Weeks have passed and the world hasn’t ended. Another successful holiday programme has been run and kids, staff and parents are happy. But alas for you, dear reader, as you haven’t had the benefit of my wisdom and insightful comments for three weeks.
But I’m back. And chuckling about an article that dares to poke the borax at New Zealand’s best loved institution – the All Blacks! How dare they? Well, they do dare, and good on them.
Since Graham Henry and co. took over the All Blacks in 2004, it seems to me they have drawn towards the soccer model of ‘prima donna’, ‘touch me and I fall down in agony’, rather than the traditional rugby union model of ‘gritty bloke in a black singlet, tough as old boots, plays in a stinging southerly (cold in NZ) with two dislocated shoulders and then heads out to the back blocks of the farm with a roll of no. 8 wire ready to get up to his elbows in birthing lambs’. Argh, those days be gone (OK, not sure where the ‘talk like a pirate’ vernacular crept in from).
Nowadays, the All Blacks LOSE! And they don’t seem to CARE! That never happened before. When they lost in the past, it was after epic battles against monumental sides whose forwards had tree trunks for legs and whose backs could give Usain Bolt a run for his money. The country went into mourning, players hung their heads in shame, and the media flayed the management alive.
Today, the ‘teflon trio’, as described in the article in today’s paper, smile and talk weasel words about team bonding and the like, while faffing about trying to figure out how to coach, impart knowledge, and somehow enable the team to play well and win. The latest move is that they will all swop out of their ‘expert’ roles and do each other’s jobs.
Hmm, not sure how that will improve things.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Mortgages in difficult times
The recession has knocked the wind out of the sails of many people.
There are numerous families where there isn’t much leeway in the monthly budget, and if expenses increase, or income decreases, a credit crisis can easily ensue. With businesses facing tough economic times, unemployment on the increase and full employment decreasing, many people will have experienced a drop in income in the last year or two. Given that savings were at very low levels, or to look at it another way, indebtedness was very high, many families are be experiencing the pinch. And reflecting that, the number of mortgagee sales has increased.
But even if you’re holding it together and your mortgage is up for renewal, you might still be in trouble. If your credit rating has taken a knock during these tough economic times, your bank may not want to renew your mortgage.
Luckily, there is such a thing as a bad credit mortgage. Not the most salubrious of names, but it’s descriptive. You don’t need such a good credit rating as for the conventional banks, but you will pay more. So it should be a stop-gap measure. Again, it may put pressure on the budget, but hopefully cutbacks can be made in other areas to accommodate the higher payments. There are many mortgage deals around at present – a combination of greater caution from the high street banks and many people facing reduced income has left more room for less conventional mortgage lenders.
If it’s just not possible to make ends meet, and you’re afraid of losing your house, check out the option of selling your home for cash, and renting it. There are companies who will give you cash for your home, with a much faster turnaround than you would get putting it on the open market. While you will obviously not get as much money, many of these companies guarantee your continued occupation of the house for a specified period. If you can get economically back on your feet in that time, you may be able to buy the house back, but even if you can’t, at least you have time to save up for another house and you don’t have the upheaval of moving twice.
Keep up with the mortgage news to stay informed on what is on offer, what changes there are to rules, and what the trends are. And above all, good luck.
There are numerous families where there isn’t much leeway in the monthly budget, and if expenses increase, or income decreases, a credit crisis can easily ensue. With businesses facing tough economic times, unemployment on the increase and full employment decreasing, many people will have experienced a drop in income in the last year or two. Given that savings were at very low levels, or to look at it another way, indebtedness was very high, many families are be experiencing the pinch. And reflecting that, the number of mortgagee sales has increased.
But even if you’re holding it together and your mortgage is up for renewal, you might still be in trouble. If your credit rating has taken a knock during these tough economic times, your bank may not want to renew your mortgage.
Luckily, there is such a thing as a bad credit mortgage. Not the most salubrious of names, but it’s descriptive. You don’t need such a good credit rating as for the conventional banks, but you will pay more. So it should be a stop-gap measure. Again, it may put pressure on the budget, but hopefully cutbacks can be made in other areas to accommodate the higher payments. There are many mortgage deals around at present – a combination of greater caution from the high street banks and many people facing reduced income has left more room for less conventional mortgage lenders.
If it’s just not possible to make ends meet, and you’re afraid of losing your house, check out the option of selling your home for cash, and renting it. There are companies who will give you cash for your home, with a much faster turnaround than you would get putting it on the open market. While you will obviously not get as much money, many of these companies guarantee your continued occupation of the house for a specified period. If you can get economically back on your feet in that time, you may be able to buy the house back, but even if you can’t, at least you have time to save up for another house and you don’t have the upheaval of moving twice.
Keep up with the mortgage news to stay informed on what is on offer, what changes there are to rules, and what the trends are. And above all, good luck.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
WoW
This is certainly the week for fabulous and fantastic fashion in New Zealand.
As well as the prestigious Fashion Week (more pictures from that later), we also have the Montana World of Wearable Art, an unashamed expression of the incredible. So, here are some pictures…
Thursday, September 24, 2009
House & contents insurance
Insurance snippets:
~
Research by Sainsbury’s Finance shows that over one third of university students polled in the UK have no insurance for the belongings they take with them. Which is a sobering statistic when you consider that one third of students will be a victim of crime while at university.
Sainsbury’s encourages students to check whether the average £3,500 of gear is covered by their parents’ home insurance. A sensible and money-saving tip.
~
Newly-weds may be leaving themselves exposed to under-insurance if they don’t inform their insurance company of the value of wedding presents they receive. Newly married couples moving into a new home should get a number of building and contents home insurance quotes to ensure they get a competitive deal, but don’t end up lacking in cover.
~
The term ‘Internet shopping’ can have sinister overtones. A report entitled The Digital Criminal’ has been released by Legal & General, in collaboration with reformed burglar Michael Fraser. This report looks at the use of social media by the public and criminals.
The report indicates that users of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be too free with information, such as when they will be away for a weekend. Though this information may be private to the user, users were inclined to accept friend or follower request from people they didn’t know. Do you know everyone who’s following you?
This is something insurance companies are aware of and will be investigating. It would be seriously upsetting if your contents insurance didn’t pay out after a burglary when the insurance company proved you had been indiscrete about your whereabouts.
~
Research by Sainsbury’s Finance shows that over one third of university students polled in the UK have no insurance for the belongings they take with them. Which is a sobering statistic when you consider that one third of students will be a victim of crime while at university.
Sainsbury’s encourages students to check whether the average £3,500 of gear is covered by their parents’ home insurance. A sensible and money-saving tip.
~
Newly-weds may be leaving themselves exposed to under-insurance if they don’t inform their insurance company of the value of wedding presents they receive. Newly married couples moving into a new home should get a number of building and contents home insurance quotes to ensure they get a competitive deal, but don’t end up lacking in cover.
~
The term ‘Internet shopping’ can have sinister overtones. A report entitled The Digital Criminal’ has been released by Legal & General, in collaboration with reformed burglar Michael Fraser. This report looks at the use of social media by the public and criminals.
The report indicates that users of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be too free with information, such as when they will be away for a weekend. Though this information may be private to the user, users were inclined to accept friend or follower request from people they didn’t know. Do you know everyone who’s following you?
This is something insurance companies are aware of and will be investigating. It would be seriously upsetting if your contents insurance didn’t pay out after a burglary when the insurance company proved you had been indiscrete about your whereabouts.
Pablo Neruda
Staying on the topic of South America.
Here is a beautiful piece of writing by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, one of the most influential poets of the last century. Translated from his native Spanish, the phrasing and the ideas are delicate, aching, yet never stray into sentimentality. How I wish I could appreciate it in its native form and experience the subtleties. But this English version is still highly enjoyable and quite simply, beautiful.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example, 'The night is shattered
and the blue stars shiver in the distance.'
The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
Through nights like this one I held her in my arms
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.
She loved me sometimes, and I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.
To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.
What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is shattered and she is not with me.
This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
My sight searches for her as though to go to her.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.
The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.
Another's. She will be another's. Like my kisses before.
Her voice. Her bright body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.
Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.
by Pablo Neruda
translated by W.S. Merwin
Here is a beautiful piece of writing by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, one of the most influential poets of the last century. Translated from his native Spanish, the phrasing and the ideas are delicate, aching, yet never stray into sentimentality. How I wish I could appreciate it in its native form and experience the subtleties. But this English version is still highly enjoyable and quite simply, beautiful.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example, 'The night is shattered
and the blue stars shiver in the distance.'
The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
Through nights like this one I held her in my arms
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.
She loved me sometimes, and I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.
To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.
What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is shattered and she is not with me.
This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
My sight searches for her as though to go to her.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.
The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.
Another's. She will be another's. Like my kisses before.
Her voice. Her bright body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.
Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.
by Pablo Neruda
translated by W.S. Merwin
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Destination South America
One of the places on Earth I haven’t been but would love to visit is South America. It’s the geography, it’s the animals and exotic plants, it’s the fusion of native American, European and African culture. It’s the history.
It’s witnessing the teeming shore life of Patagonia’s Peninsula Valdes, alive with sea lions, elephant seals, penguins and whales, or following Magellan’s wake around the southern tip of the continent into the unknowns of the far side. It might be a cruise on the mighty, jungle-fringed Amazon River, caimans slithering into the water ahead, or trekking the fractured landscape of the Andes, past high altitude lakes, glaciers and waterfalls.
Or best of all, Carnival in the fantastic city of Rio de Janeiro, where the beautiful people go to be seen. I could spend many years of my life exploring Brazil alone. Sao Paulo, the largest city but still beautiful, with the amazing Ipiranga Museum; Salvador (or Bahia), with the historic and colourful Pelourinho square; the architecturally amazing capital city of Brasilia, built in just three years; and my favourite, Rio, city of beaches, Carnival, and the nearly 40m high statue of Christ the Redeemer – all these are places I’d love to go. I could even look at land and property for sale in Brazil, I think I’d be quite happy living there.
When preparing to travel, you must, of course, take appropriate precautions. Travelling without travel insurance is like, well, you can imagine what it might be like. Be prepared! Make sure your vaccinations are up-to-date, and check with your GP about what precautions are required where you are going. There are parts of South America where you’ll need to take anti-Malarial drugs, and rabid bats are a problem in some areas. Then pack up your bikini and your hiking boots, and away you go.
It’s witnessing the teeming shore life of Patagonia’s Peninsula Valdes, alive with sea lions, elephant seals, penguins and whales, or following Magellan’s wake around the southern tip of the continent into the unknowns of the far side. It might be a cruise on the mighty, jungle-fringed Amazon River, caimans slithering into the water ahead, or trekking the fractured landscape of the Andes, past high altitude lakes, glaciers and waterfalls.
Or best of all, Carnival in the fantastic city of Rio de Janeiro, where the beautiful people go to be seen. I could spend many years of my life exploring Brazil alone. Sao Paulo, the largest city but still beautiful, with the amazing Ipiranga Museum; Salvador (or Bahia), with the historic and colourful Pelourinho square; the architecturally amazing capital city of Brasilia, built in just three years; and my favourite, Rio, city of beaches, Carnival, and the nearly 40m high statue of Christ the Redeemer – all these are places I’d love to go. I could even look at land and property for sale in Brazil, I think I’d be quite happy living there.
When preparing to travel, you must, of course, take appropriate precautions. Travelling without travel insurance is like, well, you can imagine what it might be like. Be prepared! Make sure your vaccinations are up-to-date, and check with your GP about what precautions are required where you are going. There are parts of South America where you’ll need to take anti-Malarial drugs, and rabid bats are a problem in some areas. Then pack up your bikini and your hiking boots, and away you go.
New Zealand fashion week
Beware, this is an unashamed plug for the New Zealand fashion industry.
This week is Fashion week, when NZ’s brightest and best strut their stuff on the catwalk, and buyers (hopefully) dig deep in their pockets.
These are some lovely shots from early on in the week. I must acknowledge image copyright owners Air New Zealand Fashion Week & Michael Ng, and thanks to them for allowing use of images from the image gallery.
the little black dress
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
A bit about loans
Many people are in debt these days. Here are some thoughts about loans.
Loans come in many shapes and sizes. Wikipedia explains that loans are a type of debt, and a debt instrument entails the redistribution of financial assets, over time, between lender and borrower.
Indeed, loans are debts, and debts are not to be treated lightly. The ideal is to be debt-free, with plenty of money to get what you want. But that isn’t always the case.
The downside to loans is that you not only have to repay the amount you borrowed, you also have to pay interest. It is what you pay to your creditor (whoever is lending to you) for the use of their money.
There are two basic types of loans – secured and unsecured. Secured loans use some sort of asset provided by the borrower, in case the loan is not repaid. The lender can then sell the asset to recover the value of the loan if repayments are defaulted.
The most common loan is credit card debt. I count this as a loan for anyone who does not pay their balance off in full each payment. It is, of course, unsecured. If it’s paid off monthly, it’s not a problem, but if not, it’s basically a loan at a very high rate of interest. Unsecured loans are usually at a higher rate of interest than secured.
There is an advertisement for a loan calculator and advice website in which a young woman is explaining how she got into debt on her credit card. She said that, while she kept track of her cheque account, she didn’t keep track of her credit card spending because she didn’t think of it as spending her own money. Using the calculator, she worked out how much she was paying in repayments to her credit card company, and discovered she was paying almost as much interest as capital. That’s very scary kind of ignorance.
Of course, our biggest loan is usually to buy a house. This is a secured loan, with the house as surety. The scariest thing about a mortgage is that you often pay as much in interest as you pay capital. In other words, you end up paying twice as much as the advertised price for your home. Usually though, people are just used to many years of paying a set amount each month for the mortgage.
In the middle of ultra-short-term loans (credit card) and ultra-long-term loans (mortgage) are a variety of other types of loans. Common loans are for purchase of a car, often secured against the car. There are unsecured personal loans, from a variety of reputable and less reputable operators. The interest rates on these are usually very high, and I would not take one of these out except from a reputable institution. Your bank may well provide you with an unsecured personal loan in the form of an overdraft on your bank account. If they are prepared to do this it’s because they have a history of your banking behaviour and will feel confident that you will repay the debit balance of your account.
Borrowing money is a minefield of dangers. Interest on loans can be crippling, sliding you further and further into debt. Consider carefully whether you really do need that overseas trip right now. If you are unsure of what option suits you best, consult a firm of reputable loan brokers or financial advisors. Your bank may provide these, or it might be better to try and find someone independent.
Best of all, though, is to stay out of debt as much as possible.
Loans come in many shapes and sizes. Wikipedia explains that loans are a type of debt, and a debt instrument entails the redistribution of financial assets, over time, between lender and borrower.
Indeed, loans are debts, and debts are not to be treated lightly. The ideal is to be debt-free, with plenty of money to get what you want. But that isn’t always the case.
The downside to loans is that you not only have to repay the amount you borrowed, you also have to pay interest. It is what you pay to your creditor (whoever is lending to you) for the use of their money.
There are two basic types of loans – secured and unsecured. Secured loans use some sort of asset provided by the borrower, in case the loan is not repaid. The lender can then sell the asset to recover the value of the loan if repayments are defaulted.
The most common loan is credit card debt. I count this as a loan for anyone who does not pay their balance off in full each payment. It is, of course, unsecured. If it’s paid off monthly, it’s not a problem, but if not, it’s basically a loan at a very high rate of interest. Unsecured loans are usually at a higher rate of interest than secured.
There is an advertisement for a loan calculator and advice website in which a young woman is explaining how she got into debt on her credit card. She said that, while she kept track of her cheque account, she didn’t keep track of her credit card spending because she didn’t think of it as spending her own money. Using the calculator, she worked out how much she was paying in repayments to her credit card company, and discovered she was paying almost as much interest as capital. That’s very scary kind of ignorance.
Of course, our biggest loan is usually to buy a house. This is a secured loan, with the house as surety. The scariest thing about a mortgage is that you often pay as much in interest as you pay capital. In other words, you end up paying twice as much as the advertised price for your home. Usually though, people are just used to many years of paying a set amount each month for the mortgage.
In the middle of ultra-short-term loans (credit card) and ultra-long-term loans (mortgage) are a variety of other types of loans. Common loans are for purchase of a car, often secured against the car. There are unsecured personal loans, from a variety of reputable and less reputable operators. The interest rates on these are usually very high, and I would not take one of these out except from a reputable institution. Your bank may well provide you with an unsecured personal loan in the form of an overdraft on your bank account. If they are prepared to do this it’s because they have a history of your banking behaviour and will feel confident that you will repay the debit balance of your account.
Borrowing money is a minefield of dangers. Interest on loans can be crippling, sliding you further and further into debt. Consider carefully whether you really do need that overseas trip right now. If you are unsure of what option suits you best, consult a firm of reputable loan brokers or financial advisors. Your bank may provide these, or it might be better to try and find someone independent.
Best of all, though, is to stay out of debt as much as possible.
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