Posts by Sarah Flynn
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Um... what about holiday homes :)
Given that owners don't make much (or any) money off a holiday home that they use themselves, I don't see why they'd be too scandalised by the idea; while (I presume) a capital gains tax would only be incurred in the event that the property was sold (and you made money on it) - which just seems fair cop to me, as a windfall gain from any other investment would get taxed. Would people really be so outraged by that?
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No surprises that the US election was rigged, what really amazes me is how blatant it all was - very Macbeth (..."What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?"). At least Lady Macbeth had the decency to be racked with guilt, though...
As to NZ's interest rates, I reckon it's time to revisit the dreaded tax on investment property - might be more palatable to the general public now that people who don't own homes feel like they're competing with investors, and exporters are getting such a pounding. I'm no expert though - any thoughts from people more qualified to comment??
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Further to Sonic, re: Andrew's "light smack" scenario - anyone could make such a complaint to the police NOW, and the police would be similarly obliged to investigate. The only difference that the repeal of S59 makes is that it weakens a parent's "reasonable force" defence in the event that they are charged with assault.
In fact (as I understand it) the law will still permit reasonable force as an argument in some instances (e.g. when the child's behaviour is a danger to itself or others), just not for the purposes of "correction".
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Ha well it's not like they're filling the place... surely the principle also has something to do with maintaining and rewarding your fan base?
Wrt Paul's comment, the crowd was pretty subdued, too, as they'd confiscated anything that might possibly be thrown around (read: all musical instruments etcetc that the locals usually take along) so nobody seemed to be in the mood for Mexican waves. Happily, these rules have subsequently been 'relaxed' (people can take in traditional instruments if they obtain the proper permission - ?!), while the water rule was also recently revised (you can take it in but they remove the bottle cap. Fair enough...). I guess they had problems with one too many overcooked tourists (there were a lot about!).
Despite these concessions, my overall impression remains just as Charles describes - ICC have been so caught up in the "bigness" of the event that they lost sight of the fact that it's basically just good, clean fun (or alternatively, watching a bunch of blokes in pyjamas pottering about in a field while you get hot and cross).
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Yep it's pants. I experienced the madness 1st hand as dear friends of ours decided to marry in Barbados (family ties) and scheduled the wedding in so as to fit in the odd warm-up game. We deliberated briefly & then threw caution (and pots of money) to the wind, rationalising that we'd never come up with a better excuse to go to the West Indies.
The island itself epitomises what you'd imagine the laid-back Caribbean to be like - no money, no shoes, no worries! Being there was a marvellous adventure. Going to the cricket there should have been but really wasn't.
The inexplicable, arbitrary, $US 100 visa requirement imposed (at the last minute) on some countries (including NZ & Australia) for the duration of the CWC was the first example of rampant price-gouging. Then the tickets - only a warm-up (NZ vs Sri Lanka), so not so expensive, but 'cheap' seats were (as it turned out) very limited, all that was available by the time we purchased ours were $US 40 'party stand' tickets (which secured you a drink and a meal chit in addition to entry, plus seating in the crappest area of the stadium if you wanted to stay there - plenty of room elsewhere though so we didn't).
The (perhaps trivial) thing that got me completely riled up, though, was the dreaded water rule... GRR! I was 5 months pregnant at this time, and being fairly neurotic about staying cool and well-hydrated (temperatures were around 30 degrees and there was no shade to speak of in the stadium other than a single, packed-out stand). However, we turned up at the gate to be told that water bottles weren't allowed, because who could say what they really contained, and besides, they could be used as a missile. Water was on sale inside at $US3 per plastic cupful. !!. I got very incensed and said I was more concerned about getting heatstroke than getting sconned by a plastic bottle, but they were immovable, even when I got so frustrated I burst into tears (sigh. Hormones...).
Was a good game, but I didn't last the distance, by 2.30pm I'd spent $ US30 on water and my lovely husband had spent FAR too much time in queues so I pulled the pin (missing the cliffhanger ending. We won by 18 runs... clever boys!). I have to say, this was our only negative experience on the island - elsewhere people are helpful and generous. Such a pity that this won't be the experience of most tourists who've gone there for the cricket.
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As a child of the hippie generation I got sound advice from my mum on the subject of drug-taking: DON'T EVER purchase or consume miscellaneous crap from people you don't know & trust (definitely including dodgy street vendors) - not every high is a good high, etc etc.
As it turns out, horrors of one too many encounters with Mum's hopped-up, burnt out hippy mates pretty much turned me off drugs of the mind-altering variety, but this has always seemed like a sensible and reasonably practical precaution. Sure, it's not as easy or spontaneous as taking something that's offered to you when you're out on the town, but surely keeping one's brain in good long-term working order is worth a bit of advance preparation?