Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Back when I worked in the arms industry ...

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  • 81stcolumn,

    In the end, I suspect it will prove impossible to run a viable investment portfolio without running into some moral complication - such is the sprawl of corporate capitalism - but this is a useful controversy if it obliges us to more clearly define some ground rules.

    Small wonder then that so many in New Zealand invest in erm..... property.

    Seems to me that appropriate investment is like a lot of ethical behaviour; constrained by personal dissonance and moral discomfort.

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Damn, I thought, greed was good.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    Might have a couple of nice suits you'd enjoy......How big do you like your shoulder pads ?

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    I wear soy suits (thanks Henry!), my wife ditched the shoulder pads for politics, we are POMO.
    Intersting quote today, read comments section..."When has any market not been supported by the military?"
    link

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    I think Rob was on the money that the venue at Auckland may have overawed us for the AK Great Blend.

    I was a stunning venue, I particularly loved the curves and thought that had so obviously gone into the design of the place. The glass also created some amazing reflections of the LED dancers at the end of the event - very cool.

    However, I think the tables and er "homelyness" of the original bowling club venue made it easier for people to participate, if not with the panel then with their table. There is probably a whole science dedicated to figuring out the best seating arrangement for stimulating discussion but I think the original idea of a coffee house style discussion stimulated by a panel lends itself more to a coffee house style seating. Or I could be wrong:).

    Still I really enjoyed the evening and I'll be at the next one.

    cheeers
    Bart

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Morgan Nichol,

    Russell, don't worry about the Auckland Blend, I thought it was good fun. Nice to chat to a bunch of like minded folk and such, and the BotY boys were great.

    Maybe it would have helped if the panel was split?

    The corporate folk might have had more opportunity to talk if they hadn't been on a table with Rob, and Rob may have been tempered if he'd been with other guys that get things done.

    But I've never run a panel, so I might be entirely wrong.

    Another thing, during the break times, it might have been a good idea to get everyone to move out of the main space, where we were forced into a long sort of a crescent shape, and down into one of the side areas?

    Jeeze it was nice up there though.

    Auckland CBD • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    I'm not sure if they're playing it in NZ, but in Australia Westpac are heavily spruiking their adoption of the equator principles which govern financing and investments (www.equator-principles.com). Briefly, the principles require that financing where the activity is socially and environmentally sustainable. I have to say, it's winning them business at least amongst some of my friends (no billionaires, but plenty of nice middle class $500k mortgages). ANZ have recently announced that they too have joined this club.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Llewellyn,

    I wanna know where to get one of those cool LED suits!.

    I thoroughly enjoyed the Great Blend, thanks again to you and everyone else involved - a unique and welcome event.

    If you want the full 'oldstyle town hall' experience then yeah, the venue was perhaps just a bit too much (amazing place though). And maybe invite Gary McCormack along.

    Loved the Back of the Y guys - new to me, but surely Randy Cambell was the forerunner of the Jackass guys

    Ethical investing - almost a misnomer really. There are more than a few theses on the subject, usual conclusion is that it is almost impossible in a globalised multi-national world. Ethics is in the eye of the beholder.

    Surely the job of NZ Super Fund is solely to make money to pay for our retirement?

    If so, as long as it isn't directly investing in anything illegal, is it their job to worry where the ethical 'line' is drawn in the sand?

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Llewellyn,

    Paul

    CSR (as represented by Equator principles) is an interesting phenomenon.

    While there are more than a few big corporates in NZ heading down the CSR path (not sure about Equator) it would be interesting to know why.

    I'd argue they are doing not out of pure altruism, but because there is enough green dollar in it for them, and that it increasingly makes good business sense.

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Jeeze it was nice up there though.

    It was a ripper of a venue. Watching the city lights all around was magic and gave Vospertron a run for their money. (BTW, Amanda took a brilliant photo of the dancers in action.)

    But the venue felt a bit too big. I actually think that could have been solved if fewer chairs had been laid out, and in a smaller, tighter area, freeing up more space to socialise.

    I loved the music the DJ was playing, but it was just a bit too loud at times. We weren't there to dance. We were all fired up and wanting to talk, but it was often hard to hear what people were saying, and therefore hard to participate in conversations.

    But what I missed most of all was lack of sausages!

    OK, but it's not all about complaints. I had a brilliant times and my bloggage of the night is over here.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    But what I missed most of all was lack of sausages!

    Oh, but those bagels chips were so good.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    BBQs? Don't you Auckland pussies know that eating is cheating?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    i have a sneaking suspicion that Joanna is going to be a bit tiddly at this Friday's Hula-Tiki party at Imbibe.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Sue,

    Bags not being the 55% sober support person for her midnight swimming

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 527 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    81stcolumn wrote:
    Seems to me that appropriate investment is like a lot of ethical behaviour; constrained by personal dissonance and moral discomfort.

    Well, up to a point. As I pointed out on Tony Milne's blog, 'ethical investment' is one of those warm, fuzzy cant phrases it's pretty hard to object to. But as I/S pointed out, the Cullen Fund is playing with public money and then you've got to ask exactly whose ethics are in the driver's seat. A while back, I read about a 'Christian' fund that (among other things) doesn't invest in companies that "facilitate or endorse immoral or un-Christian lifestyles". I'm sure Helen Clark and Russell Norman will be pleased to know tobacco companies are verboten (body a temple not to be polluted, and all that); not so chuffed they don't invest in companies that target gay and lesbian consumers, sponsor gay events or offer benefits to the same-sex partners of employees. That's 'ethical' investment, though not a criterion I'd want used to invest my nest egg. If I was looking for investors in a pig farm or a vineyard, I certainly wouldn't be pitching it to my next-door neighbours who are Muslims.

    And I'm not being entirely facetious in wondering whether the Greens would feel a tad morally perturbed about being part of a government that own a controlling interest in an airline. :)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    Che: I suspect you might be right
    Sue: Are you trying to destroy my "everybody loves Joanna" buzz?

    And in regards to this:

    The lady bloggers of Wellington were out in force. Jo from Hubris, the queen of them

    Before anyone else emails me about that damn b word, I will point out once again that Prince Albert was a prince of the English, despite being German.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    My anscestor was from Hannover, we own ALL the English.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    My ancestor was from Hannover, we own ALL the English.

    You! Windsor! Pwned!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    As for Bertie, bless him, being German, technically Germany wasn't German until...history nerds, help here please.
    My little glue my hand to my forehead moment comes when everyone assumes we Pakeha are always of English, Irish, Scottish decent with bad teeth, bad food, bad taste and a bent for egalitarianism...er no, at the very least, we of the not Brit import side, had coffee!

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Damn, should read...Germany wasn't Germany until...donner und blitzen edit function lack swinhunde thingy!

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    Well, German or not, I think it's safe to assume that Bertie wasn't a blogger . He may, however, have been a journaller.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    If blogs had of been around he would have been, dude was an early adopter.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Juha Saarinen,

    Wasn't Prince Albert, that well-hun royal consort, best known for his efforts in popularising a certain kind of body jewellery?

    I take no responsibility for any Googling arising from this posting.

    Since Nov 2006 • 529 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    Early adopters wrote journals, not blogs.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Real early adopters did the hand on the cave wall thingy.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

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