Kiwiblogblog has gone. We mourn it less than others. We don't seek confrontation, but they sought it with us. It was good to leave them in the dust rating wise some months ago. We found them a very negative bunch. We wish they offered some positive policy suggestions rather than mock and criticise.
First the Herald steals our name for its new entertainment linked website The Hive (we take some comfort that our readership appears to be higher than the much promoted Herald version - Alexa rank 416,831 NZ rank 1,720 ) . Then Beehive Buzz starts up. We at The Hive are beginning to get a bit paranoid. But we value competition, and like the look of what we have seen at the Buzz.
Poneke has a go at Homepaddock over trains. We share Homepaddock's view - we have invested in out of date technology. We agree with your view Poneke
Modern electric trains are clean, fast and emit no fumes at all. The fastest car cannot travel at anywhere near the speed of a 21st Century train. The biggest truck cannot carry anywhere near the volume of goods as the humblest train.
But who is suggesting the introduction of the latest train technology into New Zealand? Our gauge is wrong, our tunnels too small, and much of the track and its foundations extremely dated. We are still using much of the original Manawatu - Wellington railway along the Kapiti coast, for example. The type of technology you are talking about Poneke is not even on the drawing boards for New Zealand and would be non-viable given the costs and likely demand. We think that Ele at Homepaddock is perfectly entitled to this view, given the rubbish that has just been purchased at huge cost by the taxpayer.
