The Daily Blog Open Mic – 17th August 2023

1. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/495960/nz-s-biggest-quake-maker-scientists-peer-inside-hikurangi-subduction-zone
   Australia pushing us around again! We might profitably, from POV of being practical going-forward, to take note of this when planning or allowing locusts to plan, billion dollar edifices of different sorts. If we don’t want to write a book on how to rise from a Garden of Eden to an arid STEM paradise sending rockets to space, then to impoverishment and misery in a relatively short time, (though don’t worry we won’t write it we’ll just get our AI service to do so).

   Did anyone notice the pattern of red squares clustering around the west coast of NI on our last 5.6 earthquake centred from north French Pass I think, on Geonet?

2. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018903028/dr-alia-bojilova-former-sas-psychologist
   This woman psychologist has worthwhile things to say that we can learn from. I heard part and thought I’d capture it for here. She spoke about being captured by an enemy as I think, a UN person. How to cope mentally and reach for our and the opposition’s humanity. Can be done till AI cuts us out of the loop! Are we loopy – haha?

   We are up against an enemy – the irresistible lure of Huge Wealth trailing a comet-like tail of lesser wealth. And the powers of world shifting at the fingertips of individuals addicted to it, reinforcing and building their power each day. It is an implacable force and we who like being people and seeing and dealing with other warm-skinned people, arguing with them, laughing with them, creating our lives minute by minute; need to know how to hold onto what we have for as long as possible. Perhaps until ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ is a noble end. Who knows.

   Maybe we can learn from this resourceful woman psychologist – the mind is all! Mawson in the Antarctica staggered on alone in the wilderness.
   https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-most-terrible-polar-exploration-ever-douglas-mawsons-antarctic-journey-82192685/
   Schopenhauer tangled with understandings in philosophy when he wrote about man and will.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_as_Will_and_Representation

3. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/495992/some-fullers360-auckland-ferry-services-scrapped-auckland-transport-announces
   Is this an attempt to change to a better system for crossing the harbour? Is it an attempt to get a functional and affordable and reliable service for people needing to cross Auckland Harbour which has to be built from scratch and will continue to improve over time?
   If it gets going properly with decent funding and proper training and equipment, will this be a big link in over-harbour travel that will obviate an unviable very expensive bridge built in the 21st century with both feet in the 20th century?

   Where is Baldrick – we need him as there seems to be a lack of one of his cunning plans.
   Blackadder : Baldrick, I have a very, very, very cunning plan.
   Baldrick : Is it as cunning as a fox what used to be Professor of Cunning at Oxford University but has moved on and is now working for the U.N. at the High Commission of International Cunning Planning.
   Rowan Atkinson – Blackadder Back & Forth (1999) – IMDb
   https://www.imdb.com › title › characters I have a cunning plan – A History of Cunning Plans in Blackadder

4. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/495994/400m-investment-aimed-at-revitalising-decrepit-tauranga-cbd
   After languishing for a decade, there is a new sense of momentum in the centre of Tauranga.
   The city council is pumping $400 million into plans to redevelop the waterfront and build Te Manawataki o Te Papa, a new civic precinct in the city centre.
   When Anne Tolley first arrived in Tauranga in 2021 as chair of the Tauranga City Council Commission, she was dismayed at what she found.

   Tauranga sees itself as little Auckland and is about to put its foot in its mouth and then shoot it off, just to be like Auckland. Numbnuts.

   At same time National’s ghost PM arises and gets upset about managed retreat.
   https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/495979/jim-bolger-accused-of-bias-and-being-abrasive-at-kapiti-coast-meetings-on-managed-retreat

   Why do we have to put up with this poorly trained impractical bunch of people posing as wise politicians. Can’t we in 2023 do better than this?

5. While some of us ponder over egregious problems now and of the near future, some people can’t talk about the small issues of living in a neighbourhood in reasonable levels of community, which has been discussed and agreed.
   https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018903089/ruckus-over-rowdy-invercargill-rooster

6. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/496026/auckland-council-vote-for-legislation-to-take-back-the-reins-on-transport-for-the-city
   Auckland Council has come out in united in its support over legislation that will put Aucklanders back in charge of the city’s transport system.
   The Governing Body voted to accept mayor Wayne Brown’s recommendation that the council support the legislation.
   Brown said there was a strong sentiment in Auckland that its residents did not have enough influence on decisions made about their transport system.
   “Too many things we do and spend money on are dictated to us, and too much time is wasted on mega projects imposed by Wellington rather than the smaller-scale initiatives that will really help Aucklanders get around easier. This has to stop.”

   I notice In Nelson that there are millions offered to us to do something, and sometimes I don’t think that would be the right thing to do. putting my thoughts in a general sort of way. Eat up your vegs children, or you don’t get pudding says central gummint!

   Maybe Mayor Brown is having the same push and jibbing. Or are they off on their own dreams, perhaps an executive magic carpet serve-us?

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