It does seem like everyone has something to complain about right now. Photo / Brett Phibbs, File
That moaning sound you hear is not the wind in the pōhutakawa trees coming up to Christmas.
It is, in fact, the combined efforts of the Whinging Society of Greater New Zealand.
The membership is an august one. It includes every political party except Labour moaning about everything from vaccination rates to MIQ. It also includes every business association and Groundswell chapter from Cape Rēinga to the Bluff.
These groups will now be joined by the sports commentators moaning about the state of rugby in New Zealand and the future of every coach.
On the individual level they are joined by Sir Ian, John Tamihere and Brian Tamaki and their cohorts who have been moaning about isolation, vaccinations and everything else to do with the pandemic response in Greater New Zealand.
With the noise levels rising, Nanaia Mahuta may need to go to Australia on a "please explain" visit to do with the excessive noise pollution.
Thank goodness summer holidays are almost here. Maybe we can get some respite and come back in 2022 in a more positive and constructive mood.
Henderson highlights
Your writer Steve Braunias (Weekend Herald, November 20) was a little mean in his description of Henderson.
The main street, with its flowers, plane trees and seating, is rather nice; as is the pretty Falls Hotel area complete with parks, bush and gently tumbling stream.
The problem is the area around the bus and train station in the preceding block. What an eyesore. Ugly unwelcoming and far too often with an uncomfortable vibe.
AT describes it as a "major hub". It would greatly benefit from a major makeover.
Sam Cunningham, Henderson.
Bishop temerity
There is something fundamentally wrong with Archangel Tamaki and his wife swanning about, displaying narcissistic arrogance and portraying the Prime Minister as an agent of evil.
Once upon a time, we would have simply told him and others like him to "grow up".
What is even more worrying, is that although we can see that he shouldn't be allowed to cross the street on his own, people actually follow him and give him money.
Last but not least is the question of why a self-professed homophobe continually dresses like a Tom Of Finland aficionado. It's a puzzle.
Richard O'Brien, Katikati.
Patching the gaps
According to your coverage of the "gang-led jabs day" (Weekend Herald, November 20) "hundreds arrived...for a gang-organised event,,,[and] by 11am, more than 100 had been vaccinated...a quantity almost unheard of..."
Isn't it rather sad and ominous that - after months of vaccine encouragement from so many legitimate information sources, both national and local - a certain segment of the population appears to place greater weight on the imprimatur of the gangs?
This certainly bodes well for future gang recruitment.
Peter Jansen, Henderson.
Money clip
Perhaps everyone could consider "upping" their usual fee for their hairdresser.
I've agreed to "double up" my hairdresser's fee on Monday, considering how much there is to remove, and supporting her business.
I would have been in at least once before this, were it not for lockdown - so seems fair.
Peter Wharton, Pt Chevalier.
Leaders in-waiting
The National Party hierarchy and news media keep touting for Chris Luxon as the next leader.
The party has both a leader and a deputy leader waiting patiently and industriously in the wings, both of whom are being patently ignored.
Nicola Willis and Erica Stanford, leader and deputy respectively.
New Zealand needs a competent opposition party, not a party of little lap dogs yapping at the heels of Labour.
Heather Mackay, Kerikeri.
Over caution
The Government's plan to open up the borders seems to be very poorly designed.
From a medical point of view, it is considerably more cautious than recommended by the epidemiologists. From an economic point of view it is disastrous.
Two of our top four export earners prior to Covid were international education and tourism. By not opening up until April 30, 2022, the Government is effectively losing a full year of education income (worth $5 billion) and the prime summer tourism period accounting for the lion share of the $40 billion tourism income.
Surely, we can allow students back in for the start of the academic year (and announce that now, so they can enrol) and tourists for at least part of summer?
NZ Inc doesn't need to continue to go into debt. Let us earn our way.
Lucas Bonne, Unsworth Heights.
Saint nicked?
Has Santa been double jabbed and will he have to show his covid pass before entering a chimney. Also what's happening with Santa and unvaxxed households?
Jacinda has had 12 months to fix this and done absolutely nothing.
The mental stress on children expecting presents is at crisis point.
Reg Dempster, Albany.
The reaction to a flippant remark at a Morrison Kent social function was absurd (Weekend Herald, November 20). Clearly wry humour as part of our British heritage is now near dead. Bob Culver, Avondale.
OMG, Judith. if you didn't want your job, you should have just handed in your notice like us regular people? Pam Murray, New Lynn.
I would like to congratulate the new Leader of the Opposition, David Seymour. Cheryl Cutfield, Remuera.
Praise the Lord. Now finally the National Party can actually make some progress. Brett Hewson, Parnell.
Despite kneeling in church, it turns out Judith didn't have a prayer. J. Davidson, Birkdale.
Thanks are owed to Brian Tamaki for illustrating how contemptuous one can be to his country, government, courts and police, with no repercussions. Neville Cameron, Coromandel.
A white teenager walked past police with an AR-15 and they did not bat an eyelid. If a black man walked near police with a toothpick, they would have emptied their magazines into him. God bless America. C C McDowall, Rotorua.
The MIQ fees debacle sounds like there is an honesty box at the door of the hotel when you leave. Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
A lady on TV was asked why she did not want to be jabbed. She said she did not like being told what to do. Does she stop at traffic lights? Chris Blenkinsopp, Beach Haven.
A consequence of the Housing Enabling Bill will be first home buyers who have found a semi-affordable older house will be outbid by developers keen to demolish and build multiple high rise units. Bob van Ruyssevelt, Glendene.
It seems the answer to persuading the rest of the country's unvaccinated to get the jab is to recruit the gangs to visit reluctant and have a little "chat". Peter Cooke, Whangaparāoa.
Letters to the editor should be a compulsory part of a high school curriculum to generate critical thinkers and give some insight into others' points of view. Colleen McMurchy, Blockhouse Bay
When we needed to close the border, we stayed open for Delta to land. Now we are safe to open up, we stay closed. Tiong Ang, Mt Roskill.
I would like to protest about all the protests, and will be commissioning an advisory panel about the feasibility of doing so. Mary Hearn, Glendowie.
They allege the Crown ignored Treaty obligations by not engaging with them.