What is Normal?

NZ ranked fourth in global economic freedom rankings By Michael Dickison 2:58 PM Tuesday Apr 13, 2010 New Zealand is the fourth most economically free country in the world, according to rankings released by a US think tank and the Wall Street Journal. The Heritage Foundation's annual economic freedom index was released last week, with New Zealand moving up one position from fifth to fourth. While the United States was downgraded from "free" to just "mostly free", the conservative think tank had almost nothing but praise for New Zealand. " New Zealand continues to be a global leader in economic freedom," it said. The index covers 10 freedoms, from property rights to entrepreneurship, in 183 countries. The foundation says it bases its idea of freedom on the ideas of economics' founding father, Adam Smith , and advocates free market policies. New Zealand scored 82.1 out of 100, making it one of just seven countries above 80 cl...

Motorcyclists were to blame for 70 per cent of all Auckland City crashes in which they were involved over the past five years....

I still don't understand why people don't understand the fact the Traffic Rules are not for your "convenience", they are to save your lives! I see everyday a total disregard for their own lives and others too. Its as if their motto in life is "I DON'T CARE". I don't care about my life or yours or my family's.  How else can one explain a bicyclist or a rickshaw puller jumping traffic lights, when all other cars, trucks, bikes are waiting for the lights to turn green! Almost everyone overtakes from the left! I have experimented this many times by leaving the right lane empty, people (cars, bikes, SUV's) still blare their horns and overtake from my left!!!!!!! My God! Will my surprise ever end? At this point I remember two quotes which may explain this paradox! "9 out of 10 people, and 99 out of 100 soldiers are fools" " The desire to die was my one and only concern; to it I have sacrificed everything, even death." -  Emile M...

No hard feelings, just some sun-burnt skin... from a visit to a hill station! This is not a joke; the last time I was sun-burnt, I was on the beaches of Goa, spending the entire day, half-naked, in the hot winters (New Year!) of Dec-Jan. Firstly, this is not a complaint, just a bit of information for the people who are used to calling Mussorie, Nainital, Shimla, etc as hill stations; they are usually cold or colder, but never HOT. yep, Mahabaleshwar is hot! really hot! ... and the best season to visit it is not summers! but monsoons and winters!!!! You will definitely enjoy the place, as we did, if you just remember that "Mahabaleshwar is not a hill station", its a nice tourist spot! We were a motley crowd, my wife, my sister, her friend, my wife's brother, and me. ... to be continued