Subject: 4 January, 2009
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------
Copyright, Brian Harmer.

Whoof! I have a positive talent for procrastination and reap
the consequences ... in this case several more weeks have gone
by with no news. Sorry, I shall not even attempt excuses.
So, here we are in 2010 already. Warmest greetings for this
new year, and depending on your perception or mathematical
pedantry, for the new decade ahead.

So what's been happening? Well of course, the university
closed at the end of the year, and since then, we have
celebrated Christmas, and a week later, the new year. During
that period the weather has been oscillating between plain
awful and sparkling blue ... on a cycle that lasts about 36
hours. And, truth to tell, the awful has outnumbered the
good by about three to one. I am told that it has been
somewhat better in other parts of the country. Happily, the
presence of family, whether in person or by phone, brought
warmth to the season regardless of the weather.

Christmas day managed to cling on to the reasonable side of
the cycle, though the wind was rising steadily as the day
progressed. On Christmas eve, I decided to undertake some
pre-emptive exercise to compensate in advance for
anticipated excesses of the days to come. I set out to walk
from our home in Normandale to my son's home in Eastbourne,
a little over 8.5km by the most direct route. At that time
we were at the high point of the climatic cycle and the sun
provided warm and visual pleasure. There was a light
Northerly breeze at my back, and conditions were just
wonderful for walking.

>From Point Howard to Eastbourne, the road winds along the
foreshore, and the journey is enhanced by the sounds of
lapping waves and seabirds. Across the water, a very large
cruise liner was in port, and its vast (80,000 tonne)
presence added an attractive note to the view. It is of
course, pohutukawa season, and as a counterpoint to the
usual crimson flower, there are a number of the yellow
variety on the road out to Eastbourne. They are not as
spectacular as the common red one, though the birds seem to
love them as much. At Day's Bay, people were swimming and
having a good time in and near the water. The local
restaurant seemed to be attracting good crowds, perhaps as
much for the sunshades on the deck, under which many patrons
were enjoying cooling drinks of one sort or another. A
little further on and I reached my son's home where he and
other family members were engaged in preparing for the
family gathering the next day. I arrived in time to help
with the erection of a large marquee to accommodate a table
big enough to seat the two families (ten adults and five
youngsters) for lunch. A modern contraption, the structure
of which consisted of ingeniously interlinked and
concertina'd aluminium extrusions, it was misleadingly
labelled as an Easy-up tent. No actual herniation occurred
but it was a close run thing. If nothing else, the exertion
was sufficient to dissuade me from a vaguely formed
intention to walk the return journey. Instead, I hitched a
ride to Petone with my son's Mother-in-Law, where I did some
last minute Christmas shopping, and then caught a bus up the
hill to home.

Christmas day dawned, as I already hinted, reasonable, if
not picture perfect. In due course, we gathered at Anthony
and Sarah's house. Members of both families ranging in age
from two to the nineties, and had a lot of fun exchanging
gifts and eating good food. The wind was steadily
increasing, and we were very glad of the marquee as the
breeze flapped noisily at the walls. The youngest members
had a lot of fun (and scored a lot of loot). The seniors
ate, drank, and in some cases snoozed, but everything went
as planned. That's another year gone.

There were a few lovely days in the period between then and
New Year, and one of them was not the day I chose to drive
with Mary to visit my mother in Wanganui. That was an ugly
day with strong wind, rain, and way too much traffic. No
mountains seen, and no great pleasure in the journey, though
of course it was good to see my mother, and I think she was
pleased to see us. The return journey was something of a
nightmare with heavy holiday season traffic resulting in
nose-to-tail crawl from Levin through Otaki. Ugh!

Though I am officially on holiday, there have been tasks to
be done, things to prepare for, that if not dealt with
during the break, will bite me in the posterior when the
university re-opens (tomorrow, in fact). I have kept a
record of all this and shall have a clear conscience when I
need to do some things for myself during term time. And of
course, I am now back at work.

That brings me to the issue of the continued existence of
WYSIWYG News. This edition marks the completion of its
sixteenth year. The real reasons for its existence have long
since lapsed, as there is now a plethora of news sources.
Subscribers have dwindled from a peak of 4,600 to about
1,400. To those who have stuck with me, I thank you. From my
own perspective, I still enjoy writing the purple prose,
though I have been lax in doing it regularly in recent
times. I am not yet decided where to take it from here. I
shall probably not continue with anything that requires
funding or the payment of external helpers when the present
reader gifts are exhausted. Reader opinions are welcome.

----
Any text above this point, and all subsequent material in
parentheses, and concluded with the initials "BH" is the
personal opinion of Brian Harmer as editor of this
newsletter, or occasionally "GS" will indicate an opinion
from our editorial assistant. In all cases they are honest
expressions of personal opinion, and are not presented as
fact.

All news items (except where noted otherwise) are reproduced
by kind permission of copyright owner, Newstalk ZB News. All
copyright in the news items reproduced remains the property
of The Radio Network Limited.

*Sponsorship this week is courtesy of Ivan Rowe of Fresno,
CA. Ivan has been a supporter for many years and encouraged
me through the darkest days of my studies. Thanks again
Ivan.
----
On with the News.

Monday, 28 December 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PROMISING SIGNS FOR GENERATION Y IN 2010
----------------------------------------

It is believed 2010 will be the year Generation Y reignites
careers that have stalled because of the economic downturn.
A report from recruitment company Hays says the global
recession was a big wake up call for the generation, whose
skills were in high demand in the market place around 18
months ago. Hays' managing director Jason Walker says there
are signs of frustration from those who have been affected
by the recession and who want to achieve career development.
He says there may be a large shift with Gen-Y next year,
particularly from those whose careers have not been
developed or managed, as the recession has made Generation Y
people more flexible in their location and role
specifications.

(To be honest, I think the notion of a career as we older
folks knew it belongs in the past. Increasingly, what people
do in their lives is not the orderly progression through a
succession of related tasks that it once was. Instead,
people are now able to do whatever tasks they are able to
sell to someone else, whether or not they have prior
experience. Of course you can't suddenly become an
astrophysicist or an airline pilot, but you can engage in a
vast array of business opportunities equipped with little
more than self confidence - BH)

BILLIONS DONATED TO CHARITIES
-----------------------------

New Zealanders have given $2.5 billion to charity in the
past year and have donated more than 1.3 million hours of
work per week. The figures are based on the registration of
charities seeking an exemption from paying tax on donations.
The Charities Commission says 24,000 organisations have
signed up to the system. Some of the charities have an
income of less than $20,000 a year, while others are pulling
in more than $20 million. The Commission says the
registration process means people can now find out more
about a charity they are thinking about giving to. It is
urging people to make a difference in their community or
internationally, by donating their time, goods or money in
the coming year. The Charities Commission's register can be
found on the website www.charities.govt.nz.

BIG BUDDY SUFFERS FROM CASH SHORTAGE
------------------------------------

A cash shortage threatens to crimp the growth of a mentoring
group, which has previously won praise from Prime Minister
John Key. In the past year, Big Buddy has matched up more
than 60 boys with a volunteer father figure. It is work Mr
Key said National would support when it came into office.
Big Buddy chief executive Richard Aston says with the
recession driving down donations by around 30 percent, he
hopes Mr Key will deliver on his promise. He says one of the
organisation's main supporters, the ASB Bank, has reduced
its funding because of the downturn, although is still
offering valuable support. Mr Aston says screening potential
buddies is a time-consuming and expensive process. Because
of the funding crisis, Big Buddy's services will have to be
reduced next year, despite overwhelming demand for the
service.

EXTRA SECURITY SCREENING AN OVER-REACTION
-----------------------------------------

New air security measures are being deemed an over-reaction.
America is demanding tighter checks on inbound passengers,
after the incident involving 23-year-old Nigerian man Umar
Farouk Abdulmutallab, who is accused of trying to blow up a
Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on
Christmas Day. The new restrictions, which are being
implemented at Auckland International Airport for passengers
heading to the United States, involve passengers going
through a second set of security checks, which it is
believed will involve sniffer dogs, more rigorous luggage
searches and could include body searches. US-bound
passengers are being screened off from other travellers so
that they cannot interact. The new restrictions extend to
what people can do once they are on board the plane.
Passengers will be confined to their seats for an hour
before landing and will not be able to have computers,
pillows or blankets on their laps. Aviation journalist Peter
Clark says one of the only ways to eliminate problems would
be to not allow any cabin baggage on board at all but he
says even then, it is possible that people could carry small
amounts of chemicals or powders on their bodies which still
might not be picked up, even with secondary screening. Mr
Clark says he cannot see why peoples' movements will be
limited an hour before a plane lands, rather than at any
other time during a flight. He says the Detroit incident
shows that passengers have to monitor the people they are
travelling with and their surroundings. Passengers bound for
America are being advised to add an extra hour on to the
time they spend getting through airport security.

Tuesday, 29 December 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THOUSANDS EXPECTED AT GISBORNE FESTIVAL
---------------------------------------

Up to 18,000 people will rock up to the opening of the
Rhythm and Vines music festival near Gisborne this
afternoon. It is the beginning of three days and nights of
non-stop entertainment up to and over New Year's Eve at the
Waiohika Estate just out of the city. There will be more
than 60 acts on four stages with New York dance music
exponent Moby the headline act tonight. Top Australian bands
Empire of the Sun and the John Butler Trio will follow over
the next two nights. The festival has been incident-free
since it began in 2003.

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING ISSUED
-----------------------------

Residents near Nelson and the Buller Ranges are being warned
to watch out for rapidly rising rivers as heavy rain hits
the region. MetService has issued a severe weather warning.
A band of rain lying across central New Zealand is expected
to bring intense falls of 20 to 30mm per hour to northwest
Nelson and the Buller Ranges. The rain band should move
north and weaken during the day, with falls in the Tararua
Ranges easing during the afternoon. Overnight rain has also
caused problems on the roads in and around Wellington and
police are asking motorists to take extra care due to
surface flooding on State Highway 1 and State Highway 2.
Police say motorists should drive to the conditions.

(Oh Lord, didn't it rain! We didn't see the other side of
the valley for two days! - BH)

Wednesday, 30 December 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SHORTAGE OF LAB SCIENTISTS LOOMS
--------------------------------

It is claimed that cost saving in the medical industry is
coming at the expense of experienced laboratory workers. A
new Ministry of Health report shows more than 80 lab workers
left Hawke's Bay, Wanganui and Gisborne in the latest round
of tenders. Most of those workers took early retirement.
Medical Laboratory Workers Union spokesman Stewart Smith
says for the sake of saving a few dollars, New Zealand is
heading towards a critical shortage of lab scientists and
most laboratories are now reporting difficulties in finding
skilled staff. Mr Smith says if laboratory scientists are
not kept on, it will be the patients who suffer in the long
term.

(My guess is that "early retirement" is a euphemism for
"they took the money and ran". Retirement is not necessarily
part of every person's thinking these days. - BH)

BIG INCREASE IN YOUTHLINE CALLS
-------------------------------

Youthline says there is an upshot in the number of young
people using the service. The help line received just over
1400 phone calls over the past fortnight which is a 70
percent increase on the same time last year. It has also
recorded a 50 percent increase in the number of text
messages received. Youthline Chief Executive Stephen Bell
says for many young people, the main barrier to asking for
help is embarrassment, and the fact there are increasing
numbers reaching out shows the distress they are feeling.
However, Mr Bell says the flipside of that progress is that
young people are bearing the brunt of pressure on families
from the recession. Mr Bell says a survey of calls received
on Christmas Day show the most common concerns include self
harm, eating disorders, and relationships with family.

STALLED TOWNSHIP MAY SPRING BACK TO LIFE
----------------------------------------

Development of the massive Five Mile project near Queenstown
is to tipped to restart next year. The planned township
development was a major failure for Christchurch property
developer Dave Henderson and the site has remained a 'hole
in the ground' since his company went bust. However, the new
owners have taken over the 7.7 hectare Stage One site and
are planning a large-scale retail precinct. The architect
mainly responsible for the Palms Shopping Centre in
Christchurch has been contracted to design the complex. In
July last year, building on the Five Mile project was halted
when Five Mile Holdings was put into receivership owing
around $80 million. Hanover Finance put the land on the
market in February this year and Stage One was sold last
month.

(As I have said before, I think Queenstown is a beautiful
location spoiled by the town that has developed there. I
can't see this making it any better. - BH)

Thursday, 31 December 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TEN-YEAR-OLD IN LINE FOR GAME FISH RECORD
-----------------------------------------

A 10 year old Northland boy is in line for a world record
after landing a huge marlin off the coast of Cape Brett. Sam
Marsh made the catch on Boxing Day with the striped marlin
weighing in at a whopping 133 kilograms. Brian Marsh says
his son is a pretty competent game fisher. He says once the
fish took the lure, Sam removed the other rods out of the
water, grabbed the rod with the fish on it and got to work.
Forty-five minutes later, he had it. Mr Marsh says the
International Gamefish Association in the US will confirm in
the New Year whether the catch is a world record in the 10-
years-and-under category.

FREEDOM CAMPING MAKING A REVIVAL IN GISBORNE
--------------------------------------------

Gisborne District Council says it is doing all it can to
entice freedom campers to the area. Freedom campers pitch
tents anywhere they like along the coastline, just metres
from the sea, in areas that are not officially designated
campsites. Council community facilities manager Terry
McMillan says this time every year, hundreds of campers
visit the region, which is the only area which still allows
freedom camping. He says people like the idea because it is
unrestricted, cheap and fun. He says the council wants to
keep the cost of freedom camping low and so only charge a
small fee for waste removal. Mr McMillan says about half the
freedom campers are locals and one family has been returning
to the same spot for 70 years.

SKY TOWER FIREWORKS FOR AUCKLAND NEW YEAR
-----------------------------------------

The New Year will kick off with a bang in Auckland. Sky City
spokeswoman Connie Sprague says over seven hundred kilos of
fireworks will be set off from the Sky Tower. She says at
twelve o'clock it will start off with a big bang and there
will be five and a half minutes of an absolutely spectacular
light show. She expects around 40 thousand people to visit
Sky City and many more will watch the fireworks from around
Auckland.

NEW YEAR'S EVE PREPARATIONS STEP UP
-----------------------------------

New Year's Eve celebrations in Queenstown are expected to
draw a crowd of about ten-thousand tonight. Free concerts
are being held in both Queenstown and Wanaka's waterfront
areas and will involve bands and a fireworks display at
midnight. Event coordinator Nicole Fairweather says alcohol
bans will be strictly enforced and security will be on hand
to stamp out bad behaviour. Meanwhile police in Dunedin are
not anticipating any major trouble there tonight. People are
already beginning to assemble in the Octagon for a concert
and fireworks display to welcome in 2010. Dozens of extra
police staff will be on duty in Canterbury tonight, catching
any drunk drivers. An extra 35 officers will be stationed
around Christchurch, at various check points throughout the
night. Canterbury road policing manager Inspector Al Stewart
says it is part of a three month long blitz of drunk
drivers. He is hoping it will be a quiet night. Inspector
Stewart says the message is simple - "if you drink, don't
drive, otherwise you will be caught". A fortnight ago, more
than nine thousand drivers were stopped and breath tested
with 49 failing the test.

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING FOR SOUTH ISLAND
---------------------------------------

Metservice is warning a vigorous front is set to bring gale
force winds and heavy rain to most of the South Island from
tomorrow. It has issued a severe weather warning for
Westland, Fiordland, Canterbury, Otago and Southland. The
front is expected to move onto the South Island tomorrow
night with severe gale force winds likely in exposed inland
places from Southland to Canterbury. Rainfall intensities
may reach as much as 20 to 30 millimetres an hour during
thunderstorms. Meanwhile, further north, a severe weather
watch has been issued for the Buller, northwest Nelson and
Tararua ranges on Saturday. Strong northwestly winds ahead
of the front are also expected in Marlborough, Wellington
and Wairarapa.

BIG NUMBERS TURNING TO INTERNET FOR MEDICAL ADVICE
--------------------------------------------------

It seems more of us are turning to the internet for health
advice. A recent study from health insurer Southern Cross
shows over 80 per cent of its members use the internet to
get medical information. That is up seven per cent from two
years ago. Southern Cross group chief executive Dr Ian
McPherson says while it is great people are interested in
their health, it is concerning if people are using the
internet to self-diagnose. He advises people not to rely
solely on the internet. Dr McPherson says while there are
some excellent and authoritative sites, there are also
people wanting to scaremonger so as to sell their products.

SOLUTION TO SH1 CONGESTION STILL YEARS AWAY
-------------------------------------------

Plans are underway to ease holiday congestion on State
Highway One north of Auckland, but the solution is years
away. Rodney District Mayor Penny Webster is asking the New
Zealand Transport Agency to prioritise the planned bypass of
State Highway One west of Warkworth. She says State Highway
One was chaotic on Sunday with traffic queues 25 kilometres
long and reports of children playing on the motorway. The
NZTA says it has taken note of the mayor's concerns.
Spokesman Ewart Barnsley says the agency will be discussing
them with her and other local authorities in the New Year.
The Transport Agency says it is carrying out road-widening
on State Highway One at Warkworth, which is due to be
completed soon. Mr Barnsley says the bypass of State Highway
One past Warkworth is also in the pipeline.

(I wonder if they will agonise over it for as long as they
did for the at last approved Transmission Gulley route into
Wellington. - BH)

$25 MILLION FALSE ALARM BILL EXAGGERATED?
-----------------------------------------

Firefighters are accusing the Fire Service of exaggerating
the cost of false alarms. The cost to tax-payers of false
call-outs was reportedly up to 25 million dollars in the
past financial year. The Auckland Firefighters Union says
these claims are paving the way to reduce the response to
central city buildings with fire protection systems.
President Jeff McCulloch says the only additional cost for
attending a fire is the diesel used by the fire trucks. He
says the fire fighters are there all the time anyway and are
being paid. Mr McCulloch says it does not matter whether
they are having tea, a sleep or doing a drill - they are
still there. He says the fact they go out to a call is not a
cost. Mr McCulloch says the Fire Service has already tried
the cut-backs, but had to delay them a few times.

Friday, 1 January 2010

(Happy New Year - BH)

SURF LIFEGUARDS BUSY AROUND THE COUNTRY
---------------------------------------

Surf lifeguards have rescued one hundred and sixty-nine
people on beaches around the country so far this season.
Over 90 have been saved in the Northern region and 20 in the
Bay of Plenty, including a seven-year-old child. Two men
caught in strong offshore winds on a lilo at Papamoa and a
teen at Pukehina Beach on a foam board were also helped out
by lifeguards. Lifeguards in the Bay of Plenty are warning
about the dangers of trying to swim out to Rabbit Island at
Mount Maunganui. Four teens were rescued after becoming
stranded. Guards say it looks deceptively close, and it is
not uncommon for visitors to get into trouble trying to
reach it. There have been a dozen rescues so far in
Canterbury and 17 in Gisborne.

RETAILERS ANTICIPATE RUSH
-------------------------

Retailers are expecting another big day's shopping. Most
stores are open, and the Retailers' Association says New
Year's Day is usually very busy. Spokesman Barry Hellberg
says there is usually plenty of Christmas product to shift,
and most stores extend their Boxing Day clearances. He says
it is a very good time of year for consumers, although
today's trade will be influenced largely by the weather. Mr
Halberg says if it is not warm and sunny 'beach' weather,
more people are likely to go shopping.

RESOLUTIONS DO NOT LAST
-----------------------

While many people do it, today might not be the best day for
making bold resolutions about the future. Mindworks'
psychologist Sara Chatwin says every year people vow to give
up vices like alcohol or smoking, or pledge to lose weight.
Unfortunately she says, most New Year resolutions do not
last more than a few days. Ms Chatwin believes people should
think on a modest scale if they are serious about staying on
target. She suggests starting with smaller goals and working
up to the bigger ones. And she says it can help to write
down resolutions, and buddying up with a friend helps
achieve them.

STRATEGIC FONTERRA PURCHASE
---------------------------

Farmers who supply Fonterra look set to benefit from an
investment the dairy giant has made in a pharmaceutical
company. Fonterra has just bought half the shares in
FrieslandCampina Domo-Pharma, a pharmaceutical grade lactose
manufacturer. Federated Farmers chairman Lachlan McKenzie
says in the short-term it is a strategic stake. In the long
term, he is expecting to see a pay-back which will be
reflected in Fonterra's dividends and the value of its
shares. Mr McKenzie says the co-op has consistently proven
it is not necessary to be a listed company to have good
management and governance.


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