WYSIWYG NEWS - 17 January, 2008

[news at wysiwygnews.com]

Subject: 17 January, 2008 
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ 
Copyright, Brian Harmer. 

No weddings, no family gatherings, there is a sense of 
something missing. Even back at work, there is something 
missing. Half my colleagues are still on annual leave, since 
the university is having a blitz on the financial consequences 
of unused leave. With my time in Queenstown earlier in the 
middle of last year, and the two weddings, I have a modest 
amount of leave owing so I am using mine with caution. The 
corridors are not yet filled with students. That doesn't mean 
I and my remaining colleagues are not busy. I have two new 
courses to teach, and the broad rule of thumb is that every 
hour of time in class requires four hours of preparation. 
Somehow, research activities also impose deadlines as journal 
editors, having taken six months to get their reviewers into 
action suddenly discover the meaning of the word urgency! 
Panic is not a word I use often. 

We seem to be enjoying a summer something like those I 
remember in my youth (though with the odd cold wet day). Long 
glorious blossoming of pohutukawa since at least early 
December still continues, and may last a few weeks more. On 
Friday evening, members of my model aircraft club announced 
that they were going to fly gliders at Te Whiti park, on the 
east side of the Hutt Valley, at the foot of the Wainuiomata 
Hill. Though I have done nothing at all on the modelling front 
for over a year, I decided to go over and watch. It was a 
magnificent evening with a light, unusually warm Southerly 
breeze. At the South end of the park there was a game of touch 
rugby in progress, and here and there, youngsters with dogs, 
or Frisbees. Just enjoying a lovely summer evening. My 
colleagues were using a simple bungee cord to launch their 
gliders. According to the NZMAA rules, a bungee launch is 
permitted with 30 metres maximum of rubber, 120 metres maximum 
of line, plus a parachute or pennant and 30cm maximum of 
leader line.  The bungee is fixed at the distant end by two 
steel rods driven at least 400 mm into the ground. Trying to 
photograph a glider on bungee launch is quite a challenge. 
With the rubber at full stretch, the aircraft is there one 
second and gone the next, usually straight up. The pilot 
controls the launch taking into account the wind direction and 
the strength of his wings, and usually comes off the top at 
around 150 metres to start looking for thermals. Thermal 
soaring gliders seem not so much to fly, as to float. There is 
an elegance to them that is hard to see in other forms of 
aviation. They drift around the sky, losing altitude very 
slowly as the pilot watches for the tell tale lift of a wing 
that indicates rising air on one side of the model or the 
other, and then initiates a turn towards the lifting wing to 
remain in the lift. Sometimes it is possible to cheat by 
seeing what birds are doing, and looking for circling gulls.  
Despite the warmth of the evening there was little thermal 
activity, though there was a steady lift from the hot roofing 
iron on the big shed at the Northern end of the park. 
Unfortunately the shed is perilously close to some trees that 
would ring bells with anyone familiar with Charlie Brown's 
"kite-eating tree". Thus the pilots need to concentrate very 
hard to get anything useful of such a limited source of lift. 
Technicalities aside, the evening was just so still and 
pleasant that you knew something would change. Sure enough, in 
the space of five minutes the Southerly dropped away to zero, 
and then a steady Nor Westerly wind came up. I found this 
unusual. My perception is that there is usually a longer gap 
between the opposing winds. It was as if someone had simply 
turned a vacuum cleaner from suck to blow. Weird. I had other 
things to do, so have no idea how much longer the fliers 
stayed, but I enjoyed seeing them in action. 

Later in the week, I went through the periodic ritual of 
upgrading my car for something several years younger, since 
the existing model was starting to cost money in repair bills. 
A new electric motor to wind the window glass up and down at 
$600 plus labour - whew! I chose a cheaper temporary fix and 
sold the car. I am happy with my choice (a nice bright 
sapphire blue Toyota), and after Googling others on sale 
around the country, I was even happy with the price, though 
the odds are stacked against me in that regard. I did, 
however, dislike the ritual game playing with the salesman 
popping in and out of the room to some other place as we 
dickered about various aspects of the deal, to consult with 
his boss who had the decision making power. It's a stupid game 
that demeans all who participate. It makes the salesman look 
stupid, it wastes the customer's time, and it doesn't fool 
anyone about what a soft touch the boss is. It seems to me 
that once the sale person has landed the fish, if he doesn't 
have the authority to negotiate, he should hand over the 
closure to the person who has. We could then get on with a 
more honest process, and  look each other in the eye at the 
end. Must take it somewhere this weekend to see how it goes on 
the open road. 
 
----  
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. 
Thanks to Helen Aitken here in NZ for this week's sponsorship.
----  
On with the News. 

Monday, 7 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NO DECISION BY COMMERCE COMMISSION
----------------------------------

The Commerce Commission is stressing it has made no decision 
about a proposed take over of Regency Duty Free by DFS. 
Newstalk ZB reported last week the Commission had stepped in 
to block the deal. We also wrongly claimed Regency now has a 
reprieve of 18 months while the Commission investigates. A 
spokeswoman for the Commission says no decisions have been 
made since it began investigating the take over in November.

BIOTOXIN SPARKS WARNING OVER FAR NORTH SHELLFISH
------------------------------------------------

Holidaymakers have been warned against eating shellfish from 
the Far North after routine monitoring has discovered an 
increased level of marine biotoxin. The area in question 
encompasses the whole of the Bay of Islands, from Cape 
Wikiwiki north of Kerikeri on the east coast down as far as 
Cape Brett. Northland District Health Board testing has 
returned a paralytic shellfish poisoning reading of 150 
micrograms per 100 grams, well above the limit of 80. 
Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) affects the central 
nervous system, and its symptoms include weakness, clumsiness, 
dizziness, double vision, slurred speech, difficulty 
swallowing or breathing, and paralysis. Health board 
spokeswoman Elizabeth Watt says people should not be alarmed, 
as the regulatory levels are very low and give plenty of 
safety margin. However she says if people eat large quantities 
of shellfish, which at this time of the year they may do, they 
could experience symptoms. The problem is believed to be 
caused by tide, weather and temperatures. 
 
(I wonder how much the effluent from human habitation is a 
factor? - BH)

MORE SHARKS LIKELY OVER SUMMER
------------------------------

The Department of Conservation says beach-goers should expect 
to see more sharks during summer. Sharks have been seen in 
waters around the North Island, including at Mount Maunganui, 
Whangarei Heads and Oakura Beach in Taranaki. Clinton Duffy 
from the Department of Conservation says they come in to 
shallow warmer waters to give birth their pups. Mr Duffy says 
New Zealand has a very low shark attack record, with an 
average of two each year. He says there are not many killers 
sharks in New Zealand waters, with great whites being the most 
deadly. Mr Duffy says any shark longer than one point eight 
metres should be considered dangerous.

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS CHOKED BY SICK PEOPLE
-------------------------------------------

An investigation is underway to find out why people with 
coughs and colds are going to emergency departments before 
they see their local doctor. The Waikato District Health Board 
has seen a large increase in the number of people with non-
life threatening injuries using the service over the summer 
break. Spokeswoman Maryanne Gill says one of the reasons could 
be because general practitioners close down over Christmas. 
But she says people should be using medical centres during 
this time. Maryanne Gill says another reason people could be 
using emergency departments is to save costs.

Tuesday, 8 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

QANTAS WILL INCREASE AIR FARES
------------------------------

Qantas's competitors are holding their cards close to their 
chest as to whether they will follow suit and increase fuel 
surcharges. Qantas raised its charges yesterday, seeing trans-
Tasman flights going up by at least 10 dollars from January 
the 17th. An Air New Zealand spokeswoman says it is obviously 
concerned about the high price of fuel and continues to keep a 
very close eye on the situation. She says she can not say if 
the airline's prices will go up. Pacific Blue says while it 
has raised domestic and international fares in Australia, 
there are no plans to dip into New Zealanders' pockets at this 
stage.

FRANCHISE SECTOR GOES UNDER GOVT MICROSCOPE
-------------------------------------------

The franchise sector is under the Government's microscope 
following the Green Acres scam. Commerce Minister Lianne 
Dalziel has met with furious investors who were duped by a 
former Green Acres agent. They thought they were signing up 
for a home-based ironing company, but Keith Lapham took their 
money, and has since disappeared. Ms Dalziel says she will 
meet with the Franchise Association today, to see if there are 
any legal loopholes that need to be sorted out. She is 
confident the Serious Fraud Office will track down the man 
responsible. Ms Dalziel is also congratulating Green Acres for 
admitting its moral obligation in helping those who got ripped 
off in the scam. She says the company might find itself having 
to shoulder responsibility for the scam in the long run. She 
says it will be a legal question in criminal and civil 
investigations as to whether the company is liable for the 
actions of the agent. 
 
(If I understand it correctly, Mr Lapham was an employee of 
Green Acres, empowered to sign up franchisees, and in my 
opinion the duped people should have been able to rely on 
their deals as coming from the company. If that is not the 
case, how can you deal with any company, if their get-out is 
that his actions were unauthorised. I congratulate them on 
accepting the moral obligation, but suspect that they are 
attempting to take credit for this while avoiding the more 
substantial obligation. I have no legal training, but that is 
just how it appears to me. - BH)

EMPLOYERS URGED TO EASE BACK-TO-WORK BLUES
------------------------------------------

Employers are being encouraged to make a positive start to the 
new year, by making their workers' mental wellbeing a 
priority. Research released by Otago University last year 
found around 45 percent of new anxiety and depression cases 
were the result of workplace stress. The Mental Health 
Foundation says it is normal for people to suffer from back-
to-work blues. But it urges anyone still feeling unsettled at 
the end of the month to see their GP. Chief executive Judi 
Clements says it is a good time for organisations to check if 
they are providing a positive work environment. She says 
employees can ease the transition by setting goals for the 
year, and spring-cleaning their work space.

(I find that my often chaotic work-spaces are a serious 
barrier to productivity, so I spent most of yesterday in my 
office tidying up and throwing away redundant paper - in the 
recycling bin, of course - and now have a reasonably organised 
office, at least on campus. Now for the home office. - BH)

FIRE RISK FORCES HOLDEN RECALL
------------------------------

Holden has announced a recall of some of its top of the line 
cars, due to the risk of an engine bay fuel leak that could 
cause a fire. It affects five thousand vehicles in New 
Zealand, and 86 thousand in total worldwide. The recall 
affects all WM Statesmans, V6 VE Commodores, and Caprice long-
wheelbase models built since mid-2006. Holden spokesman Ian 
Butler says owners here can take their cars to their local 
dealer to get the problem sorted. He says letters will be 
issued to all owners informing them of the recall. The fuel 
leak problem has affected about 20 cars internationally. 
Holden Commodore was Australia's top-selling car in 2007.

Wednesday, 9 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GREEN ACRES OFFERS HELP TO VICTIMS
----------------------------------

Green Acres has decided to help the victims of a three million 
dollar scam. About two hundred people bought non-existent 
ironing franchises from former company representative Keith 
Lapham. Green Acres says it has a moral responsibility to help 
the mostly Chinese and Indian immigrants who each spent up to 
25 thousand dollars on the scam. They are giving them new 
franchises at no additional cost, providing there is proof 
they paid money to Keith Lapham. CEO Andrew Chisholm says a 
hundred and twenty of the victims meet the company's 
requirements, while the remainder are still being looked into.

RATEPAYERS WILL DECIDE ON WINDFALL SPEND
----------------------------------------

The Auckland Regional Council will let ratepayers decide how 
to spend its $34 million surplus. Most of the cash has come 
from a one-off government remittance that was not expected 
until later this year. ARC chairman Mike Lee says the windfall 
could go towards the revamp of Eden Park for the 2011 Rugby 
World Cup, but it would ideally help fund planned railway 
upgrades. Mr Lee says the ARC plans to let ratepayers voice 
their opinion during its annual planning process.

FLOODING FORCES RESIDENTS TO EVACUATE HOMES
-------------------------------------------

Rain is easing in the lower North Island where flooding has 
forced the evacuation of some homes. Police say roads are 
beginning to open again this morning and there have been no 
major problems overnight. Massive downpours caused the Ohau 
River in Horowhenua to breach its banks last night, with 10 
centimetres of rain falling in one hour-long period. Residents 
of Kuku Beach, southwest of Levin, had to be evacuated after 
floodwaters entered their homes.

(This brief few days of rain arrived suddenly and passed even 
quicker. Amazing! - BH)

CALLS FOR GOVT TO FUND MORE BOWEL CANCER EXAMS
----------------------------------------------

National is taking a swipe at the Government for not funding 
more colonoscopy examinations. Associate Health spokeswomen 
Jackie Blue says New Zealand has one of the highest rates of 
bowel cancer in the world. But she says the Government is 
turning a blind eye to the worrying statistics. She says of 
those diagnosed with bowel cancer, 45 percent will die from 
the disease. Ms Blue says the Government needs to act now by 
offering people in families with a history of bowel cancer 
regular free checks.

EFTPOS CARDS GIVEN SERIOUS WORKOUT AT CHRISTMAS
-----------------------------------------------

It seems more of us are choosing to use our Eftpos cards to 
buy Christmas presents. The country's largest Eftpos company, 
Paymark, says New Zealanders spent over four billion dollars 
using its electronic payment network during the festive 
season. That is up eight percent on last year. The number of 
transactions also broke records, with over a hundred payments 
being processed every second. Paymark Chief Executive Simon 
Tong it appears many people are leaving their are leaving 
their Christmas shopping to the very last minute, with Eftpos 
transactions hitting an all time peak just after lunch, on 
Christmas Eve. He says during that time, Paymark processed 
more than one-hundred-and-ten transactions per second. 
 
(I am not sure why this is news. Eftpos is the same as cash. 
It is a direct debit from your current account. - BH)

GOVT SLAMMED FOR HOLDING OUT ON THE DISABLED
--------------------------------------------

The Ministry of Health is being criticised for not increasing 
funding this year for parts of the disability sector. It has 
postponed increased funding arrangements for major residential 
care providers Spectrum Care and Healthcare NZ. PSA National 
Secretary Richard Wagstaff says many caregivers are working 
for minimum wage, and the industry is struggling to attract 
workers. He says it is not possible to establish a well-
trained workforce with low rates of pay, and the Government 
must increase its spending. Mr Wagstaff says the industry is 
already experiencing a 30 percent turnover of staff and the 
Government's noncommittal approach to raising its funding is 
going to make that figure a lot higher. He says the lack of 
funding will inevitably lead to a reduction in the level of 
care for disabled people.

Thursday, 10 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NATIONAL CLARIFIES ITS STAND
----------------------------

National says it will not be endorsing any third party anti-
Government advertising campaigns ahead of the election. One of 
the party's MPs, Anne Tolley, today received an email from a 
man leading a campaign called "Give New Zealand a Fair Go". In 
the anti-Labour email, the man, Stan Blanch, states that the 
Exclusive Brethren Church has been praying very hard for a 
change of Government. National's Deputy Leader, Bill English, 
says while the party's opposition to the Electoral Finance Act 
is well known, everyone participating in the political process 
must comply with the law. He says for that reason, National 
will not endorse any such campaign, as the party would rather 
be judged on the basis of its policies, rather than what a 
third party has to say about Labour.

TORNADOES FLOODING STORMS 2007
------------------------------

2007 is being described as a year of drought, destructive 
tornadoes, windstorms and variable temperatures. The National 
Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research has released the 
details of last years climate patterns for New Zealand. 
Principal scientist Dr Jim Salinger says the national average 
temperature was 12.7 degrees in 2007. He says heavy rainfall 
caused flooding nine times, while there was little snowfall. 
Dr Salinger says there were 14 damaging tornados, two severe 
hail downpours and seven electrical storms.

GATE PILLARS BEING RETURNED TO COMMUNITY
----------------------------------------

The Greymouth war memorial pillars are being returned to the 
community, after a deal was struck. The four memorial gate 
pillars carry the names of West Coasters who died in World War 
I. The structures had been on land outside the Grey Main 
School for 85 years but were removed by contractors working on 
a new shopping centre for the Mawhera Incorporation. Grey Main 
School Reunion Committee spokesman Roger Devlin met with 
Mawhera Incorporation spokesman Maika Mason this morning, 
saying he wanted to put an end to the outcry from the 
community. He says Mr Mason would only deal with the Reunion 
Committee. Mr Devlin says $7,000 left over from a reunion in 
2001 will be used to refurbish the structures. The committee 
will talk with the Greymouth community about where to relocate 
the monuments.

NO CHANGE OF PLAN FOR THE JONESES
---------------------------------

Plans by real estate company The Joneses to list on the NZAX 
are still going ahead despite slowing investor confidence. The 
owners of the company announced in December they would 
partially list their shares on the junior market of the stock 
exchange. However, business correspondent Roger Kerr says 
people looking to invest should tread carefully. He says the 
residential property market is slowing and the best years 
might be behind us. Roger Kerr says The Joneses have shaken up 
the country's real estate market with their new system of 
charging a flat fee.

WORN EQUIPMENT FORCES ICE CREAM RECALL
--------------------------------------

Tip Top is recalling its ice cream cakes because they may 
contain minute pieces of metal. The recall affects banana, 
strawberry and bubble gum two litre tubs, with the best-
before-date of 9/12/2009. Tip Top Managing Director Alastair 
de Raadt says a routine maintenance check of the production 
line identified abnormal wear on a metal component of an ice 
cream churn. The recall notice has been placed in the 
country's major newspapers this week. Health authorities have 
been informed.

FEWER KIWIS DROWN IN 2007
-------------------------

The number of drowning deaths in New Zealand was down last 
year, and was the second lowest toll since records began 17 
years ago. Water Safety New Zealand's figures show 110 people 
died in the water, with over half happening during 
recreational activities. The number of boating deaths was down 
to 13, compared to the annual average of 18 over the past five 
years. But the statistics were not all good news, with 
drownings amongst under four year olds up to 11, the highest 
since 2002. 
 
(It looks like 2008 will reverse that trend with eight or ten 
in the first few weeks of the year. - BH)

2007 NOTHING SPECIAL FOR CIVIL DEFENCE
--------------------------------------

It may have seemed like the country experienced a lot of 
natural disasters last year, but 2007 is being described as 
nothing unusual. The Ministry of Civil Defence says there were 
nine hundred weather and geological events. Civil Defence 
emergencies were declared four times, because of tornados, an 
earthquake, and floods. Ministry Director John Hamilton says 
the spread of the events highlights an important message. He 
says nowhere in New Zealand is hazard-free, and the challenge 
is to know what hazards face different parts of the country.

Friday, 11 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SIR EDMUND HILLARY DIES
-----------------------

Prime Minister Helen Clark says the passing of Sir Edmund 
Hillary is a profound loss to New Zealand. More follows. 
 
(The first 35 minutes of the evening news on Thursday was 
devoted to this event. Without a doubt he was among the most 
sincere and honest men you could meet anywhere. I hope the 
government and people of New Zealand honour his wishes and 
instead of monuments, carry on his work with the people of 
Nepal. - BH)

LA NINA SET TO MAKE LIFE TOUGH FOR FARMERS
------------------------------------------

The agricultural sector is being warned to prepare for a tough 
year. The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research 
has released a report which details New Zealand's climate 
patterns for 2008. La Nina is expected to bring drier 
conditions over most of the South Island, and the south west 
of the North Island. North Otago Federated Farmers president 
Robert Borst says it has already been a very dry start to the 
season, with little soil moisture. He says an extra dry period 
would put pressure on feed and reserves for this coming 
winter. He says the cost of stock feed is already up by fifty 
percent. Mr Borst says farmers are feeling the pressure 
because of the low commodity prices in some sectors. He says 
its matter of making decisions early, and to either de-stock 
or try to look after the core stock by breeding. He says 
farmers are now selling lambs for as low as 15 dollars each.

XTRA'S BROADBAND SERVICE FALTERS AGAIN
--------------------------------------

Telecom customers are disgruntled at faults with the Xtra 
broadband service. The company's help line warns customers 
they may have trouble connecting but says technicians are 
working on the problem. Aucklander Evan Fraser says his 
internet has been down since 7 o'clock last night. He says he 
works from home using the internet and the compensation he 
received for the last fault just was not enough. Evan Fraser 
says he will consider switching service providers if the 
faults continue.

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY WORKERS GOING ON STRIIKE
------------------------------------------------

The Ministry of Health is being told to properly fund the 
intellectual disability sector. One hundred and forty staff at 
Brackenridge Estate in Templeton are going on strike for 48 
hours this morning. Caregivers and nurses want a 20 percent 
pay rise. Union spokeswoman Janice Gemmell says the Ministry 
has recently frozen funding increases to the sector. She says 
rates of pay are appallingly low for those who work with 
disabled people. Ms Gemmell says staff rejected a one percent 
pay rise on top of an existing offer of four percent.

SIR GEORGE LAKING HAS DIED
--------------------------

Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Chief Ombudsman Sir 
George Laking has died. Prime Minister Helen Clark says Sir 
George was a distinguished diplomat and public servant. She 
says he had an outstanding record of service to New Zealand 
over more than six decades. Sir George was knighted in 1985, 
becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St 
George.

LATEST DIDYMO FIND DISAPPOINTS BIOSECURITY NZ
---------------------------------------------

Biosecurity New Zealand says the establishment of didymo in 
the Kahurangi National Park could have been prevented. Samples 
taken from the Cobb River have been found to contain the 
invasive algae. Didymo response manager Chris Bicknell says it 
comes down to personal responsibility. Biosecurity officials 
are pushing the check, clean and dry message for people using 
any waterways. Mr Bicknell says while the message is getting 
through, some people are still not taking action.

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