insurance”
Perverse incentives
Perverse incentives are incentives that have unintended, negative effects that are contrary to the intention of their designers. The ‘cobra effect’ is famous; the British government, concerned about the number of venomous cobras in Delhi, offered a bounty for every dead cobra. Initially, this was a success and large numbers of snakes were killed for the reward. Eventually, however, enterprisingContinue reading “Perverse incentives”
Living the divide
I find myself continually saddened by the effects of the cost of housing in Queenstown and Wanaka, and the resultant people who cannot ever aspire to buy a home where they live. A huge economic divide has formed and there are very few bridges that span it. At the Songwriters’ Society night on Thursday, theContinue reading “Living the divide”
Variations on a theme
In music, variations are commonly used to create new musical pieces – a set of notes are played and then repeated with changes in them. Variations are used at all scales of composition and in many forms of music. The changes to the original piece of music may involve variations in melody, rhythm or harmony.Continue reading “Variations on a theme”
End Day
I don’t know when I first heard about the day the world would end. There certainly was no government announcement; in future days it seemed like it was a topic the government shied away from. The knowledge seeped through social media quietly, infiltrating our collective consciousness until there was no doubt about something that we didn’tContinue reading “End Day”