February 27, 2020
Olympics 2020
Spare a thought for those athletes preparing for the Olympics in Tokyo. At this stage it looks like the Olympics may need to be postponed due to COVID-19, or perhaps a decentralised model introduced. I hope it doesn't come to that, but it is a watch and wait at this stage. Previously, the Olympics has only been called off due to war.
February 24, 2020
COVID-19 could be Election Decider
New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern is allowing students from China into the country to start their studies for 2020. This is a big mistake in my opinion, as the virus is just beginning to spread uncontrollably. It looks as if the NZ government has buckled under pressure from China. Letting in so many students all at once is almost a guarantee someone will bring the virus with them.
With a general election due in a few months; if NZ gets the virus as a result of the PM's decision, that'll be it, she'll be the former prime minister of New Zealand, of that I have no doubt.
With a general election due in a few months; if NZ gets the virus as a result of the PM's decision, that'll be it, she'll be the former prime minister of New Zealand, of that I have no doubt.
February 23, 2020
Harry and Meghan - Who Do They Think They Are?
The latest statement from the Sussex Royals can be found here: https://sussexroyal.com/spring-2020-transition/
This has the hand of Meghan Markle all over it, I don't believe for a minute that Harry would agree to put out such a statement. It sounds slightly argumentative or adversarial. If you want to get yourself offside with the Queen, then this is the way to go about it.
Where will this end? Who knows, but it can't end well. This isn't Hollywood, the Queen is above the law, and we're talking sovereignty here, not who gets to play the starring role in a movie. This is certainly going to heat up, watch this space.
This has the hand of Meghan Markle all over it, I don't believe for a minute that Harry would agree to put out such a statement. It sounds slightly argumentative or adversarial. If you want to get yourself offside with the Queen, then this is the way to go about it.
Where will this end? Who knows, but it can't end well. This isn't Hollywood, the Queen is above the law, and we're talking sovereignty here, not who gets to play the starring role in a movie. This is certainly going to heat up, watch this space.
February 16, 2020
Harry and Meghan - The Odds
Here we go, my odds quoted on how long it will take for Harry Mountbatten-Windsor (known or styled as the Duke of Sussex) to break up with the actress known as Meghan Markle (styled these days as the Duchess of Sussex):
The above returns are based on $1.00 dollar going in, (eg) if the couple stay together more than 4 years but less than 5, the return on $1 would be $100. I haven't quoted a figure on the 3-4 year range as I figure if they get that far from the date of this post then they'll likely make the 4 year mark. And yes the clock starts ticking from the date of this post. See how right I am. And my readers will have noticed I've got this wrong before.
- Less than 5 years but more than 4: $100.00
- Less than 3 years but more than 2: $ 5.00
- Less than 2 years but more than 1: $ 1.10
- Less than 1 year $ 1.50
The above returns are based on $1.00 dollar going in, (eg) if the couple stay together more than 4 years but less than 5, the return on $1 would be $100. I haven't quoted a figure on the 3-4 year range as I figure if they get that far from the date of this post then they'll likely make the 4 year mark. And yes the clock starts ticking from the date of this post. See how right I am. And my readers will have noticed I've got this wrong before.
February 14, 2020
Coronavirus COVID-19
A surprising number of people around town are saying this new virus is the result of a mistake or leak at a Chinese biological weapons lab. It kind of resonates, strange that this thing just popped up. What do you think?
February 12, 2020
Complete Failure of NZ's Electoral System
Back in 1996 New Zealand ditched its traditional first-past-the-post electoral system, and put in its place mixed-member proportional (MMP). There can be no doubt; in a year when NZ has its eighth MMP general election, the system has been proven an outstanding failure.
How did this happen? Why did this happen? The answer to that can be found in the way MMP is structured. MMP is based on the system they have in Germany. It was used there to prevent one party coming to power. You may recall Germany's troubled past, and the rise there of a genocidal regime which resulted in the holocaust and WWII. But NZ doesn't have that kind of background, it didn't need a system to prevent what happened in Germany happening in Aotearoa.
It gets worse, given NZ's small size, the type of electoral and regional diversity Germany has, doesn't exist in NZ. Oh, I hear you say, yes it does. Err, I reply, no it doesn't, one region doesn't go to war with another and NZ doesn't have principalities. You get the idea.
So NZ embraces MMP and things...don't change that much. NZ was assured the advantage of MMP was it would deliver majority governments (where the government commands 50% or more of the popular vote). It didn't happen, what happened is NZ still received minority governments, except many of its representatives had never, could never win an electorate seat. That's the reality. And politicians who lose their electorate seat, come back in off the party list, they get to keep their jobs. It's like the cat came back, it wouldn't stay away.
Not only that, but voters never get what they voted for. The election is more like a beauty contest, you vote for whoever takes your fancy and trust them to deliver something in coalition negotiations. And what you do receive is likely to be nothing.
Then in 2017 things turned worse. The coalition between Labour and NZ First actually had fewer votes than the Opposition. Incredible but true, the coalition is propped up by the Greens, who get a pay-off in the form of ministerial positions, but avoid accountability by actually being in the government with their feet under the Cabinet table (putting a bob each way in effect).
Now the latest polling has the Greens on the precipice, just 20,000 votes away from failing to make the 5% threshold as they cannot win an electorate seat. NZ First are polling well under the 5% and they may fail to get a seat (they also have none at present). NZ has in a very short space of time, found itself right back where it was with first-past-the-post, in a close head-to-head contest, Labour vs National.
What may result, and is quite likely in fact, is one of the two will govern NZ alone, no need for a coalition agreement, and after receiving far fewer than 50% support. Where to after that? Over time I predict a splintering of political support after this period of consolidation.
To understand what I'm banging on about, consider the supermarket aisle and the soft drink selection (soda or pop for those in North America). In the early days selection may have been simple and purely price driven. That's where NZ is right now with MMP. Then as tastes change and competition heats up, new brands emerge to compete for shelf space. Now when you head down that aisle the consumer is barraged with choices. This is what I believe will happen under MMP in NZ after the price or value driven phase.
That final stage presents real dangers as we're not really talking about consumer choice. We're talking democracy, freedom Westminster-style and it could be lost. Here's how this could happen, admittedly this is more speculative, there are far too many permutations to be accurate, but read on:
1. Phase one; multiple brands with at least a seat or 5% support are far more valuable. It makes sense to segment the market, by region and political belief; town vs country, christian vs atheist, environmentalists vs industrialists - ripping the country apart - you get the idea.
2. Phase two; fifth columnists are more valuable than consensus builders. Wreckers trump builders. Reverse mergers can occur whereby party faithful from one party join the enemy and wreck the other party from within. (There is no law in NZ saying an individual cannot belong to more than one party, although most parties have their own rules preventing it. It's hard to stop spies, and in time will become impossible).
3. Phase three; secret coalition deals end up with the elite running everything. Voters will not know if a secret deal exists or not. Voters will choose a brand to their taste, but later find that party is loyal to another party altogether. Imagine buying cherry Coke only to find it turned into classic Coke. This is a distinct possibility in this MMP environment.
It's all very undemocratic and I predict it will spell the end of NZ. It will pull itself apart, critical infrastructure will be ignored in order to chase the latest fad, defence will be ignored as it offers no immediate pay-off. In the end NZ will be annexed by Australia as it can't afford to have such a weak southern neighbour.
And how soon will this happen. Originally I thought this would be in the lifetime of my grandchildren. But things are happening so fast now, I think it may be in my lifetime. Not that long then.
How did this happen? Why did this happen? The answer to that can be found in the way MMP is structured. MMP is based on the system they have in Germany. It was used there to prevent one party coming to power. You may recall Germany's troubled past, and the rise there of a genocidal regime which resulted in the holocaust and WWII. But NZ doesn't have that kind of background, it didn't need a system to prevent what happened in Germany happening in Aotearoa.
It gets worse, given NZ's small size, the type of electoral and regional diversity Germany has, doesn't exist in NZ. Oh, I hear you say, yes it does. Err, I reply, no it doesn't, one region doesn't go to war with another and NZ doesn't have principalities. You get the idea.
So NZ embraces MMP and things...don't change that much. NZ was assured the advantage of MMP was it would deliver majority governments (where the government commands 50% or more of the popular vote). It didn't happen, what happened is NZ still received minority governments, except many of its representatives had never, could never win an electorate seat. That's the reality. And politicians who lose their electorate seat, come back in off the party list, they get to keep their jobs. It's like the cat came back, it wouldn't stay away.
Not only that, but voters never get what they voted for. The election is more like a beauty contest, you vote for whoever takes your fancy and trust them to deliver something in coalition negotiations. And what you do receive is likely to be nothing.
Then in 2017 things turned worse. The coalition between Labour and NZ First actually had fewer votes than the Opposition. Incredible but true, the coalition is propped up by the Greens, who get a pay-off in the form of ministerial positions, but avoid accountability by actually being in the government with their feet under the Cabinet table (putting a bob each way in effect).
Now the latest polling has the Greens on the precipice, just 20,000 votes away from failing to make the 5% threshold as they cannot win an electorate seat. NZ First are polling well under the 5% and they may fail to get a seat (they also have none at present). NZ has in a very short space of time, found itself right back where it was with first-past-the-post, in a close head-to-head contest, Labour vs National.
What may result, and is quite likely in fact, is one of the two will govern NZ alone, no need for a coalition agreement, and after receiving far fewer than 50% support. Where to after that? Over time I predict a splintering of political support after this period of consolidation.
To understand what I'm banging on about, consider the supermarket aisle and the soft drink selection (soda or pop for those in North America). In the early days selection may have been simple and purely price driven. That's where NZ is right now with MMP. Then as tastes change and competition heats up, new brands emerge to compete for shelf space. Now when you head down that aisle the consumer is barraged with choices. This is what I believe will happen under MMP in NZ after the price or value driven phase.
That final stage presents real dangers as we're not really talking about consumer choice. We're talking democracy, freedom Westminster-style and it could be lost. Here's how this could happen, admittedly this is more speculative, there are far too many permutations to be accurate, but read on:
1. Phase one; multiple brands with at least a seat or 5% support are far more valuable. It makes sense to segment the market, by region and political belief; town vs country, christian vs atheist, environmentalists vs industrialists - ripping the country apart - you get the idea.
2. Phase two; fifth columnists are more valuable than consensus builders. Wreckers trump builders. Reverse mergers can occur whereby party faithful from one party join the enemy and wreck the other party from within. (There is no law in NZ saying an individual cannot belong to more than one party, although most parties have their own rules preventing it. It's hard to stop spies, and in time will become impossible).
3. Phase three; secret coalition deals end up with the elite running everything. Voters will not know if a secret deal exists or not. Voters will choose a brand to their taste, but later find that party is loyal to another party altogether. Imagine buying cherry Coke only to find it turned into classic Coke. This is a distinct possibility in this MMP environment.
It's all very undemocratic and I predict it will spell the end of NZ. It will pull itself apart, critical infrastructure will be ignored in order to chase the latest fad, defence will be ignored as it offers no immediate pay-off. In the end NZ will be annexed by Australia as it can't afford to have such a weak southern neighbour.
And how soon will this happen. Originally I thought this would be in the lifetime of my grandchildren. But things are happening so fast now, I think it may be in my lifetime. Not that long then.
Low-scoring NBA Game
Finally, we have seen a regular season NBA game where the result seems to reflect a genuine basketball score. Charlotte Hornets beat the Detroit Pistons 87-76. I'm assuming that defense took precedence, as it should. These type of games are rare these days, with shooters, and the referees that protect them, holding sway.
February 05, 2020
More Gloom
Adding to my previous post, New Zealand is now impacted in the education sector. Up to a half of all international full fees paying students in the country come from China. For now that has all stopped with many students stranded, having paid for courses and accommodation but unable to travel. I think we can safely say that NZ will be experiencing a recession very soon, as well as the rest of the world.
February 04, 2020
Doom
I've been a prophet of doom for some time now, mainly because the world economy has just been bumping along the bottom. Now the real slowdown has started, kicked off by this new virus from China, called the Coronavirus.
In NZ this has had the immediate effect of shutting down tourism, but also log exports. That's because there's no-one in China at work ready to handle the shipments. Expect this situation to worsen across a whole range of goods.
Maybe people will wake up and stop relying on China for everything. If we had our own industry, such as milling our own timber, then this kind of event would have a minimal effect.
In NZ this has had the immediate effect of shutting down tourism, but also log exports. That's because there's no-one in China at work ready to handle the shipments. Expect this situation to worsen across a whole range of goods.
Maybe people will wake up and stop relying on China for everything. If we had our own industry, such as milling our own timber, then this kind of event would have a minimal effect.
February 02, 2020
Australia Bushfire Sun
The sun setting tonight in Christchurch, NZ is tinged with the colour orange, the result of the smoke from the Australia bushfires. I've never seen this before and thought to take a pic:
 |
| Sun Setting in Christchurch NZ, coloured orange by smoke from Australia bushfires |
January 31, 2020
January 30, 2020
Brexit Arrived
A timely Brexit song, I can't believe this has happened in my lifetime and at the same time Prince Harry decided to throw his life away and to try and become a Kardashian, the twit.
January 27, 2020
Kobe Bryant
Just heard that Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna have died in a helicopter crash in southern California. Dreadful news.
Update @ 20th Feb 2020: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/27/us/calabasas-helicopter-crash-kobe-bryant-monday/index.html
Nine on board, the victims look to have been travelling to a basketball game on board Kobe's helicopter.
Update @ 20th Feb 2020: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/27/us/calabasas-helicopter-crash-kobe-bryant-monday/index.html
Nine on board, the victims look to have been travelling to a basketball game on board Kobe's helicopter.
January 25, 2020
Australian Open
Nick Kyrgios is looking good, I hope he goes deep this time, or even wins the whole show. I like how he plays fast, dictating the pace of the game. I laughed when he mocked Nadal over his pre-serve routines, which are tantamount to poor sportsmanship. How could the chair umpire give Kyrgios a time warning? He plays so fast, it isn't possible for him to be holding the game up. C'mon.
Good to see the back of that monumentally bad sport Serena Williams. This time beaten by the 27th seed Qiang Wang. I'll say it again, it's time for Williams to retire, she's old and slow. The seedings she's receiving are a nonsense, by being seeded so high she's always able to collect enough ranking points by drawing much easier opponents in the early rounds. As soon as she comes up against players of real class, she buckles. That's because players these days have her power, as well as the finesse she lacks. Give it up Serena Williams, for the good of the game.
Good to see the back of that monumentally bad sport Serena Williams. This time beaten by the 27th seed Qiang Wang. I'll say it again, it's time for Williams to retire, she's old and slow. The seedings she's receiving are a nonsense, by being seeded so high she's always able to collect enough ranking points by drawing much easier opponents in the early rounds. As soon as she comes up against players of real class, she buckles. That's because players these days have her power, as well as the finesse she lacks. Give it up Serena Williams, for the good of the game.
January 20, 2020
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Debacle
The full picture is now emerging and I have to say, I'm not impressed. The deal is the Sussexes will not be using their HRH titles, but they're not being stripped of them either; they won't be taking public funding but they will take funding from Prince Charles' Duchy of Cornwall. They're going to pay back the money spent on Frogmore Cottage, but it's unclear how and when that money will be paid.
I don't think this will work. The reason, too many areas of potential conflicts of interest, real or perceived. The only way for this to work is for Harry to become Harry Mountbatten-Windsor, a normal old Mister. Nothing more than that.
Why do I say that? Using the Dukedom is a demotion. Harry and his wife become 'Your Grace.' That's got to sting and puts people they deal with in a difficult position, how do they address the pair exactly? Of course stripping away the titles makes the pair far less marketable, but wait, they're not meant to trade off their royal status. So explain, how does this work again?
Looking at the two, I have serious concerns about Harry. Meghan hasn't been part of the royal family for all that long and she's done well on her own, she's a survivor. But Harry has lived in a gilded cage his whole life, he probably thinks he knows what real life is like, but in reality he knows little of it. What is Harry meant to do now he can't be a royal? What can he do? There is nothing in his CV to suggest he can manage outside of the royal family.
You want evidence of this I hear you say; he inherited a fortune from his mother, Diana, and the Queen Mother. These funds he now has full control of, so why isn't he already financially independent? What's this talk of seeking financial independence, he's only got himself, his wife who is not helpless and one small child. Harry is a fully grown man, what has he been doing with his money all this time?
Then it is reported Harry is considering buying a massively overpriced house in Vancouver, Canada. If he buys such a thing, I'd call that all the evidence anyone needs to prove he's financially illiterate.
What does Harry know about? Land and horses. That's about it. Sensible is using a large proportion of his money on a farm in England, breeding horses, polo ponies and the like. Buying houses, even thinking about buying houses in Vancouver is simply throwing your money away. Where I see this heading, is in less than 2 years Harry will be back amongst the royals, cutting ribbons but much poorer for the experience of stepping back.
And what of Archie? How is he to be raised and educated? Remember, technically the couple are still HRH, he's seventh in line to the throne right now. When he grows older he may want to work as a royal, in that case he'd start to outrank his father who eschews his HRH status, odd indeed.
The Sussex Royal brand becomes problematic, isn't such a brand effectively trading on royal status? And funding from the Duchy of Cornwall, it's not really private money, this will become a sore point over time and an area where I feel Harry has shown he isn't thinking clearly. He can't be talking about financial independence but still relying on his father for handouts.
What has been proposed looks rushed. It hasn't been fully thought through.
January 16, 2020
NBA TV Ratings Down
I'm not surprising to hear that NBA TV ratings are down, and according to the following link those lower ratings are confirmed by general activity on Reddit.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/should-the-nba-be-worried-about-tv-ratings-reddit-activity-says-so/?addata=espn:nba:teams
I think the reason for that lack of interest, despite the league being incredibly close, is fans have worked out the games are essentially fixed. By that I mean there appears to be a tacit arrangement in the regular season for stars to get open looks. Only when the post season commences are games hotly contested. Compare the NBA with soccer in the English Premier League, there each game is do or die stuff.
Back in 2016 I commented: https://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2016/04/basketball-nba-games.html
Following this, in 2017 I monitored two games and found them rigged: https://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2017/02/golden-state-warriors-v-m and https://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2017/02/denver-nuggets-v-cleveland-cavaliers.html
In 2015 I devised a basketball game to make the game more entertaining: https://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-basketball.html
How to get the ratings back? The NBA has to stop being obsessed with scoring. Proper contests where defense is actually played would be a start.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/should-the-nba-be-worried-about-tv-ratings-reddit-activity-says-so/?addata=espn:nba:teams
I think the reason for that lack of interest, despite the league being incredibly close, is fans have worked out the games are essentially fixed. By that I mean there appears to be a tacit arrangement in the regular season for stars to get open looks. Only when the post season commences are games hotly contested. Compare the NBA with soccer in the English Premier League, there each game is do or die stuff.
Back in 2016 I commented: https://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2016/04/basketball-nba-games.html
Following this, in 2017 I monitored two games and found them rigged: https://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2017/02/golden-state-warriors-v-m and https://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2017/02/denver-nuggets-v-cleveland-cavaliers.html
In 2015 I devised a basketball game to make the game more entertaining: https://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-basketball.html
How to get the ratings back? The NBA has to stop being obsessed with scoring. Proper contests where defense is actually played would be a start.
January 14, 2020
Gmail Still Rubbish
The most annoying thing with Gmail is how you can't easily get rid of items under the promotions and social tabs. Recently I went in, marked unread items as read, deleted them, then went to the bin and emptied it. All gone then, or so I thought. Two days later I log back in, there they are again, everything back, marked as unread. I've mentioned this to others and they say the same thing happens to them. Gmail is the only free web based email that pulls this trick; they're keeping users on the site longer and forcing them to read emails you just want gone, for whatever reason.
January 09, 2020
Prince Harry and Meghan Stepping Back
Thing is, you can't be a little bit royal. You're either part of the family firm or you aren't. It's about time Harry and Meghan made their minds up, in or out.
Note the reaction from Buckingham Palace to the recent announcement by the pair: https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/118673807/prince-harry-and-meghan-stepping-back-as-senior-members-of-the-royal-family I like the phrase "these are complicated issues." That's an understatement if ever there was one. Here are a few issues;
Who is going to pick up the cost of security when in the US?
Is Harry actually resigning, he's still in the top 6, an important position within the line of succession. It's once out of the top 6 that things change. If he is resigning, does he keep his titles?
Financial independence: Harry inherited a small fortune from his mother Diana, why is he not already financially independent, he's had long enough to manage that much.
Does Harry know anything about living in the USA, can he even open a cheque account? Reports say he's going to be based in Canada, given their head of state is the Queen, doesn't this look a bit like remaining shackled to the Crown? Hmm?
Branding: will Meghan use her royal status to make money for herself. What are the boundaries, and if she does so, will she have to pay royalties to the Crown?
For their own explanation of what this 'new funding model' means, Harry and Meghan have launched a new website, read the relevant part here: https://sussexroyal.com/funding/
What do I think? It looks rather dodgy to me. Implied is that when they visit or cut a ribbon, they'll be attaching their invoice. That's quite improper and quite frankly, they shouldn't be able to maintain their status. They're simply becoming ordinary celebrities and that's all, just Harry and Meghan under this proposed 'structure.'
I also note they claim they're not currently funded by public money. Technically correct but that's not how the people see it, the Duchy of Cornwall, the Sovereign Grant etc from which the couple are funded, all of it is public money. My reaction to reading their website was 'get off the grass.'
Note the reaction from Buckingham Palace to the recent announcement by the pair: https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/118673807/prince-harry-and-meghan-stepping-back-as-senior-members-of-the-royal-family I like the phrase "these are complicated issues." That's an understatement if ever there was one. Here are a few issues;
Who is going to pick up the cost of security when in the US?
Is Harry actually resigning, he's still in the top 6, an important position within the line of succession. It's once out of the top 6 that things change. If he is resigning, does he keep his titles?
Financial independence: Harry inherited a small fortune from his mother Diana, why is he not already financially independent, he's had long enough to manage that much.
Does Harry know anything about living in the USA, can he even open a cheque account? Reports say he's going to be based in Canada, given their head of state is the Queen, doesn't this look a bit like remaining shackled to the Crown? Hmm?
Branding: will Meghan use her royal status to make money for herself. What are the boundaries, and if she does so, will she have to pay royalties to the Crown?
For their own explanation of what this 'new funding model' means, Harry and Meghan have launched a new website, read the relevant part here: https://sussexroyal.com/funding/
What do I think? It looks rather dodgy to me. Implied is that when they visit or cut a ribbon, they'll be attaching their invoice. That's quite improper and quite frankly, they shouldn't be able to maintain their status. They're simply becoming ordinary celebrities and that's all, just Harry and Meghan under this proposed 'structure.'
I also note they claim they're not currently funded by public money. Technically correct but that's not how the people see it, the Duchy of Cornwall, the Sovereign Grant etc from which the couple are funded, all of it is public money. My reaction to reading their website was 'get off the grass.'
January 03, 2020
Women in Concrete
I'm talking women in the business of concrete, not women actually in concrete, that would be injurious to their health (for those who don't know; concrete mix burns and can kill you if you get too much of it on your skin). There are many good women in concrete, one I recently read about owns Tec-Crete Transit-Mix Corp of Queens, New York, NY.
Founded in 1998, owner Ms Linda Gisonda won a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) award in 2013. Yay.
Tec-Crete have a total of 4 dry batch plants across two locations. As their name suggests, this will be an operation where the ingredients for the concrete are discharged into the truck, water is then added to the agitator on the back of the truck and the mix is completed while the truck drives to the site (alternatively, a dry batch may make its way to the job site with water and the mix completed at the destination). What dry batching allows for is longer delivery distances, however that generally comes at the expense of payload, as a heavier truck is required to do the mixing.
Another way of doing things, very popular this, is to completely mix at the plant, the mix is then discharged into the agitator on the back of the truck. This type of plant is called central mix. The advantage of this is fast batching, and the mix can be discharged into anything, even a dump truck. Another advantage is smaller trucks fitted with lighter agitators can be used to deliver the same or greater payload, however they can only do so over a much shorter distance compared to transit mix.
So there we have the age-old quandary, tyranny of distance vs capital cost vs operating costs. Which is better? My father always preferred central mix and spoke of its advantages often. Transit mix certainly comes into its own if distance is a factor (or waiting times before discharging loads), which is often the case in Australia for instance.
Like this:
Distance or waiting times, lower cost of batching plant, heavier trucks required (less payload), higher cost of running trucks = Transit Mix.
Short distance or waiting times, higher cost of batching plant, lighter trucks (more payload), lower cost of running trucks - Central Mix.
January 02, 2020
Australia Bush Fires
The smoke from the bush fires ravaging Australia has reached where I am right now. Last night I couldn't go outside as the air was bad, and get this, I'm in Christchurch on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. That's 3-4 days by sea, 3-4 hours by air, across the expanse of the Tasman Sea. I'm not young and have seen a bit of this and that, but this is one thing I've never experienced before. Perhaps a little bit of haze in the sky, OK, but not the actual smoke in the air and feeling it is hard to breath. These fires are truly catastrophic.