Posts by Steve Barnes
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What a great idea Bring back the Zeppelin. and maybe some of These
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When I first arrived in NZ, 1986, I wanted to visit friends in New Plymouth so I decided to go by train. Off I went to Auckland Railway Station and what a wonderful building it was too, I enquired about said train journey only to be told when the bus left. I thought at the time what a shame it was not to be able to take my first trip in my new home by a scenic rail adventure and vowed to try and do something about it so I went down the pub.
Anyway. My most memorable train ride was on the old Istanbul to Tehran express, back in '72 there was such a thing, can't imagine why it no longer exists ;-). The journey took 3 days at an average speed of around 20kmh they loaded the entire train onto a boat to cross lake Van before continuing its way to the Nations capital.
I cannot really see the need for high speed trains, if you're in that much of a hurry you can always go by air. The train maybe one of the last remnants of a time when speed was not of the essence and a more leisurely pace was the norm. -
This is all good news, the rail buyback that is. After selling to Fay, Richwhite and friends for $400 mill, buying back the network for $1.00 and getting paid $48 mill since 2004 that means we got the whole deal for around $70 mill. Who said Labour cant make money? ;-)
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Wel. Nz now has its own site for grumpies The Vent Go on, have a whinge, I know you want to. ;-)
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Oh David. That left me ...well... breathless. I will never be able to look at a Volvo again for heavens sake. Now I feel the need for a shot of Pimms.
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I like the Greens' tax policy of no tax on the first $5000 of income. The lower your income, the more you would benefit.
I could not aggree more. It should also be linked to CPI. This could also act as a curb against inflation by leaving more money in the system when most needed.
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There's another approach that's used in the US - food stamps
Hmmm.
So let's hoist these perceptions up the flagpole and see what happens.People are only poor because they waste their money on pokie macines and fags. Let's give em food stamps.
If you earn enough you can afford an accountant and pay no tax and claim your GST back.
A simple catch all tax system is cheaper and less open to abuse.
There is such a thing as a poverty trap.
The smarter you work the more you are worth.
The harder you work the more valuable you are.
Ian Wishart and D4J are in lurve.
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I did, you never showed up, had to drink your Rum & Coke,,,HIC!
I was in the beer garden with the ashtrays ;-) -
Well. I'm not hanging around here if no-one is going to post......I'm going up the pub.
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I like nothing better than friendly bar staff, nice background music - preferably of the instrumental jazz kind - and an ice cold rum and coke. A garden bar with ashtrays on the tables, and plenty of space to breathe. Now that's perfection.
I can wholeheartedly agree and I concur with Russ about the Bellringers Best bitter. Which is why I prefer Galbraith's to any other pretender to the title, Pub.
I used to frequent the old Birdcage in my mis-spent youth, and I swear that was the perfect pub.
Ahh, the follies of youth, that, in my humble opinion, was a crap Pub (mainly 'cos I got barred for wearing Jeans which i wasn't 'cos they were cords an' Jimmy was wearing denim that was like real jeans and no-one said a thing to him an' I was pissed off cos I had just bought a round and it was his turn, innit)
I love long shiny varnished bars with a foot rail and a hand rail (wear a belt on a Friday !).
Well Galbraith's doesn't exactly have a handrail but there is a handy knot hole in the bar that you could tie yourself to if you felt the need ;-)