but this time: Auckland, what the hell??!! Where did you go? What are you doing? And what idiot taught you to drive?

Honestly, I was shaken. Has it always been this bad? Has the city always been utterly in thrall to the car? Why did the Auckland chicken cross the road?

Precisely. I felt exactly this way on a visit back to Auckland in March for the first time in 2 years. The city felt like an empty skeleton of a place, lacking human infrastructure; a commercial, car-centred place where people live to work.

I'd add that my sister was not happy with my characterisation and reminded me of all the special things about the green sup-tropical Pacific city!

I saw your mention of the Salon article on the US sub-prime mortgage market. I found today's business blog on BBC Liar's Loans a really useful dumbie's guide and synthesis on how it all works - from the American mortgage brokers at the bottom to the big banks and ratings agencies. Also adds an international and European perspective.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/2007/08/liars_loans.html

Sport and politics are always a potent mix... Amnesty International has launched a "Play by the Rules!" campaign to raise awareness of the urgent need for independent human rights monitors in Sri Lanka and put pressure on Sri Lanka by delivering signed cricket balls to the government and the LTTE during the ICC Cricket World Cup.