DOC and Labour's youth unemployment policy

@Gaiters, positive outcomes from these schemes is possible. But some work is more difficult than others. do we want more roadend highways? that's been the legacy of much of the previous work schemes and if its going to help docs resourcing, it has to be priority work that they cant fund themselves currently. ie tree planting is probably very low on the list, and wont solve docs funding issues as for working in remote areas, its true the NZFS had high turnovers back in the day. Now, that turnover is much higher. kids want their partying, social media and all that, more (much of it didn't exist in the 50s 60s. The biggest issue, is continuity. how long will these schemes last? I've seen plenty of short term schemes, that have left an infrastructure that doc is unable to fund upkeep of now. New pest control, that lasts say 5 years, and then is scrapped, is a complete waste of tax payers $$ (if DOC doesn't have the resourcing to continue them) I daresay Lou sanson will want this idea to be thought thru rigorously, so the mistakes of the past don't repeat themselves

Yeah I guess I'm just trying to be glass half full. What can we do with this part of society then? What are ways of keeping on top of Conservation issues with minimal funding?

you can eat what you like but, long term its no good for your health to eat crap and do hard physical work... some of these kids might work hard today but they'll pay for it down the line... some heart attacks happen in very fit people and are now attributed to poor diet and its exacerbated when you combine that with heavy exercise

Heart attacks...no one mentions hyperhomocysteinemia. This is a silent killer. 13% of the population have it but we never hear about it because the cure is...vitamins (B12 and 5 methylfolate). That wouldn't be helped by a poor diet of course. Another cause is cardiac hypertrophy/scarring from ridiculous amounts of athletic training. I now keep my pulse down to about 120bpm when going uphill for a sustained ascent - perfect excuse to take it quietly.

hyperhomocysteinemia That's a bit of a mouthful! Must remember to spread the marmite thicker on the crackers in future. Think I'll keep going hell for leather up the hills - figure it's a bonus if that's the way I end up going, beats some of the alternatives...

My mother used to say that the generations after her's (grew up during 2 world wars) are the lucky ones as we have CHOICE! It used to be that everyone had to conform, which included 'biting the bullet' and 'knuckling under' and 'toughening up' and doing what everyone else did - they had no choice no matter what their temperament was. Everyone is different and some, such as the young man I mentioned earlier, do not, and cannot, just fit in with what society decrees they 'should'. Then they get labelled as useless, or whatever, just because they don't fit in with what society, or individuals, think they should do. So, of course, only a percentage of those who are pushed into any job situation will fit. The others will walk away. Choice has advantages and also disadvantages.

"Another cause is cardiac hypertrophy/scarring from ridiculous amounts of athletic training. I now keep my pulse down to about 120bpm when going uphill for a sustained ascent - perfect excuse to take it quietly." thought I might be doing ridiculous amounts of uphill today (for me), coming out of Arete Forks via the Sidle tk and Blue range. so went slower, and ..slower ...and... :)

What was the quake like in there?

@geeves the big one at bout midnight rocked the hut a fair bit, is all. if there were any others, must have slept though them