Posts by J Wilkinson
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A friend told me that Tamaki is now selling his own line of suits from the church store so congregation members can dress just like him..."as seen on TV" might be interested in his line...
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Couldn't agree more.
Living in Grafton, I walk everywhere I need to go (with the exception of meetings in the burbs and the weekly grocery shop)...I LOVE Auckland. I especially love my eccentric little neighbourhood.
But the CBD appears to be on a downhill slide.
Recent examples:
- the intended closure of the Grafton Bridge to everything except buses. Yah! That's going to solve our transport problems, isn't it? Especially after millions were spent recently upgrading the bus route down Khyber Pass which will now be wasted with this new diversion. At least when the train breaks down at Newmarket you'll be able to Bus to Britomart. Horray!
- the "Bring Back Queen" upgrade...what a joke! One can only assume the project has experienced budget cut-backs. If not, the architect and the committee who signed it off need to be shot. It's poorly integrated with the surrounding buildings, footpaths and Aotea Square; as for the colour choice...yawn. Where's the design, where's the finesse? Tragic.
- the refusal to close inner city streets for pedestrian only walkways. Imagine how great it would be if the entire Queen Street Area from Mayoral Drive to Quay Street including Lorne, High Street and O'Connell Street were closed to private vehicles? Breathing space, walking space, enjoyment of our inner city. Great way to get rid of those boy racer bastards and wannabes too.
Griping over.
On a positive note - don't you think the Domain just keeps getting better and better? It's the best large public park in the country I reckon - the museum upgrades have been done brilliantly, the sculpture walk is wonderful, music in the park continues to offer Aucklanders the best Sunday afternoon outdoor entertainment in Summer (all for free) and its ever changing gardens can be enjoyed year round.
The Domain is about the only thing currently I'm glad my ever increasing rates are paying for...
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Someone mentioned earlier about the quality of food - or lack of it - in lower socio homes:
"It's not just about missing breakfast but about WHAT the kids are eating. So many of today's behaviour issues can be directly attributable to the total crap that goes into their systems.
When large bottles of Coke are selling for 2 for $5 and 2 litrres of milk costs $4.55 a bottle it's not hard to see where some households will spend their $"
Very true.
But to say eating crap is driven by cost is only part of the picture.
Next time you're in the supermarket, have a look at the cost of traditional breakfast foods.
The cheapest options are actually the most healthy - rolled oats (yep, good old porridge), loaves of bread, bananas and apples are not expensive when compared to the alternatives (sugar disguised as cereal, for example).
Let's face it - breakfast is one of the cheapest meals to cater; many people don't eat it because:
a. they can't be bothered
b. they get up too late to make time for it
c. they simply don't feel hungry first thing
d. they prefer to eat crap and don't have respect for their health
e. all of the above.Instead of focussing on breakfast, perhaps we should be more worried about the disturbing obesity statistics.
If our waistlines are growing at such a ridiculous rate, lower-socio groups in equal numbers, obviously "going hungry" is not the problem...eating crap with no nutritional value that piles on the pounds should surely be the target of our concern?