Today we awoke to the bright sunshine of the Southern hemisphere, and a full schedule of people who wanted to meet us and share their slice of this wonderful land. The day began at the base of Mount Taranaki, where Greg and Judith Rupapera run Mount Taranaki Adventures, a biking […]
We joined Geoff Brown, Managing Director of the Longridge Fun Park for a spin on a jetboat up the Kiatuna river this morning. These 385 horsepower machines spin on a dime, and draw only about six inches of water. Both sides of this spring fed river were lined with prolific […]
Last night in Auckland we joined Gerry and Sally our hosts for a dinner in their home with some of their friends. John, a local painter, was there, along with another couple, Alan and Eileen. Alan works at the big Sky One tower, in finance, and Eileen is a therapist […]
The Sky City tower dominates Auckland’s skyline, and at night during Cup Week the spire is lit up with green and red spotlights. Wherever we are in Auckland we can see this giant tower.
With no scheduled meetings or sites we have to see, we were free to explore Ponsonby Road and the California-like neighborhood where we are staying. There are many small bungalows and stately early 1900s era buildings, and cool cafes and shops along this main thoroughfare. Before we set out, Proprietor […]
Our day in Marina del Rey began with a walk. A marathon walk all around the marina, we basked in the bright sunlight that has eluded us so long in our New England home. We walked and walked, and talked about our idea to come out here in February and […]
Richard Cohen writes a syndicated column for the Washington Post, and he wrote today about a true American hero: Al Gore. Like a billion others, I watched Al up there on the Oscar stage, and I agree with Cohen–Gore’s a winner, regardless of what happened back in 2000. “Now it […]
Today’s NY Times and Business Wire included an inspiring story about the largest leveraged buyout ever–and one that will benefit the environment, since it involves one of the biggest utility companies in the US. TXU corporation has agreed to be purchased by a team of private equity firms and abandon […]
Howard Schultz wrote a long memo last week that was described in a Wall Street Journal article about customer disenchantment with Starbucks. Schultz is the company’s chairman, and he warned fellow executives that all of the efficiencies brought on by their rapid growth has diluted the experience, and that they […]
The AP included a story today about a salesman has a pattern: he tells his bosses that his son has cancer or has died, and then goofs off for months. He’s done it three times, and this last episode landed him in court, he has to repay $50K. “Lancope Inc. […]
Jacylyn Stevenson is one of our favorite writers who is writing a feature about blogging for Business West Magazine. I was happy to speak with her again, she wrote a detailed story about the GoNOMAD travel website when we moved into our first office in town in 2004. I told […]
The cafe expansion is expanding people’s minds as our physical space has grown. It feels like now you can come inside and stretch your hands out by your sides and not still not feel crowded. Space, it seems, is good. I visited with my friends, brothers Darren and Sean Pierce, […]