Quora: Is It Any Good?

Simple answer: it's not that good really. Quora is a question and answer site, and performing the same way Yahoo answers does. Not particularly innovative then, so to be successful Quora needed to have quality answers. Things started out well but then it went the way of all question and answer sites; the questions became inane and the answers poor in quality. Facts flew out the window.

I've provided a few answers on Quora but it is obvious which direction the site is headed in so I'll scale down the amount of time I spend there, maybe no time at all.

NBA 2018 Season

Early days, but so far my picks have been pretty good: https://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2018/10/nba-201819.html

My novel Basketball Obsession is still selling, a free Kindle version will be available tomorrow and the next day.

Leicester City Owner

The following article appeared in the Daily Mail UK:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6324847/Vichai-Srivaddhanaprabha-man-allowed-Leicester-dream.html

To Leicester City supporters, like me, he is the man who allowed us dream, to stand at the top of the mountain, and give hope to every other fan of every other club that anything is possible.

Snob's Guide to New Zealand - Selling in France

A nice surprise has been the sales of my new book in France. I have mentioned France and Frenchmen a few times in the book and this may have resulted in favourable search results within the Amazon platform. Over the weekend Snob's Guide to New Zealand was higher than Bill Bryson's Downunder, and Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf (the English translation).

The Kindle version can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J9XRCWK

Paperback: www.amazon.com/gp/product/1727804147

Rubbish Gmail

The revamped Gmail is worse than I thought. Even while using the Google browser Chrome, it is chronically slow, and at times you can't even load an email, compose, or any of that. It is sometimes necessary to load the entire page again. I figure this is to boost the time a user spends in front of advertisements. Gmail is now complete rubbish.

Jamal Khashoggi

It is reported that Khashoggi's body has been found. A good argument could be made, surely, for Saudi Arabia to be done away with as a country. Who came up with such a stupid idea in the first place? Clearly this inept bunch need to be replaced. They make an exceptional example of why monarchies with any real power don't work.

Snob's Guide to New Zealand: Second Week Hit #1 New Release

Snob's Guide to New Zealand hit a new landmark, Amazon #1 New Release on Kindle in the second week, mainly due to Kindle Unlimited.

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J9XRCWK

Paperback: www.amazon.com/gp/product/1727804147

Saudi Arabia and Jamal Khashoggi

It's getting really bizarre now with the Saudi explanations changing by the hour. Clearly they don't know how to run a country. The most stupid story so far was that Khashoggi, an ageing journalist, died in a fist fight inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Have you ever heard anything more ludicrous? It's an insult to everyone's intelligence.

NBA 2018/19

The new season is under way and these are my picks:

Surprises

Eastern Conference: Detroit Pistons
Western Conference: New Orleans Pelicans

Disappoints

Eastern Conference: Boston Celtics
Western Conference: Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers

Even Better (than last season)

Eastern Conference: Philadelphia 76ers
Western Conference: Portland Trailblazers

Still No Chance - Ever

Eastern Conference: Orlando Magic
Western Conference: Los Angeles Clippers

Snob's Guide to New Zealand: Selling Well

My latest book, Snob's Guide to New Zealand has started off well, within the first week it has made top 10 in Germany and the USA within the politics category. In Germany it was for the paperback and in the US for the Kindle version.

Not a bad start then. Readers can find the book here:

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J9XRCWK

Paperback: www.amazon.com/gp/product/1727804147

Jamie-Lee Ross Tape

What we learn from Jamie-Lee Ross tape.

1. $100,000 in Botany A/C
2. Younger Zhang in candidates' college
3. 1 Chinese and 1 Filipino vs 2 Chinese or 2 Indian on list 

Inference: List seats are for sale

Conclusion: corrupt and flawed MMP system.

Read where this is headed:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J9XRCWK

Snob's Guide: MMP Deeply Flawed

New Zealand's Mixed-member Proportional (MMP) electoral system is deeply flawed and Snob's Guide to New Zealand explains how and why.

The chapter, Government and Electoral System explains succinctly and accurately exactly where NZ is headed. It's a must read for anyone interested in the reality of MMP and why it is so inferior to a first-past-the-post system.

How serious is the problem? Very serious and I'm not even slightly exaggerating.

Here is the link to the Paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1727804147

Snob's Guide on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J9XRCWK

New Gmail is Rubbish

Google have shot themselves in the foot with the new Gmail. I've tried several browsers and they're all the same, Gmail now takes a long time to log in, and once in, each individual email takes even longer to load. It is so bad sometimes I have to reload the whole page and try again.

So, for me at least, this makes gmail dead. I'm looking for a fast and efficient email provider. Yahoo I don't trust since they went cruising through everyone's email contacts (let's face it, it was them doing it, not some 'hackers')

Teacher Shortage New Zealand

Well it's happened, New Zealand has finally reached the crisis I've been pointing out would arrive sooner rather than later. The solution is not just more pay, though that would help. To address the issue it has to be accepted that everyone is to blame; teachers, school management and the government.

What went wrong? The main problem is with the way teaching is structured; teachers are paid more the less classroom teaching they do. Correct this imbalance and you're halfway there. Then you pay more for teachers who teach and not so much for teachers who manage, and open up management positions to a wider pool of candidates, allowing other management professionals a pathway into those jobs.

And finally, take Teach First NZ across the whole country. Make it possible for suitably qualified individuals to cross into teaching without needing to spend a year at teachers' college.

Snob's Guide to New Zealand

I've written a useful guide to New Zealand, out now in Paperback and on Kindle. This book will need to be read by anyone interested in a move to New Zealand. It reveals how Kiwis think and from a snob's perspective what are the best schools, cities, cool places?

It goes deeper than you find with most guides. What other guides do is gloss over things or they describe only how to do something. They don't contain criticism or they're too stale. What Snob's Guide to New Zealand does is assume you know how to do things, like fill in forms. But what you really need to know is; what will you experience and who will you come up against?

But this book isn't just a guide, it will also be valuable for Kiwis too. From this book they can measure where they're at, where they're going, how to get there. It raises important issues only occasionally addressed in New Zealand.

What are the best schools and universities? Which cities are best? This is a no holds barred type of approach the reader will find invaluable.

Here is the link to the Paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1727804147

Snob's Guide on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J9XRCWK

Snob's Guide to New Zealand is indispensable to anyone looking at a move Downunder, or for the locals who want to know how to get ahead in their own country.

Universities

“There is a strict pecking order…Dispense with all international rankings as they’re meaningless.”

Energy

“…the Tesla owner and the ordinary guy in his Nissan Leaf are at war with poor people.”

New Zealand Wars

“The history of these conflicts is one where Maori won all the battles but lost the wars.”

New Zealand Government Overhaul

New Zealand is a country with 4.7 million people. It is grossly over-governed; get this, at today's count there are 71 Ministerial portfolios, plus another 28 Associate Ministers, and 3 Parliamentary Under Secretaries.

Then under that comes regional government and city councils. It's all enough to make your brain go numb.

Christchurch, NZ: 100 Years Since End of First World War

Found the crosses laid out in Christchurch's Cranmer Square today. There is one cross for every soldier from Canterbury in New Zealand, who fell during The Great War, 1914-18.

If of the Jewish faith there is a Star of David instead of a cross.

IPCC Drivel

Why do we have to put up with this IPCC nonsense? Who in their right mind believes for one second that Global Climate Change can be reversed?

The solutions as described have the following effects; they hobble the western world and they amount to re-colonisation of the developing world. Just as they're about to enjoy prosperity, Africa and SE Asia are told to stay in their huts and suck it up. It's unworkable.

MMP Reforms

How about the following as an idea for how to reform MMP in New Zealand.

Have a second round runoff between the two top parties if one of them fails to get over 50% of the vote at the first attempt. The winner in the second round would be awarded additional seats to ensure they could govern alone.

In this scenario, the minor parties still get seats in parliament but they're not able to make unreasonable demands of their much larger political rivals.

Banksy

So Banksy has pulled a stunt with his shredding of a painting of the girl with a balloon at a Sotheby's auction. All vendors with items following his in the auction should sue him. That's because he adversely affected their potential sale prices. He's also possibly committed a criminal offence. Hmm?

Elon Musk Days After SEC Settlement

Is Musk feeling all right? Maybe he needs to take a lie down.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/04/elon-musk-sec-twitter

Let's be clear, is Musk implying the SEC is working with short sellers?

Christchurch Air Day 2018

Over the weekend we visited the United States Antarctic Program open day at Christchurch airport. The following are some of the photos taken of one of the USAF C17 Globemaster's from McChord Air Force Base.

We were impressed by the professionalism of the crew. They all seemed so well spoken!