Quips & Quotes

Amby Burfoot: Winning has nothing to do with racing. Most days don’t have races anyway. Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up.

Living the Dream

"Group of business revivalists did a webinar on hearing God in business with 172 unknown business participants. One of them had a word of knowledge for an individual who had experienced abuse earlier in life. A month later we received this email:

"I was the person that two of you prayed for regarding the sexual abuse. I was abused by a priest when I was 12. I attended that webinar with a tremendous amount of skepticism. I haven't really engaged with religion much since I was 12 for obvious reasons. I cannot deny though what I felt after that webinar. It was as if a deep knife wound had been completely patched up. That deep emotional knife wound was so deep that I actually felt physical pain at times.

"I had been crying, almost uncontrollable at times, about this a lot and it felt as if it would never end. The feeling came from deep within my stomach (like a knife wound). The morning of the Webinar I had experienced that pain and cried on the way to work. After your Webinar and still to this day, I could not access that feeling. While I still feel sad and do still cry, the epicenter of that pain is not generated from my stomach and the wound feels only superficial now.

"I am so thankful and grateful to you for providing me with such positive feelings and prayer. I had heard the words you uttered many times before but when you were speaking, I sensed something that I cannot describe. It was just a feeling but it caused me to slowly look upward.""

Living the Dream, a series of true and verified stories of real people who have encountered God for themselves and have learnt to apply His principles in their normal everyday world, sourced from Heaven in Business

My World

This is NOT a Queen St farmer

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

Lichen on the Southside

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

House with a view, near Pakipaki

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

Sun sparkles

in The Sunken Gardens in Napier

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

Dear John.... Love, Veronica

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

Spice of Life

My choice from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today J
(including at times, photos for the Napier Courier, the Hastings Leader
the Havelock North Village Press and/or The Link)

Poukawa planting
1300 trees, shrubs and flaxes were planted along the Poukawa Stream, the outlet of the Pekapeka Wetlands, Pakipaki, in the early morning mist, an event organised by Hastings-Havelock North Forest and Bird, in partnership with the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.
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Hehehe
Someone lost a shoe in the mud - Hawke's Bay Mud Run, Crownthorpe, a fundraiser for Havelock North Junior Rugby Club
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Ultimate selfie
Gavin Gilbert Taradale High School, Taradale, Napier, with a Go-pro - Hawke's Bay Mud Run, Crownthorpe, a fundraiser for Havelock North Junior Rugby Club
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Powering through, literally
Zayne Jennings, Taradale, winner 10km - Hawke's Bay Mud Run, Crownthorpe, a fundraiser for Havelock North Junior Rugby Club
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Hardy youngsters
L-R: Justin Linton, Treyah Kingi-Taukamo, Tamatea Intermediate School, Napier, playing basketball barefooted, outside in the gloriously warm winter weather, for which Hawke's Bay is so well known.
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Shipshape
Raihania Tipoki, one of the kaihautu (captains) of Te Matau A Maui, a double hulled sailing waka moored at West Quay, Napier, preparing for a trip to Mahia this weekend, as part of Matariki celebrations
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On the mat
From front L-R: Bill Dalton, mayor, Douglas Lloyd Jenkins, MTG director, Napier City Council, Napier, at a press conference re findings of the MTG Hawke's Bay Review.
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Mum said we could
Sheep in a winter feed crop, SH2, Central Hawke's Bay
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Hot as, for winter that is
L-R: Rawinia Woods, Napier, Terewai Elkington, Napier, out enjoying the warm weather at lunchtime in the Hastings CBD. MetService recorded Hastings temperature between 15.9 and 16.7 degrees during the shoot. At day-end, Hawke's Bay recorded the warmest weather in NZ, 17.4 degrees, against Tuesday's forecast of a cold change and 14 degrees.
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Heart and Soul
L-R: Te Whakoata Lauder, Meiata Nepia-Nearangione, Pita Awheto, Irongate School, Flaxmere, Hastings - Matariki Festival, performances and games organised by students at William Colenso College, Napier.
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Fun and games
Second right: Devaan Stuart-Gray, William Colenso College, plays Tititorea, a stick game - Matariki Festival, performances and games organised by students at William Colenso College, Napier.
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Hawke's Bay Today Photo Sales

Quips & Quotes

Fulton J. Sheen: Moral principles do not depend on a majority vote. Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is wrong. Right is right, even if nobody is right.

Living the Dream

"Girl who grew up heavily involved in occult service got to the end of herself in her 20’s and decided to end her life. On her way to kill herself she whispers ‘Jesus.’ She then put a 9mm gun to her head and pulled the trigger. The gun fired but there was not a single hole. She fell to her knees and gave her life to Jesus.

Later she had an encounter with Jesus showing her around Heaven. She asked Him His three favourite places to be with His people – with the Father, with the beauty of creation and then He showed her a picture of a dirty bathroom with drug addicts and alcoholics. She told this testimony at a Jesus Culture event and hundreds of young people began running to the front, dropping to their knees, weeping in repentance and reconnection with the Father. South Africa, March 2012"

Living the Dream, a series of true and verified stories of real people who have encountered God for themselves and have learnt to apply His principles in their normal everyday world, sourced from Dream Culture: Bringing your Dreams to Life

My World

Inside a triangulation station

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

Cluster's Last Stand

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

Winter warmer

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

Fowls feast in Longlands

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

Rural relics? Nah, not yet...

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

Spice of Life

My choice from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today J
(including at times, photos for the Napier Courier, the Hastings Leader
the Havelock North Village Press and/or The Link)

Crafty

L-R: Kete, by Joy Carran; Putiputi, by Joy Carran; Kete, by Meri Irving - Matariki, an exhibition at Hastings Community Arts Centre, Hastings
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Let's amalgamate!
Making a personal submission: Chris Tremain, National MP, Napier electorate, previously Minister of Local Government, speaking to his personal submission supporting amalgamation, to the Local Government Commission, in the Napier City Council chambers, Napier
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Umbrella problems
School patrol outside Onekawa School, Kennedy Rd, Napier - rain, wet weather
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Questions
Centre: Ken Sutheland, CEO, Unison, asks a question about electricity - David Parker, deputy leader, finance spokesperson, shadow attorney-general,  Labour Party, speaking at a breakfast at Ten Twenty Four, Hastings, hosted by Anna Lorck, candidate, Tukituki electorate.
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Visionary
Syd Watters, Napier, veteran property developer, outside Bower House, Bower St, Napier, one of his properties.
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Swollen rivers
Ngaruroro River, photographed from Chesterhope Bridge, Pakowhai - before and after just a few days of rain
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Hot stuff
Volunteer firefighters from Taradale and Napier burned a derelict house in Swamp Rd, Puketapu, as a training exercise, setting it alight and extinguishing the fire room by room.
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Train lover
Oliver Moody, 4, Napier, product by Rochfort Woodturning, Havelock North - The Great Winter Warm-Up Craft Market, Army Drill Hall, Coote Rd, Napier
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Hawke's Bay Today Photo Sales

Quips & Quotes

Suz Pearse: The level of morality in the church is the level of anointing.

Living the Dream

"Prison chaplain arrived home about 9pm to receive a call from his colleague saying a newly admitted inmate had been found dead in his cell as a result of hanging himself. Colleague said to chaplain "I believe God is saying you need to go pray for him." Chaplain said "No way." After 'discussing' this further Chaplain hesitantly decided to go.

By the time he arrived at the prison hospital the inmate had been dead well over 45mins but they had hooked him up to life support system as part of prison policy until next of kin is notified. The life support system showed no signs of life. Chaplain walked up to guard outside infirmary who asked him why he was here. "To pray for the inmate." "Why? He's dead!" "I know." Guard shook his head and let chaplain into infirmary. Nurse inside then asked the same question and again shook her head at chaplains response and dubiously observed him as he went up to inmate lying lifeless on the metal table.

Chaplain reached over and put one finger on inmates forehead. It felt like granite - stone cold. He then said "God, give him a second chance." He expected him to jump up but nothing happened. Chaplain turned to see nurse and guard watching and shaking their heads. Chaplain then went home embarrassed but at least feeling like he was obedient.

Approximately 2am the phone went. It was the prison excitedly reporting that the inmate suddenly came to life and all functions were working perfectly. Chaplain went in to see the inmate and told him what happened. Inmate responded by giving his 'second' life to Jesus. Twenty five years later, Chaplain still receives letters from people who have gotten to know Jesus as a result of the inmates testimony. Daniel. Portland"

 

Living the Dream, a series of true and verified stories of real people who have encountered God for themselves and have learnt to apply His principles in their normal everyday world, sourced from Heaven in Business

My World

Splashes of green

Near a maize crop in rural Havelock North

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

Nonconformist

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

Tell it straight, Mr Cunliffe

It worries me how easily people will throw their support behind party leaders from either side of the political spectrum, without first checking what they have to say on any given topic.

It irritates me that our political leaders -  and those who report and commentate - think we're all so gullible that we won't check the facts.

And it angers me that those we trust - and want to trust, and need to be able to trust - are less than straight up, and some are just plain dishonest.

I was going to have a bit of fun with this ad I found on Facebook...

especially when I noted this in the comments...

Good for a good bit of light-hearted digging in the ribs, I thought.

But as the evening went on, I got to thinking about how David Cunliffe had introduced the post:

"The Government no longer has the numbers to pass the Employment Relations Amendment Bill. Under the proposed law, even the right to a tea break would have been cut!"

And, looking through the other comments, a lot of people were upset and right behind Mr Cunliffe for bringing the evil doings of the National Party to light.

How did I feel about it? To give a bit of background, I struggled through four years of, to put it politely, decidedly unpleasant negotiations after National introduced the Employment Contracts Act in 1991. Our national award was wiped out and the company I was working for at the time offered us an entry-level contract with many of the existing conditions slashed and insisted they were doing us a favour.

I pretty much hated the Act, though I could never quite figure whether my local managers genuinely believed they were offering us an excellent deal, or whether they were simply running the company line from their bosses in head office. Either way, a huge amount of goodwill was destroyed.

Back to today, quite frankly, if National were now planning to wipe out my rights to a smoko, that would be a biggie. While it's still not unusual for me to work an eight or 10-hour shift without a decent break, give-and-take and all that, there is some comfort in the knowledge that I can take a break if I want to. How dare you screw me any more than you already have!

But having seen a few other yeah-nah Labour announcements, I thought I'd check the facts and after spending a couple of hours in research, I found that once again, the truth was a long way from the two-second sound-bite.

There was of course a huge diversity of opinion, from politicians, reporters, columnists, professional commentators and unions. I've listed some of them below, and it's interesting to note the various ways of spinning the same story: (I've listed them in order of severity, but if that's too much reading, just read the first and the last.)

Cunliffe on Facebook: "...Under the proposed law, even the right to a tea break would have been cut!..." (source)

 

Helen Kelly, CTU president: "...They are also removing the tea break and lunch break..." (source) (Insert unprintable response)

 

A reporter's unattributed intro: "...Leaving your desk to stretch your legs, or popping out for a bite of lunch, could soon be outlawed..." (source) (Say What ????!!!!)

 

ONE NEWS: "...[The Government] could have got rid of the traditional smoko break..." (source) (could have?)

 

Paul Watson, First Union: "...put access to meal and rest breaks at risk ..." (source)

 

John Armstrong, NZ Herald: "...Employers will effectively be able to dictate the timing ..." (source) (Oh right, so it's just the timing, but it's still a dictate....)

 

Stuff: "... dictate conditions such as the timing of coffee breaks..." (source)

Anna Wallace, Wanganui Chronicle: "...an employer may impose restrictions ... where it is "reasonable and necessary..." (source) (I see two qualifiers there)

 

Audrey Young, NZ Herald: "...relaxes rules on meal and tea breaks..." (source)

Newstalk ZB: "...relaxes the rule on tea breaks..." (source) (Ok, so it's just a loosening up)

 

Kim Campbell, NZ Herald: "... also requires that these breaks are actually provided..." (source) (Aha, so I do get my smoko!)

Business NZ chief executive Phil O'Reilly: "... restore the give-and-take that existed ... before the Labour Government regulated rest breaks in 2008..." (source)

 

Simon Bridges, Minister of Labour: "The Bill relaxes the current over-prescriptive and often unworkable provisions ... the Bill does not override any requirements for breaks under other legislation, notably the Health and Safety in Employment Act. ... the Bill continues to protect the rights of employees ..." (source)

And here's the real reality, from a source who as far as I know doesn't have an axe to grind:

 

Mary-Jane Thomas, a partner at Preston Russell Law, in her column in The Southland Times: "... an employer may impose restrictions on employees' breaks where it is "reasonable and necessary" ... provided that the parties can agree to reasonable compensatory measures (such as finishing work earlier to make up for breaks not taken), and to the extent that ... the employer cannot reasonably provide adequate breaks ... employers are exempt from providing rest and meal breaks..." (source)

So in a nutshell, Mr Cunliffe, it was you, and not National, who threatened my smoko breaks and those of your 12, 359 followers on Facebook. My right to a tea break was never at risk, and you have misled me. The sad fact is, I don't have two hours to spend on all your utterances and next time I suspect I'll be less inclined to believe you.

Please Mr Cunliffe, when you next make a statement, do us all a favour, and tell it straight!

My World

Wow, what an awesome playhouse!

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

Seagulls looking for lunch in Ahuriri, Napier

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

When a picture says it better than police or politicians...

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

Spice of Life

My choice from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today J
(including at times, photos for the Napier Courier, the Hastings Leader
the Havelock North Village Press and/or The Link)

Legal drifting
Graham Featherstone, competing in the last stage of the Hawke's Bay Rally, at the Hawke's Bay Car Club, Bridge Pa, Hastings
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Just a blur
Nigel Adams, competing in the last stage of the Hawke's Bay Rally, at the Hawke's Bay Car Club, Bridge Pa, Hastings
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Petrol-heads
Keen photographers record the last stage of the Hawke's Bay Rally, at the Hawke's Bay Car Club, Bridge Pa, Hastings
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Community stalwart
Eileen von Dadelszen QSM, Havelock North, awarded the Queen's Service Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours - read her story here
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Red pullover
Red police car stops a motorist on SH5 in Queen's Birthday Weekend holiday traffic
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Misty hills
Power pylon and powerlines on SH5, near Te Pohue
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Happy kids
Korurangi Morehu, 2, Flaxmere, playing on the swings at Flaxmere Park, Flaxmere, Hastings, in the cool but sunny winter weather
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Century celebrated
L-R: Migao Lauano, with his brother Johnny Lauano, Napier Old Boys Marist, training at Park Island, Napier, who plays his 100th game of premier rugby this weekend.
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Giving it all
Tessa Rao - Delayed Resonance, Iona College band, playing near the Havelock North iSite, promo for the Smokefree Rockquest regional finals
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Action Man
Miles John, Napier City Rovers soccer team
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Hawke's Bay Today Photo Sales

 

 

Quips & Quotes

Rick Warren: Don’t let yesterday’s famine rob you of today’s feast.

Living the Dream

"Woman moved to Redding two years ago and started following the blog of a leading photographer. Her dream was to have a photo shoot with the photographer but the cost was way outside her ability. Two years later she received a random PERSONAL phone call FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER saying “We were looking back on who has commented the most on our blog and you have, by far, been the most encouraging. We would like to thank you by giving you a free photo-shoot.”"

Living the Dream, a series of true and verified stories of real people who have encountered God for themselves and have learnt to apply His principles in their normal everyday world, sourced from Dream Culture: Bringing your Dreams to Life

My World

Havelock North Town Clock

on top of the former Transformer House, which now houses the iSITE and Super Loos

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

Past its "Use By."

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

The University of Whakatu

aka Hawke's Bay Farmers Meat Company
(my first paid job when I first came to Hastings)

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website

My World

The Ruahine Range at twilight

(Now that's a real hill, Te Mata Peak J)

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay J

dbp website