Global Connection

The essential responsive man decades ago was the mail man who despite conditions ‘the mail must get through’

Today’s world the electronic mail is just as critical ‘ the mail must get through’ the invisible mail man delivers despite conditions, however when it fails and the electronic medium being the computer and the technology collapses in an invisible heap who is the responsive man?

Living in a rural district in isolated parts of New Zealand being disconnected for today’s expectation for banking, business, writing for a living, and other essentials an IT ( Internet Technician ) man becomes the essential responsive man.

Like diamonds in the sand dune these men seem rare. Even rarer is the man who enters into ones rural framework that brings the consumer S.P.I.C.E. Simplicity, progress, Information/integrity, connection, explanation plus excellence in service.

Responds to the consumers requirements and like the trusty mail man of decades ago will turn up when expected and not forget you. The responsive man for the IT world with hands on approach, who pauses at the gate way of the global world, irrespective of rural or city, belaying the myths and mystery of the electronic world is not only the diamond in the sand dune: but the true essence of the essential responsive man.

One such hero or essential responsive man, armed with a bag of tools, as the mail man carried his bag of mail is mike@computerman.co.nz who took time to stop at this gate.

NEW ZEALAND COAT OF ARMS

Regulation in the NZ Financial Market?

Ponzi schemes alive and well. Is  the NZ Government sudden urgent sense for regulation like the old saying  ’shutting the door after the horse has bolted’?

The following article by Brian Gaynor New Zealand Herald in the business section dated Tuesday March 9th  2010

titled  ‘Hanover house of cards doomed to fall’

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10630196

Every New Zealander should read this.

Has the government gone mad allowing ex board of directors from Hanover that lost millions of dollars of ordinary New Zealanders start up again. To continue the same pattern not unlike a Ponzi scheme. They are Eric Watson and Mark Hotchin doing the same thing with FAI Money (formerly FAI Finance)

Regulation should be such that these failed Board of Directors of Hanover should be barred from access to operation taking Kiwi Saver funds etc..or any managed funds of any sort.

This includes Don Brash and Auckland Mayor John Banks involved / are on the Board of Directors of Huljich Wealth Management a Kiwi Saver Fund for the following events :

During the Securities Commission probe, discovery finds Mr Huljich Managing Director of Huljich Wealth Management, rewrote its investor statements for retirement fund returns after previous returns did not show Mr Huljich had made two payments in periods ending March 2008 and March 2009 as compensation for investment decisions he made. A Ponzi act.

Mr Don Brash and seemingly Mr John Banks say in that time, a whole years worth of time, they were not informed and did not know. Lame excuse as one would think as a Board of Director of ANY company one would make it their business  TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE BUSINESS …….. and not take a year to find out.

The untidy behaviour like a ragged military flag the torn fabric represent the many New Zealand people who struggled, worked hard whose savings/ retirement funds are at risk and or have been lost: one example by Hanover.

So why bother is the question to save as the two examples given in this article.

Pondering from  thoughts from Hazledine-Barber site:

What does life Mean?

http://poeticalleadership.blogspot.com

A question many ask and indeed search for. What does life mean to you. What is your purpose in life is the question. It has been suggested meaning was once given, handed down by our “elders and betters “. Through the ages so it has, a discipline to give order or governance across all race, colour or creed, people accepted, direction and purpose to the individuals lives their contribution within that structure was the meaning of life.. Picasso painting the agony of Spain. Charles Dickens portraying the real England promoting social change, I could write an endless list the point being the artists expression or the writers, is extensions beyond the self, through the works raising conscious awareness.

As a US President stated “Do not ask your country what it can do for you, ask what can I do for my country” in other words be responsible for yourself.

I have a saying “ABC” Action, Behaviour, Consequences. It is your action that is your behaviour therefore it is your consequence. This can be applied in any situation.

The meaning of life is within you, asking the question. We live in a world of great beauty and wealth for all to share if the conscious awareness is raised by the captains of industry/government the face of the workplace changes, social structure for the betterment of mankind. The key is self responsibility that becomes global responsibility giving the meaning to life.

Live in the question for infinite possibilities, if your attitude changes that is positive then things around you change so is the excitement and thrilling act of being human just being consciously aware.

Savings? How -Where? With What?

A customer enters a car sales yard with a basic knowledge of a car, knows how to drive it , has a degree of trust and faith in the sales person and the reputation of the company. There is no expectation for a customer to have a degree in mechanics, studied the industry for years and be qualified to follow through with the purchase.

In the financial market with the angst of KIWI SAVER the constant catch words are “customer responsibility” customers should understand the products which are presented: many are in a complex dossier of words that would take either a lawyer or preferably a qualified person with a commerce degree to even understand the basics.

The question is: The New Zealand Government had boldly stepped out to announce that people should choose, take self responsibility for their savings and future retirement and not save by compulsory means for Government Superannuation, answer KIWI SAVER: however with recent rorts, financial institutions misleading the public with untrue accounts of performance already emerging, to the willing “want to save for my retirement “ the customer/investor ( who do not have a commerce degree) who is going to repay the investor their money saved lost on the stock exchange, portfolios gone sour, fraud, mismanaged managed funds, bonds losing value? The Government?

What about the older population that have saved for years, where did the consolidated fund go? Or those that lost everything at the hands of failures by the professionals and financial institutions, mis – managed funds. Is it just ‘tough luck’ ? Or is it the customer did not read enough, understand enough, maybe it was their fault they did not have a commerce degree!!!

To regulate, put in a ‘watch dog’ is just like opening a new pack of expensive cards of over-paid bureaucrats. For such a small populated country a simple percentage of money earned should go into a government superannuation fund that is held, not spent/squandered by the government, that earns interest. Just like a bank.

Ain’t a mechanic and don’t have a commerce degree, perhaps granny was right, put it under the mattress, might not earn interest but at least you have not lost everything.

( Whistlers Mother painting by James McNeill Whistler 1871 )

Granny

Keep it in the Bank?

New Zealand had the National Superannuation, dumped into the Consolidated Fund that seem to vanish like a ghost out the back door. Then Kiwi Saver, the question is where does that money go.?

It is swallowed up by a extraordinary tapestry of portfolios that once one retires would they still be active, healthy or slide into the financial abysses as many financial institutions have of recent.

Portfolios sold between one company and another, tracking “your saving” is worst than a drunken mystery tour in a bus.

Financial houses of the managed funds many unqualified or even understand the market and are/were commission driven and driven by greed and over inflated egos’.

A lot of New Zealanders would like to save, even a clean up of the financial market place, who would trust them, let alone the fact many New Zealanders wages are so poor there is not the money to save.

Playing with numbers creating ‘average’ representation of income for those ( many thousands of families) are below the average earnings it is no wonder the country is becoming poorer by the day.

If the top earners are looked after and the working people are shut out in the cold what is the expectation of the psychology of the social fabric.?

The ordinary people understand the corporate director, or franchise owner, or the man who owns the business takes the risk and should be rewarded as such, however not to the point of million dollar bonuses, government rorts that in the civil sense go unpunished, greed that impoverishes the back bones of the country which is the working man.

Is New Zealand turning into a sweat shop country? The underbelly of society in New Zealand is poverty, hungry children and crime, violence and crimes of family abuse, child abuse, surely some spawned from frustration, stress, a country inept to care for the special needs people, the elderly, the disabled and importantly the contributor to the wealth of the country the working man.

New Zealand has every opportunity to show case a country rich in natural resources, demonstrate that a financial national programme for superannuation that cannot be squandered by successive governments, is it not better to have a modest percentage of interest on that money than as recent events have shown like a pack of cards fold by the rotten hand dealt by financial institutions.

Kiwi saver? Is a rort, put it into the bank or as granny did under the mattress. Why give your hard earned cash to some-one you do not know to “save” for you, use your money to expand or prop up a company, rather than the company expand by its’ own merits on the foundations good business.

In today’s climate the real question is :

“Could you afford to leave a thousand dollars on the street and walk away and trust it is there the next day?”

Radio at home

The rural district some quite isolated have one broadcaster that is reliable, informative, for local content, international content and above all quality.

A cross section extraordinary programmes that reach into the heart of the city to the understanding the agriculture sector for example the riveting story of the apple named “Mrs. Grants Last Stand.”

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/highlights/spectrum3

Mrs Grant had tied herself to her favourite apple tree to stop her husband bulldozing it down.

A wonderful story of the true Kiwi spirit to save heritage colonial past.

True Story from Christchurch Electronic Factory Tait Electronics.

National Radio New Zealand

she sat at her workstation

knowing she was the lucky one

of the factory crew

sitting at the window

winding the electronic cables

she had a view.

Headset on her head

listening to radio new zealand

‘got her ears on’ so they said

they often looked at her nodding head

hands busy winding

sitting alone

at the window.

Sun streaming over the sill

parents would bring her the kid’s homework

no matter the subject

the answer carefully pencilled in.

she would converse on any matter

whenever one had time

politics, sport, books,

racing be it bikes or horses

on medicine to food

and tantalising courses.

She could talk about money

any country, cross great racial divides

philosophical opinions

americas cup

tourist weather

and jibes.

The workbench was empty one day                                                          

sun streamed across the still

headset hanging on her chair

her winding machine still

word raced around “she not well indeed quite ill”

visited her in hospital

before she passed on

she was asked about her vast knowledge

told how she was valued

from adult to children

just before she went

with her last breath nearly spent

“Listen to my headset

national radio . That bought me love

excitement, joy with stories

that could bring tears

as I sat alone at the window all those years.

The sun warming me streaming over the sill

I learnt a diverse spectrum of the world beyond from a

wonderful selection of radio hosts

and saturday by kim hill

every day I traveled

as every day I was schooled  (for i never was lucky to go to a real school)

so on my seat or on my stool

knowledge gained and I be well traveled and i never left my seat “

then her heart gave a final beat

quietly at peace

she went to sleep.

dreams of travel …………………. No advertisements just a sensory input allowing the dreams. A wake up call in the morning with the sound of a New Zealand native bird not the shrill of jingles advertising canned food. Can the idea in changing  the format and keep the funding …….. it is our radio, the peoples radio.

Old Faithful

Over time since the early 1900s’ the industrial surge saw the development of machinery demonstrating artistic flair, craftsmanship and above all engineering skills of solid design.

Industrialization and the surge for development to today of modern technology, mass production, cheap short cuts, planned failure for the consumer to encourage re-purchasing for what one has already bought there is no doubt the dedicated restoration of old machinery that had been previously cast aside is Mechanical Sustainability.

Any machine well oiled, serviced and respected is the true meaning “guaranteed for a lifetime”

Understanding the importance of the restoration dedicated people like Darryl Hudson: found on the following link

http://www.hudsonscustommachining.com/

Being green is not just the land and solar, but surely the integration of recognizing the value of past craftsmanship in the mechanical sense that has served mankind well in many industries.

Like the line in an old song says “ You don’t know what you have got till it’s gone.

100 years old and still going for a spin everyday

Photographs from the site of Darryl Hudson…………..  Sustainable Mechanical Living Craftsmanship

Grandmas Brooch Heritage Matters

Heritage matters, across the spectrum of history from the restoration of old churches, homes, civic buildings to the vintage car, that granddad had ,today seen sedately travelling down the highway.

On closer inspection are the additional lovingly restored adornments associated with the building or old home filled with furniture of the time, other domestic utensils used in that period. Draped by fashion.

Fashion of gorgeous garments of fine delicate fabrics , rainbow colours reflecting heritage, styles like grandma’s and the jewellery worn by her that has laid out of sight in the chest draw for years.

For example the Christian Dior piece as photographed above demonstrates Grandma had style.

New Zealand fashion designer Annah Stretton brings cut and numbered pattern pieces ( just like Grandmas’ sewing and socializing days , of interaction and good conversation )  an opportunity to create unique stunning garments: another thread of heritage matters and can be seen on  http://www.annahstretton.co.nz/stitchnbitch

Grandmas photograph may be faded, however enduring time  the Christian Dior piece as photographed above demonstrates Grandma had style. Accessories matter.

The style, romance ,the jewellery bought out in the light shines as brightly as ever today.  Flair of  the legendary Christian Dior lives on: a man who bought exquisite lines and boldness, as did the designers of granddads vintage car.

Italian flavour at the heel of the fashions stepping out New Zealand  designer Virginia Di Somma produced the ‘Gaitor’, (manufactured in New Zealand )  life for this soul started in 2003. The Gaitor graced the runway in 2004 Trellis Cooper fashion show.

Virginia Di Somma is also the proud owner One Big Sugar Bowl at 173 High Street Christchurch,  phone 03 -3773 600,….  http://www.onebigsugarbowl.com/ little bit Italian, a little bit French, a little bit Kiwi, completes the picture of how our accessory  heritage matters.

One Big Sugar Bowl recycles Art Nouveau, Art Deco,wartime and Retro  accessories,demonstrating sustainability,an exquisite display of quality workmanship of past craftsmen.

Their use of colour  that has endured over time and will do so for generations to come:   for the women seeking style stepping into the 21st century.

The boutique High Street that the Christchurch Heritage Trams trundle through completes the picture of how our heritage matters.

To Quote New Zealand Designer Virginia Di Somma

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to make contact with a couple of different sources in Hollywood and New
York who are in receipt of celebrity closet clean outs and estate clearances. The special pieces don’t last long – it’s not difficult to recognise a beautifully handcrafted piece of jewellery when you see it. Pieces were not only made to last in those days but the intricacy both in design and construction in many of these items you just don’t see in modern jewellery today and customers are amazed at how affordable most of the pieces are.”

End quote.

An amazing  example for sale is the beautiful, signed  Christian Dior brooch, one of many pieces,  found at the exciting  One Big Sugar Bowl.

One Big Sugar Bowl offers authentic original examples from many of the best designers. Christian Dior, Givenchy, Yves SaintLaurent, Marcel Boucher , Hattie Carnegie, Miriam Haskell. .. and many, many more.

If you’re a collector or an aspiring collector of designer costume jewelery ………….

Grandma would say ‘Affordable, who needs to go to Paris dear, or Rome?

Off to High Street to One Big Sugar Bowl

Click here to view the embedded video.

Postal Service NZ

Regardless of the stories of continual bad press of those empowered to serve the public, for example the behaviour of MP’s, Telecom’s continued break downs of communication service to the Nation, the recent one affecting the 111 emergency call number, City Councils that care little for those that reside in City Council flats, for those that always say they will call back and never do or do so a week later there are one or two wonderful good stories.

New Zealand Post Courier Services, for any Track and Trace parcel ease of use on their www. Site, to track, with instant updating. Things can go wrong and human error can occur, in this case as it did, a phone call, explanation, the urgency, the parcel concerned was put on a truck and delivered to the person in Christchurch City within the hour of the phone call.

It is people like the courier driver, the lady at the call centre, the men and woman at the coal face that make the difference.

New Zealand Courier Post Christchurch are to be congratulated for a service that is 1^st class and the good souls who saved the day on this day the 26^th February 2010.

Many could well learn from New Zealand Post Couriers example, especially those noted above.

Politicians are the Civil Servants of the public. In the private sector for a new employee an employment contract is in general given to read,study and sign, for example a pump attendant for Shell or any other company. Some contracts ask, does the recipient understand the terms of employment fully and the terms set out by the company. Finally if the employee accepts such terms and agrees, signs the contract.

As with politicians, who are sworn in and pledge to serve the country, have terms and rule books for behaviour as a servant to the company: in this case the company is the country New Zealand.

The ministerial rule book for politicians given to all ministers arriving into New Zealand parliament outline codes of practice. For example ;

‘use of a credit card for personal expenditure ( regardless of the intent to reimburse) is not permitted ‘

Ministers of the New Zealand Government ( National MP’s) some of the highest paid civil servants who claim of mistakenly billing their ministerial credit card, one would have assumed these so called intelligent men leading the country would know which credit card they passed over for payment purchasing personal items for themselves, family, or for entertaining associated colleagues.

The billing costs for the three Ministers MP Phil Hartley, MP Gerry Brownlee, MP Tim Groserhave been publicly identified for billing three thousand dollars plus for personal use to the ministerial credit cards.

Ignorance of the law, or rules, or terms of contract of employment is no excuse, and an a excuse “it was a mistake” generally the excuse ‘it was a mistake ‘ is used only when caught. A lame excuse for an excuse.

There is no excuse, the deliberate misuse of a credit card  is theft or fraud. In the private sector the employees employment would be terminated by instant dismissal, and criminal charges bought against them.

Politicians should be no different to any other member of the public and should face the consequences of the their behaviour.

Is it not a theft by a servant?