Stream of consciousness and other personal thoughts garnered throughout the week and which will be added to as the week rolls on. These thoughts are unrefined, unquantified, unverified, and raw. Any of these may be either be edited, deleted or otherwise spawn out into its own separate post particularly if new information comes to light…

• Haven’t posted a “Stream of Consciousness” post in over a year.

• Finally recovered fully from my first known bout of COVID-19. Came across as a mild / low-grade flu, but with an elongated tail lasting weeks in the form of a dry cough.

• AT Hop Card adult fares are too high. It’s also frustrating that Auckland City has remained so car dependent 20 years on. It’s like the powers to be really aren’t serious about tackling the transport crisis nor providing effective and reliable alternative transport options. All stick (SVL / bus lane fines, anti car measures), and little in the way of carrots to encourage model shift. I guess forcing people into car dependency helps with GDP by way of forcing people to spend on mechanics, car products and services, etc not to mention pinging the unwitting $150 bus lane fines as a form of income.

• Have come to the conclusion that most organizations are an omnishambles structurally under the hood to some level. Even charities / advocacy / volunteer organizations can be toxic environments to work.

• Yeah, people will try and gas-light and say otherwise and while I agree things aren’t as dire as they otherwise could be in New Zealand (with the so called gas lighters often drawing comparisons to third would countries), things could be a lot better than they are. I feel we are slowly slipping back socially and economically here in New Zealand, particularly compared to say 20 years ago. Main concern is there doesn’t seem to be anything to stop this current direction. Inequality sadly is likely to continue to accelerate as many people seem to be hooked on a steady diet of bread and circuses as opposed to engaging in the Civic process.

• Will also be reigning back some of the civic engagement / social advocacy a bit. I feel we’re too far along for me as an individual concerned citizen to affect change for common benefit and all I can do realistically do is hunker down and look after my own as it were. My patriotism in recent years has taken on sizeable damage. Upon dispensing with our egalitarianism, I feel we’ve lost a key part of our identity as a country.

• My will to travel overseas for a vacation remains low / non-existent. Have been trying to juice my interest in travel again, but it’s not working.  It’s more the cost of, the uncertainty of (in terms of dependability of services), and the general hassle of travel that continues to put me off traveling overseas.

• Have still been Hiking, but feel like I’m doing the same tracks over and over mainly as fitness maintenance. Will admit, It’s starting to become chore like. Really can’t be bothered doing things simply for the sake of ticking them off.

• Been pre-approved to buy another investment property, but given the current cashflow, not sure if I will be acting any time soon. Also the social stigma of (residential) property investing is starting to escalate and perhaps rightly so in many respects. Controversial as this may be, I feel we’ve had it too good for too long at the expense of wider society (Tax benefits afforded as investors over owner occupiers).

• The last election was a disappointment filled with disappointing policies and candidates. No one, and I mean no one showed any willingness to address the question I had regarding what they were going to do to tackle housing affordability and the social implications that come with continued ridiculously high home prices.

• Will admit that I haven’t felt genuine “Excitement” for some time. Elation may be, but that’s about it. Have met people, even older people who seem to be eternally optimistic, excited about the smallest things. I don’t believe I’m depressed, but perhaps “jaded”

 

 

Older Stream of Consciousness thoughts can be found here.