I became increasingly agitated as I heard news about the big car company execs who cut their salaries to $1 a year… After withdrawing many millions in salaries for the past few years and not to mention the bonuses they will probably pay themselves regardless.

Marie-Claire appears to agree with how I believed the way the world worked:

If you are a CEO, you have to EARN the big bucks.

I have no problem whatsoever with massive salaries. If one person can contribute that much value to a business, they deserve to be rewarded.

But when they DON’T add that value, and drive the company into the ground… They should GIVE THE MONEY BACK (I would say ‘not take it in the first place’, but these people appear to pay themselves in advance) AND they should be fired.

I am wondering if we have moved into a parallel universe. If you are a CEO and you make a habit of letting companies go to the dogs, you should NOT BE A CEO. I’ve even seen this on a smaller scale, with people who are clearly not CEO material being given numerous breaks, and CEO style salaries… while doing a continuously bad job running the ship.

It’s plain stupid that we now expect salaries to be dis-jointed from performance. The label ‘CEO’ alone does not justify a salary.

I think I finally understood how cool technology was yesterday, when I realised I had to do some internet stuff halfway home on a 7 hour drive.

I just plugged in my Vodem and got on with it… in the car! Then got distracted looking at pictures of Obama.

Back int he office today. I do enjoy my massive screen, but it’s not quite as cool as working form a laptop under the stars while everyone around me is either getting drunk or playing beach cricket :)

So even though everyone told me I didn’t have it in me. I managed to actually get my act together and work from the beach.

I am now convinced on the open plan thing. Abolish offices altogether.

My current schedule:

7.30am – Dragged out of bed by my father to walk 5kms (and by ‘walk’ I mean virtually run… As anyone who has ever seen a Ferguson ‘walk’ will attest to)

9am – Arrive back to my mother cooking me breakfast, grab a trashy magazine and sunglasses and collapse.

9.40am – Open computer, face barrage of questions and emails. Get ready to respond to all and try to figure out where we are all at.

9.45am – Feel much more relaxed now I am aware that Kelle and Emma have answered everything already

10am – start working on some websites

11.30am – go shopping for Mother of Bride outfits for Mum.

2pm – Make wraps out of all the fresh produce they have here. Get back into it.

4pm – Go for run. Get ‘run rage’ at the rubbish on beach. Pick up rubbish and attempt to run with it.

5pm – Radler and computer in hand while the men converge around BBQs and start cooking roast beef and all the trimmings.

7.30pm – Moved onto wine. Computer still running, very productive, unable to walk.

Ahhh, New Zealand summers, why on earth would you go anywhere else on this planet!!!???

The guys at Read Write Web just wrote a post discussing the tendency to become obsessed with WHY people who you have never met, never will meet and know only through internet applications like Twitter, UNFRIEND you.

In real life, we have it easy. There are only so many mistakes you can make.

But on the internet, especially if you are into joining every social networking application you come across, you could wind up with severe emotional issues as to why and how you became so uninteresting, random strangers no longer want to ‘follow’ you.

I know I fight the urge to frantically read through all recent posts if my total reader numbers dip a little. I am convinced I can change for you. Become a better, more interesting, more exciting person if only you would come back and be my friend.

I have so far managed to get over it, but it does raise a good, if somewhat amusing point! As displayed in RWW, our obsessions with internet friends is clearly leading to a downward spiral that may spread into REAL WORLD INTERACTION (see below)

Yup. So far a total of 4 working days completed at the office, and another two before I pack away my Vodem and laptop and head to another beach (This time Mt Maunganui).

Have just completed another Hawkes Bay trip, where once again Amy and I blatantly ignored the warnings of others, bought and ate too much cheese then complained to everyone about how much we had eaten. This is starting to become a tradition. We also bought paddling pools, Pimms and played a round of mini putt putt.

The Hawkes Bay is heaven to the likes of me.

Despite all this swanning around, the new year has kicked off with a bang! I’m pleased the internet hasn’t gone down with the recession.

I just read Rowan Simpson’s post recounting his achievements for 2008.

I can see how Trademe did so well, if Rowan and co managed to get to that level of statistical detail for every aspect of the company… I only wish my brain would deal with numbers like that.

I feel like I have spent a lot of time dwelling on my successes last year. It was one of my best years yet and all started with me setting these goals:
1. Have fun
2. Keep it simple.

The net outcome is definitely a few more kilos, a liver that probably came close to going on strike and me barely ever being at home. 100% worth it, but I think it’s time to add a few more.

3. Take big risks. Business, life – Last year I took it easy, this year, I need to buck up my act.
4. Stress less. No more nightmares and panic attacks.
5. Do the 10km run that Claire wrote me a training schedule for (as a birthday present!!!!!)
6. Learn something new. It’s too easy to stick in my comfort zone.

Dying because someone drunk too much then got in their car, is in my opinion, one of the stupidest, most senseless ways to go. New Zealand, however, has a long spanning history of ‘she’ll be right’, which has resulted in us (I believe) having one of the highest drink-driving accident rates in the world.

I think we also have won awards for the anti-drink driving campaign that has been raging since 1987 (date is according to lance). The ads are sometimes so shocking that the likes of me are too scared to even drive on Friday/Saturday nights now.

Anyway so, apparently our road toll has been declining dramatically over the years, which is a sign that we have really changed our attitude as a country (and as someone who was recently involved in some social change marketing, I can tell you, that’s a really big deal).

However there is still a long way to go.

I was and am horrified at myself, after witnessing a prime example over the holidays. We were at a country pub, and a driver pulled up, one guy stumbled out of the car to get drinks and the driver remained behind the wheel. It was only when he opened his mouth to speak and could only deliver a mumbled monologue that was barely coherent, that we all realised he was well, well over his legal limit. He drove off.

And we did nothing.

We even went as far as discussing calling the police, but we never did. Which makes me think (aside from that I am a terrible person), that there is a further step we need to take here.

New Zealander’s are big on not getting all up in anyone else’s businesses. Social norms are that it’s bad to ‘dob’ people in – even if there is a risk of serious injury otherwise. It’ll be interesting how we continue to tackle that one. I for one, will never not do anything again.

But to end on a good note. Good job New Zealand. We’re improving. Maybe one day we wont have a half a page of the newspaper dedicated to drink driving convictions for one month.

As of yesterday, I am no longer in the first quarter century of my life.

This fact brings my parents great joy as they remind me that being unmarried with no kids at this age equals being “so far on the shelf they will move you to the storage closet”. Family.

For those who are interested I was born at 6pm on Jan 4th 1984. I WOULD have been born later except there were pressing trips coming for my dad and I was therefore induced to come early (I think this is why I am so adaptable in life now ;))

My current biggest fear is that the next big milestone is 30.

However, I got an awesome UNDERWATER video camera for the big day, so at least I can now record life while I’m reasonably young and can spend the looming geriatric years reminiscing.

Happy new year everyone. Hope your holidays were just as awesome as mine and that you are feeling just as awful as I am today back at the office ;)

Best christmas pressie of this year was my FIRST iPod (I know, unbelievable!)

The key deciding factors were:

1. That it was pink
2. That it was small
3. That it holds more songs than the mp3 player I got for christmas about 6 years ago.

Just set it up on my computer. Normally I’m a bit useless with technology, so it was a joyful surprise that it is literally as simple as plug and play.

Maybe one day, now that I have music, I might get started on my new fitness regime.

Hope everyone had a super christmas… Bring on the new year!!!!

I am one of those annoying people who loves christmas songs. I don’t care if you think they are cheesy, there is something to be said for the concept of feeling goodwill towards everyone and for there to be a day each year that we all forget our personal and global conflicts and focus instead on being nice.

As 2008 draws to an end, the world feels particularly in need of some christmas spirit. While some of us can still ignore the practicalities of a global recession, others are really stating to suffer. And with the likes of Obama spouting a new style of leadership that seems based more on compassion and understanding than winning and losing, maybe we could just manage to change our mindsets just a little towards all those things that are preached at christmas.

My favorite part of christmas day used to be walking along the waterfront and having every other family/walker wave and say ‘hello’. It always struck me that we would be a much happier society if that didn’t just happen one day a year.

As with anything though, all we can realistically ask for is one day a year, so I hope this year we really go for it on Christmas… And if you haven’t already, go Elf Yourself and your family. If you aren’t in hysterics halfway through, call yourself a Grinch and get over your bah humbugs.

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you have a wonderful time with friends and family and are spoilt rotten!!!!