Wednesday, June 29, 2011
New Zealand Mountain Film Festival
Ah, we are so proud of our clients Jo and Mark Sedon for absolutely acing this years Mountain Film Fest!
Wanaka will be hosting the 2011 New Zealand Mountain Film Festival from July 1st through 5th. There will be a varied schedule of events, including International and NZ made film competitions and excellent grand prizes.
Stop in for a viewing of the film finalist, awards night with films, winning film previews and live music, NZ & International Guest speakers, film workshops, an adventure gear trade show, art exhibition, heaps of giveaway and of course, lots of general socializing.
The main festival venue is the Lake Wanaka Centre at 89 Ardmore Street Tickets can be purchased from $79. Stop buy and check out some local work, support your fellow filmmakers out there.
It’s got your name on it…literally
We’ve got the Internet. We check our emails on our fly-phones and our crack-berries. We communicate in nano-seconds. We are living through technology of the future. With all this time spent looking forward, have we forgotten the little ghosts of business past that will stand as the immortal staples of networking?
I’m talking about a little piece of card stock with your name on it. That’s right. Business cards.
We’ve come a long way from the standard black and white rectangle with a name, office number and address. The business cards of today are incorporating modern creativity and technology into clever and memorable pieces of art.
Here, take a look at 100 fresh, innovative and brilliantly designed business cards that make a lasting impression. Who knows, in 20 years we may be exchanging info subconsciously through mindreading droids on the Deathstar…but until then, here is a little inspiration for yourself and your business.
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/05/100-really-creative-business-cards/
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Peace of mind: financial security for your children.
Marg found this article and liked the look of it, we thought we would post it for your reading pleasure, thanks Rabo Direct!
Submitted by Diana Clement on Friday, 1 April 2011 | Category: Managing your money
It’s every parent’s dream: Their child will be happy and healthy throughout their lives. That includes the offspring being financially secure.
But parents have very different ways of going about it – all of which can be valid if applied to the right children. Their strategies don’t always involve raining money done on the kids.
Some parents believe in giving every opportunity from day one. That includes everything from music lessons for pre-schoolers down to maths tuition at school. The idea is that they’ll find a talent to develop from which they’ll earn a good income.
Others believe that teaching resilience is more important than anything. A resilient child will grow into a well-rounded adult capable of standing on his or her own financial feet.
Then there’s the trust fund brigade who believe that providing the children with a trust fund to buy whatever they need when they need it is providing for the children’s financial security. I’m not convinced on this one because it makes some children feel entitled and unsatisfied with whatever they receive .
Leaving a bequest. Leaving money directly to the children in a Will or to a testamentary trust makes some sense. That way you leave something for the next generation. Yet because you might live to 100 or lose it all in rest home fees, the children still have to plan their own financial future.
Cutting the kids loose. There’s yet another belief that giving the kids a good education, then cutting the purse strings will make financially responsible adults of children. Like every approach this does work for some children. But both nature and nurture make children react differently to their financial circumstances and no one approach will work for all.
Teaching them the financial facts of life. A brand new book Gold Start. Teaching your children about money is well worth the $34.99 price tag. The book by Kiwi financial planner Andrew Lendnal has hundreds of ideas of how to teach your little ones about money with fun family activities. There’s even a quiz and some Monkey See Monkey Do mistakes that parents should avoid.
For children to be financially secure, it’s essential for parents to make sure that they’re setting a good example. That means spending within their means and also setting financial goals and achieving them. If little Johnny sees mum and dad buying everything they want on tic and not budgeting, he or she will follow suit.
If you want your family to be financially secure, it’s a very good idea to make sure you have adequate insurance cover. Most Kiwis are three months from bankruptcy. Anyone can lose his or her job or fall sick with a serious illness. It happens to people every day.
Most people need sufficient life insurance to ensure their spouses or partners can survive financially in their absence. It can also be a good idea to have critical illness cover and even redundancy cover for the mortgage at least.
Submitted by Diana Clement on Friday, 1 April 2011 | Category: Managing your money
It’s every parent’s dream: Their child will be happy and healthy throughout their lives. That includes the offspring being financially secure.
But parents have very different ways of going about it – all of which can be valid if applied to the right children. Their strategies don’t always involve raining money done on the kids.
Some parents believe in giving every opportunity from day one. That includes everything from music lessons for pre-schoolers down to maths tuition at school. The idea is that they’ll find a talent to develop from which they’ll earn a good income.
Others believe that teaching resilience is more important than anything. A resilient child will grow into a well-rounded adult capable of standing on his or her own financial feet.
Then there’s the trust fund brigade who believe that providing the children with a trust fund to buy whatever they need when they need it is providing for the children’s financial security. I’m not convinced on this one because it makes some children feel entitled and unsatisfied with whatever they receive .
Leaving a bequest. Leaving money directly to the children in a Will or to a testamentary trust makes some sense. That way you leave something for the next generation. Yet because you might live to 100 or lose it all in rest home fees, the children still have to plan their own financial future.
Cutting the kids loose. There’s yet another belief that giving the kids a good education, then cutting the purse strings will make financially responsible adults of children. Like every approach this does work for some children. But both nature and nurture make children react differently to their financial circumstances and no one approach will work for all.
Teaching them the financial facts of life. A brand new book Gold Start. Teaching your children about money is well worth the $34.99 price tag. The book by Kiwi financial planner Andrew Lendnal has hundreds of ideas of how to teach your little ones about money with fun family activities. There’s even a quiz and some Monkey See Monkey Do mistakes that parents should avoid.
For children to be financially secure, it’s essential for parents to make sure that they’re setting a good example. That means spending within their means and also setting financial goals and achieving them. If little Johnny sees mum and dad buying everything they want on tic and not budgeting, he or she will follow suit.
If you want your family to be financially secure, it’s a very good idea to make sure you have adequate insurance cover. Most Kiwis are three months from bankruptcy. Anyone can lose his or her job or fall sick with a serious illness. It happens to people every day.
Most people need sufficient life insurance to ensure their spouses or partners can survive financially in their absence. It can also be a good idea to have critical illness cover and even redundancy cover for the mortgage at least.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Round Em Up!
More than 30 countries will today officially sign up to the New Zealand-led Global Research Alliance on agricultural greenhouse gases at a Ministerial Summit in Rome. The Alliance brings together countries with a mutual interest in researching ways to produce more food while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The inaugural ministerial meeting to formally approve the Charter, or working methods of the Alliance, will be chaired by International Climate Change Negotiations Minister, Tim Groser. Agriculture Minister David Carter leads the New Zealand delegation.
Mr Groser said member countries have responded to the Alliance as an important approach to some pressing global challenges.
"Agriculture plays a vital role in food security, poverty reduction and sustainable development. But the sector is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as well as facing the challenge of increasing global food demand while reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
"The reality is that globally, not enough research has been focused on reducing agricultural greenhouse gases, compared to other sectors such as energy and transport. The Alliance changes this.
"I am pleased that since New Zealand and 20 other countries launched the Alliance in Copenhagen 18 months ago, at least another dozen countries have joined our commitment to accelerate the international research effort," Mr Groser says.
Mr Carter said the initial work of the Alliance's Research Groups had already led to a better understanding of agricultural mitigation research efforts in member countries, and to an increase in international co-operation.
"We now have a good understanding of the emissions mitigation research priorities for livestock, cropping and paddy rice production systems - and clear work programmes to support these."
Mr Carter also emphasised New Zealand's significant investment in the Alliance, both through hosting of the Alliance secretariat and co-leadership of the Alliance's Livestock Research Group, and through funding of emissions-mitigation research, particularly for pastoral livestock production systems.
"It is exciting that New Zealand researchers are now connected to a network of scientists from over 30 countries, all focused on finding practical, on-farm solutions that will reduce agricultural emissions," Mr Carter says.
Originally published by the New Zealand Government, 24 June, 2011
The inaugural ministerial meeting to formally approve the Charter, or working methods of the Alliance, will be chaired by International Climate Change Negotiations Minister, Tim Groser. Agriculture Minister David Carter leads the New Zealand delegation.
Mr Groser said member countries have responded to the Alliance as an important approach to some pressing global challenges.
"Agriculture plays a vital role in food security, poverty reduction and sustainable development. But the sector is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as well as facing the challenge of increasing global food demand while reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
"The reality is that globally, not enough research has been focused on reducing agricultural greenhouse gases, compared to other sectors such as energy and transport. The Alliance changes this.
"I am pleased that since New Zealand and 20 other countries launched the Alliance in Copenhagen 18 months ago, at least another dozen countries have joined our commitment to accelerate the international research effort," Mr Groser says.
Mr Carter said the initial work of the Alliance's Research Groups had already led to a better understanding of agricultural mitigation research efforts in member countries, and to an increase in international co-operation.
"We now have a good understanding of the emissions mitigation research priorities for livestock, cropping and paddy rice production systems - and clear work programmes to support these."
Mr Carter also emphasised New Zealand's significant investment in the Alliance, both through hosting of the Alliance secretariat and co-leadership of the Alliance's Livestock Research Group, and through funding of emissions-mitigation research, particularly for pastoral livestock production systems.
"It is exciting that New Zealand researchers are now connected to a network of scientists from over 30 countries, all focused on finding practical, on-farm solutions that will reduce agricultural emissions," Mr Carter says.
Originally published by the New Zealand Government, 24 June, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Something borrowed, something new
New Zealand seeks better debt blend: The New Zealand Debt Management Office is borrowing extra money now to have a better blend of long-term debt and lower borrowing costs in the future, treasurer Phil Combes says.
Some of the borrowing is being placed in an on-call account with the Reserve Bank to be used to pay off about $8 billion of bond debt which rolled over on November 15, he said.
Those bonds were issued in 1999 and came to maturity this year, 12 years later.
"We are borrowing ahead ready to fund that debt maturity," Mr Combes said.
"We have been issuing that particular debt for a long time. "At times, it was at higher interest rates than they are today." The Government has been under fire this week with claims from Labour deputy leader Annette King and the Council of Trade
Unions for borrowing more than it needs to service current liabilities. Finance Minister Bill English said the Government was borrowing an extra $5 billion this year to take advantage of good interest rates.
Mr Combes said the debt office was issuing bonds - government debt - for the next eight to 10 years that would fall due between 2019 and 2021.
Borrowing had increased in the past three or four months as interest rates had become favourable.
"We are locking in interest rates for those eight to 10 years, giving us a benefit for that period of time. That's the dominant thinking in my mind."Saving 1% in interest on a $7.6 billion debt over eight to 10 years is a significant saving. That's what people are overlooking," he said.
Craigs Investment Partners broker Peter McIntyre said the debt office was "topping up" while it could.
The interest rate environment was benign and there was unlikely to be much movement before the first quarter of next year.
The old adage was that when interest rates were low, you borrowed as much as you could for as long as you could. When rates were high, you borrowed as little as you could for as short as you could, Mr McIntyre said.
There was high demand in the world for New Zealand government debt and the debt management office was taking advantage of the country's strong fiscal position in a global market.
"This is something we should be pleased about as it lowers the cost of government debt servicing," he said.
Mr English said that throughout last year, the Government had borrowed around $300 million a week and was borrowing more now.
"We've been quite open about the fact that we have been borrowing more than we need, particularly over the last three or four months, when the conditions have been favourable."
From July onwards, new borrowing would drop down to $100 million a week on average over the next three years, he said.
Mr Combes said the debt management office had a mix of options available to it when it borrowed.
Apart from the on-call account with the Reserve Bank, the office had the ability to invest by drawing down cash and buying securities in other markets.
The office bought five-year bonds, for instance, in a lot of banks, including some super-national debt through the World Bank.
"We look for very high credit rating and don't go past AA. In the past we have bought other sovereign debt provided the credit rating is high enough.
"We need a very high credit rating and be confident we will get our money back," he said.
New Zealand had not bought any debt from the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain), Mr Combes hastened to add.
Originally Published by The Otago Times, By Dene Mackenzie on 11 Jun 2011
Some of the borrowing is being placed in an on-call account with the Reserve Bank to be used to pay off about $8 billion of bond debt which rolled over on November 15, he said.
Those bonds were issued in 1999 and came to maturity this year, 12 years later.
"We are borrowing ahead ready to fund that debt maturity," Mr Combes said.
"We have been issuing that particular debt for a long time. "At times, it was at higher interest rates than they are today." The Government has been under fire this week with claims from Labour deputy leader Annette King and the Council of Trade
Unions for borrowing more than it needs to service current liabilities. Finance Minister Bill English said the Government was borrowing an extra $5 billion this year to take advantage of good interest rates.
Mr Combes said the debt office was issuing bonds - government debt - for the next eight to 10 years that would fall due between 2019 and 2021.
Borrowing had increased in the past three or four months as interest rates had become favourable.
"We are locking in interest rates for those eight to 10 years, giving us a benefit for that period of time. That's the dominant thinking in my mind."Saving 1% in interest on a $7.6 billion debt over eight to 10 years is a significant saving. That's what people are overlooking," he said.
Craigs Investment Partners broker Peter McIntyre said the debt office was "topping up" while it could.
The interest rate environment was benign and there was unlikely to be much movement before the first quarter of next year.
The old adage was that when interest rates were low, you borrowed as much as you could for as long as you could. When rates were high, you borrowed as little as you could for as short as you could, Mr McIntyre said.
There was high demand in the world for New Zealand government debt and the debt management office was taking advantage of the country's strong fiscal position in a global market.
"This is something we should be pleased about as it lowers the cost of government debt servicing," he said.
Mr English said that throughout last year, the Government had borrowed around $300 million a week and was borrowing more now.
"We've been quite open about the fact that we have been borrowing more than we need, particularly over the last three or four months, when the conditions have been favourable."
From July onwards, new borrowing would drop down to $100 million a week on average over the next three years, he said.
Mr Combes said the debt management office had a mix of options available to it when it borrowed.
Apart from the on-call account with the Reserve Bank, the office had the ability to invest by drawing down cash and buying securities in other markets.
The office bought five-year bonds, for instance, in a lot of banks, including some super-national debt through the World Bank.
"We look for very high credit rating and don't go past AA. In the past we have bought other sovereign debt provided the credit rating is high enough.
"We need a very high credit rating and be confident we will get our money back," he said.
New Zealand had not bought any debt from the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain), Mr Combes hastened to add.
Originally Published by The Otago Times, By Dene Mackenzie on 11 Jun 2011
Mountain Film Festival
Wanaka will be hosting the 2011 New Zealand Mountain Film Festival from July 1st through 5th. There will be a varied schedule of events, including International and NZ made film competitions and excellent grand prizes.
Stop in for a viewing of the film finalist, awards night with films, winning film previews and live music, NZ & International Guest speakers, film workshops, an adventure gear trade show, art exhibition, heaps of giveaway and of course, lots of general socializing.
The main festival venue is the Lake Wanaka Centre at 89 Ardmore Street Tickets can be purchased from $79. Stop buy and check out some local work, support your fellow filmmakers out there.
www.mountainfilm.net.nz
Air New Zealand gives a leg up
Air New Zealand wants to help cheer up those affected by the recent situation in Christchurch. Here are the deets: Air NZ offered a round-the-world ticket for two to the person who could stand on one leg the longest.
It sounded tough, but as bad weather threatened, organisers decided to make it a little bit tougher. After several rule changes and four hours, 10 minutes into the stand-off a young engineering student was the last man standing.
“I'm very glad they chose to do eyes closed otherwise I wouldn't have lasted,” says winner Claude Meffan.
The event could have gone all night otherwise. More than 100 people took part, but they all fell, perhaps put off by the world record time of four days.
Talk about a stand off. We commend Air New Zealand on their positivity and continued support of Christchurch.
Originally published by 3 News on S11 Jun 2011 6:29P.M., By Jeff Hampton
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