by JAK | Jan 23, 2016 | culture, music
In the last year or so a number of friends and family have died. Part of it is I’m just at that decade when life catches up with some of them and while every life is different it kind of makes you stop and reflect on your own mortality too. I’m grateful...
by JAK | Jan 12, 2016 | culture, films
The dawn of a New Year is popular time for resolutions and other changes in outlook. A new year is like a new start and given that it coincides with holidays in many locations – having a few days to relax often helps to renew our outlook generally. For me it is...
by JAK | Nov 17, 2015 | culture, general business, industry futures
Recent research on 301 cities worldwide reveals that the major risk to future civilisation is in fact us. Market crash and human pandemic are the top two risks worldwide. The header image shows an “artists view” of a volcano in Auckland Harbour. (volcano...
by JAK | Nov 12, 2015 | big ideas, culture
I heard parts of this story on radio and wondered how it has not shown up as a major news story. Sadly I think U.S citizens have such low expectations of their government they expect such dire consequences or have super high expectations and don’t believe...
by JAK | Nov 10, 2015 | culture, development
The story below reads like some kind of awesomely bad joke. The government of a small country spends up large to bully a free lance journalist when all he has done is to tell an inconvenient truth. All of the $643k plus whatever they paid in other (non-disclosed)...
by JAK | Oct 29, 2015 | big ideas, culture, industry futures
Yesterday was the launch of the latest TIN100 results. The TIN100 is the top 100 of NZ’s high tech sectors. It includes a couple of larger companies such as F&P Appliances and Datacom alongside a wider number of software and IT services companies. New...
by JAK | Oct 13, 2015 | culture
I have just read Popski’s Private Army (PPA) about an extraordinary character who fought behind enemy lines in WW2. Popski – whose real name was Vladimir Peniakoff came across the NZ units in Egypt and a number of them were in his unit. Popski didn’t...
by JAK | Oct 6, 2015 | culture, industry futures
The much touted $ benefits are all tiny numbers at some future date – pretty much rounding errors. There may well be gains for some sunset type industries but on the IP side (sunrise) which is really the future of all business we have been handed another level...
by JAK | Sep 25, 2015 | culture, TED, TEDx
The other day I heard someone say that a particular person was their own worst enemy. An idea that is familiar to many of us. The good news is – that just as it is possible to talk oneself “down” it is also possible to do the opposite – to...
by JAK | Sep 16, 2015 | WordPress
Every few months I get invited / asked to have a look at an existing WordPress site with a view to me taking over WordPress support. Often they need WordPress rescue. Typically someone has setup a site a few years ago and after a while the original developer is lost...
