Looking back over the past weeks and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.
In reviews 21 July ’23
NZ Police in Auckland
NZ Police in AucklandWe may grumble about the police occasionally but huge kudos to the police men and women who rushed into an incredibly perilous situation in central Auckland this week. An unhinged shooter with deadly intentions would terrify most of us but when needed our police rush in to sort it out. It’s a huge tragedy that two innocent people lost their lives and that more were injured. It’s such a heartbreaking, needless occurrence but I take my hat off to those members of law enforcement who put their bodies on the line to keep others safe. Thank you!
5 stars – incredible bravery in the face of terrible harm.
Countdown being rebranded back to Woolworths
In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, the news that one of our largest supermarket outfits is going to be rebranded to the cost of over $400 million dollars is not only tone deaf, it’s offensive. While we all tighten our belts, an essential service decides to spend some of their huge profits on a makeover. Australian owned Woolworths has, in my opinion failed to read the room and smugly labelling a rebrand as an investment is short-sighted. I received my very own personal email from the good people at Countdown letting me in on the news as if I should be excited and grateful. I’m not and I know where I won’t be spending my money in future.
1 star – 400 million dollars could go a long way to shaving costs of already inflated items.
Dairy owners
I love the people who run my local dairy and I’m sure most Kiwis feel the same about theirs as well. Dairies are open practically every day of the year from early in the morning to late at night. More often than not they stock whatever it is you are looking for and they are generally friendly people who work incredibly hard.
That so many are targeted for violent robberies is just horrible. I don’t have any solutions for that but it’s terrible that hard working Kiwis have to feel nervous every time a customer comes into their shops. I hope people we elect to solve problems for us work out a solution.
5 stars – dairies are a Kiwi go to and serve us well
The Football Ferns beating Norway
What a way to kick off a World Cup finals campaign by our women’s football team. Norway are placed far above them on the FIFA rankings but still lost 1-0 to a well organised team that stuck to their plan and ran their socks off. Well done. As an aside – the crowd deserves a mention as well. It’s been raining in Auckland as long as locals can recall but that didn’t stop 42,137 people from heading to Eden Park to get behind the national team. They also created a whole lot of noise that doubtlessly lifted the Ferns!
Some are hailing this result as our greatest ever in a World Cups final and I’d have to agree. The men’s team haven’t topped it in their visits to FIFA’s showcase over the years and the Ferns will be aiming to make the knockout stages – I have a feeling they will.
5 stars – for great play, great result and a great crowd!
