In the news

I subscribe to the local paper the Nelson Mail: A couple of the newstories today: 1) "Quake recovery agency settled"- the earthquake support subsidies go until April 18th and then stop- for employers the $500 a week payment for each full time employee goes down to $375 a week, then $250 a week. For employees the job loss cover payment would be replaced with a top up payment for those still out of work ($50 /week for a single person to $110 per week for a couple with kids) 2) 6 in 10 kiwis hate their jobs- or can't be bothered with them according to a Leadership Management Australasia survey. Apparently almost one in five of these are at the business leader or senior manager level, and 20% of the work force is actively looking for a different role. My comments- the Christchurch earthquake is not in the news much anymore, but its impacts are far from over. We'll hear more in the May budget about government reactions. Its tentacles will go far from insurance changes to rebuilding efforts to the already introduced interest rate cuts. It probably also helped more of us get our emergency kits together. Re: the job survey, I'm not surprised about the result. A lot of people are working to live, not living to work. But it's a shame to have to dislike something where you spend so large a portion of your time. Outside the news, it's starting to feel like winter is approaching with some much cooler mornings of late. Our clocks change this coming weekend. I'm not looking forward to winter... It will start to make horseback riding after work a challenge- and things won't get better for another 6 months. Percy B. Shelley penned "O wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind". I think its easier to find encouragement in that pearl of wisdom a few months from now heading out of winter, instead of into it.