News 
The Press-News column Feb 3
Taking Self-service to a whole new level. Are self-service checkouts tempting a lot of shoppers to turn into opportunist thieves? The latest British consumer behaviour study reveals 20% of shoppers regularly go rogue and rort the self-scanning system. In the USA, two grocery chains have recently ditched the DIY checkouts, on the back of mass-pilfering…. Read More ›
The Press-News column Jan 28
Christchurch Stadium Storm Clouds. The Crusaders have their first hit-out next week with a fresh Super Rugby season fast approaching. But with billowing concerns over the city council’s financial health and a gaping shortfall in anticipated insurance proceeds, does the stadium anchor project find itself on a particularly sticky wicket? Under the binding cost-sharing agreement… Read More ›
The Press- News column Jan 21
Beware the Parking Warden Even at the best of times, parking wardens struggle to muster much public affection. Parking wardens have the redoubtable ability to turn mild, self-respecting adults into bug-eyed, foam-flecking, capillary-popping balls of fury. Of course, many wardens have been assigned to suburbia with their ticket books, post-quake. But lately, a swag of… Read More ›
The Press -News column Jan 14
Clear line between tagging and art. The Rise exhibition at Canterbury Museum and the complementary street art around the city centre have injected a welcome dollop of urban verve and colour into the Christchurch summer. They have been deservedly embraced by many residents, with the museum’s exhibition proving a runaway success. But let’s not blur… Read More ›
The Press-News column Dec 17
Working under the Sun. Question: How can you tell the difference between a construction worker and road worker in Christchurch? Answer: Every road worker must wear full-length clothing at all times, regardless of the weather. In stark contrast to the road crews, the vast bulk of tradespeople working in my neighbourhood are wearing as little… Read More ›
The Press-News column. Dec 10
Valuing Teachers. On Friday, a spirited group of Canterbury school principals invited me along to their Christmas luncheon. Given I was strapped in my first year at primary school and caned in my last week at high school, I developed an intimate appreciation for a school’s desire to uphold order and high standards. The conversation… Read More ›
The Press- News column Nov 26
Forte Health a Force for Good. The reincarnation of the Oxford Clinic as Forte Health, a super-charged, short-stay hospital facility in Christchurch, should be warmly welcomed. Forte’s foray into the heady world of private hospital care is clearly ruffling the feathers of the established players, St. Georges and Southern Cross, but the addition of four… Read More ›
The Press- News column Nov 19
Have you been Phubbed lately? As a regular on-the-go user of social media, its immediacy and informality is undeniably enjoyable. I like to dip in and out of it, principally for work-related activity. But I could never imagine becoming a slave to it. Nor do I understand why for many people, every murmur, every muse,… Read More ›
The Press- News column Nov 12
Demonising Oil and Gas. Remember back in the late ‘70s, the fashionable wisdom was the world’s oil reserves were rapidly running out? I distinctly recall my primary school teacher lecturing our classroom about it, in excitably apocalyptic tones. She scared the bejesus out of us. ( I also recall she frequently chomped on sandwiches over-stuffed… Read More ›
The Press-News Column Nov 5
Rough Ride on Christchurch Roads How would you rate the state of road repairs in your neighbourhood? According to SCIRT, a fifth of the city’s roading work programme has been completed, with nearly 300,000 square metres of road pavement now laid. Yet, from my observations, I think you’d have better luck staking out an un-etched… Read More ›
Mike Yardley News and Travel 