Posts by Francisco Blaha
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"people hoovering up the last of their coke before getting on a plane"
Mhh... not the best of the ideas... as anyone that flies a lot in Latin American regional and domestic airlines may be able to attest
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"....PM says nothing about the risk takers, entrepreneurs and small business owners that fund her Government’s largesse..."
There is a key issue that in my humble opinion National don't really get... let me explain: a couple of years ago as part of my work with fisheries administrations in the Pacific as a self-employed a contractor to international organizations and the NZ MFAT, I had the opportunity to have dinner with the former National gvt NZ minister of foreign affairs in Honiara, he was genuinely interested in my story from jumping a fishing boat without knowing anyone in NZ in 1994 to be an advisor to the NZ government and the UN . He was congratulatory on my "entrepreneurship" as an immigrant and assumed I was a National voter, and then turn to disappointment when I said, that I wasn't. How come?, he said, you are a self-made man and an entrepreneur, that took risks! how you support the opposite approach? I explained that actually, I took the risk to become a consultant and doing my 2nd MSc, leaving my salary job of 2 years, because there was "a safety net" (dole, support, WINZ, health, etc) under me at that time. Otherwise, I may have not taken such bold steps... That empowering a system of support (the safety net) in my opinion encourages risk-taking and being entrepreneurial! Of course, there would be always people who don't take risks and stay in comfort zone... but that is human nature and not something you can force. He seemed perplexed, and the conversation turned cold... as we obviously were things from different sides of the river. The statement in Woodhouse tweet you quoted reminded me of that conversation.
Always great to read you, Russell. -
Interestingly the Uruguay model, a country whose population and primary products based economy is very similar to NZ, does not get discussed. Since its implementation, it wiped out the black market, by offering lower prices and standardization in quality.
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>They come from a culture where they’re predisposed to enjoy food, where food is an intimate and important event. They have good character and a sense of humour and a good work ethic. I think that’s really all that’s required.
>You talk a lot about Mexicans in the first two books …
>God’s people.That is a very nice thing to say... wish more of its fellow citizens think the same.
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Hard News: Music Extra: "Is not a…, in reply to linger,
my fault... it wasn't a capital in the original that I translated :-(
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man on the moon. I was 5! ( will ask my son that is 15 and let you know)
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happy to help mate... I still remember making a point of listening to your Hard News segment in bFM all those years ago... you have been a referent in terms of intelligent reporting since them... Thanks for that
All the bets from a rainy Sunday in Majuro
Francisco Blaha
http://www.franciscoblaha.info -
I loathe both flags. They speak of muddling and mediocrity. They’re not designs, they’re clip art. They say nothing of a new New Zealand. They’re an indictment of the market research that passed for consultation in the flag panel process. If anything, I’ve come to despise them more as the process has ground on. I will not be able to vote for a change to either Tweedledum or Tweedledee when the second round of the referendum is held next year.
Totally agree... as someone that is not Maori or Pakiha (we are a 25% of the population)... the new flag feel like a box of wetbix.
Truly a missed opportunity :-(
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NZ has been home for 20 years and waiheke for the last 10. I left the place I grow up (I cannot call it home anymore) poor and disappointed… I represented to country in 2 sports and went to war for them… I had a job as a scientist, but with a cleaners salary, because I did not have the right political connections. I came to NZ without knowing anyone and with 300$ in my pocket… bFM was my first “home” even if my body rested in a boarding house in Balmoral. For getting a job no one ever asked my who “recommended” me, which political party I belong to… nor mocked my dark skin. “Do your job and you’ll be alright mate"… I was told on my 1st job here (a fishing boat).
NZ has changed a lot since then and not all has been good. But still is “home”. I lived for work for periods of time in other countries (because my present work with the UN) but Waiheke is “home” by choice… we still have it good here. We just need to be aware of the inevitable drift that society takes, and try to slow it down and insist in control and balances. “Home” is were i’m at my happiest… home is here. -
Hard News: Te Reo Māori in schools:…, in reply to Sacha,
thanks brother!