Logos

Logos: Logos are in the news with Telecom NZ changing its 'old staid' logo to something 'vibrant etc' - exactly what they said when they changed it last time. This time the cost to get it designed was 'only' $140,000 and I have heard rumours that the entire re-branding exercise will go over $30 million. I see the All Blacks already have new gear with the new logo.

Meanwhile the local museum The New Dowse had a new logo designed a couple of years ago by the same advertising agency.

The top logo is the New Dowse with the new Telecom logo underneath and the old Telecom one at the bottom.

Spot the difference between the Dowse and Telecom.(hint it is $140,000)

Our Logo: Meantime the PM has announced the Tino Rangatiratanga flag will be flown on Waitangi Day and at Premier House. As I favour dumping our present colonial cringe effort I think like the Maori words to the National Anthem it will over time take over. I am surprised at John Keys boldness but probably the old school who think we are the Britain of the South Seas are very very few in number now.

Soundsold Blog: Over 1100 people have accessed songs now - wow!!

Rugby: France at the weekend and it will be tough.

Raffle: The Rotary Raffle gets underway tommorrow and we have had quite a few problems with the resignation of a member and having to find a replacement for his shifts then on Thursday we found the Mall had leased the space we had been promised. This was in accordance with the agreement but when they went to give us the alternative space they found it was too small!! However we are going in and will find out the details in the morning.

Part of the problem is that the shops have rights over about 3 metres or more out into the front of their stores.

Hone's Holiday

Hone: He has been all over the news since it was revealed he took off from an official trip to Europe to do a side jaunt, at our expense, to see some 'whitemans culture' in Paris - which, if the quotes from the news are to be believed he and his wife seemed to enjoy. So it would seem some 'whitemans culture' isn't too bad.

Some might think so what - it is probably the attitude of many of his constituents. As for me; well you might well believe that I think that, but I certainly couldn't comment!!!

Bugger work and carrying out what I am being paid to do - I will just take off and do what I want to do. Thanks Hone. This is the second time he has done this, as he did the same thing when in Australia, but at least then he visited a group of Aborigines to discuss race relations which he does have an interest in.

When caught he first releases an abusive email (bad language and the 'whitemans' fault) then offers a half-hearted apology suggesting that the Opposition Leader should be shot!! He is a man of the grievance industry and like mother like son.

Personally his tirade and the abusive language doesn't bother me, as it shows him for what he is and I am a firm believer in free speech - even so called 'hate speech' .

Hide: Meantime Rodney Hide, who at least did nothing outside the rules by taking his partner to Europe on a Parliamentary trip, aplogised and paid the money back. This may enable him to retain his reputation as a 'perkbuster'.

Guy Fawkes and Halloween: I think Guido, who is the only guy who knew anything about politics, has had its day on a private level. Public displays will, over time, become the norm. As for Halloween; it is probably a lesser evil. I learnt the other day that the trick part of Trick and Treat means that the householder is supposed to carry out the trick.

Sport: Soccer - the All Whites are on there way to the soccer World Cup. I still have problems that a team ranked 83rd (after going up 17 places recently) can be there. It is difficult to understand.
Rugby: The AB's struggled against Italy and it was another bad game.

MMP

MMP: I listened to a brilliant talk this week at Rotary where Theo Muller spoke about Research. His quote was 'Research shows...' but in fact (especially for politicians) they haven't really done the in depth research that they claim. Instead they have listened to a vociferous minority.

He quoted where our local council proposes to spend $2.2 million upgrading some bus barns. Despite the claims 'a significant number of people' are in favour, a poll shows the opposite.

Afterwards, speaking to some others they brought up MMP. They were against, but upon questioning as to why, they had specious reasons which they then backed away from.

My question to people who favour going back to First Past The Post (FPP) is what do Hitler, Tony Blair, the Mayor of Invercargill Tim Shadbolt, our local Mayor David Ogden, G W Bush, Rob Muldoon all have in common.

They all got elected by a minority vote.

Hitler got about 33% of the vote and in the next got 37.8% and became Chancellor. Tony Blair had a 100 seat majority with 36%, Tim S. got 16%, our local Mayor would have lost the last election if a Proportional System was in place, Bush of course beat Al Gore with less (although the US system is even more undemocratic) and Rob should have lost 2 out of 3 to Bill Rowling.

Madness and simply not democratic. The MMP system was put into Germany by the British to ensure a minority couldn't take power again.

The only change I would make to MMP is that winning an electorate seat would not mean your Party Vote would count unless it met the 5% threshold.

On the weekend Radio NZ had an interview with the Speaker (although he has a different title there)
of the Scottish Parliament. Interestingly, both that body and the Welsh Parliament use an MMP system The only difference he said was that they have a Regional List as opposed to our National List. However, he said it hadn't worked as well as ours as they hadn't got the diversity of members that we get in NZ.

Another matter he mentioned was that they don't have a Referendum system but anybody can go online and Petition Parliament. I would have thought all the nutters would have come out of the woodwork but he said it is working well and they can filter out the few crazies.

Sounds like a good idea.

Sad news: Just heard that one of Christine's cousins died in the UK. We stayed with them when when were there, as did Sarah. A real sad loss as he was a great guy.

Updates: Rugby - won in Tokyo but I see the team against Wales has Eaton at lock. We shall see but he wouldn't be in my team.
Came 2nd by half a point at the Quiz!!!
Going to see a play next week at Downstage which is about Charles Darwin .