Daily Archives: February 5, 2022

Thomas Coughlan: Jacinda Ardern told to isolate on likely wedding day, we wish her well – New Zealand Herald

Posted: February 5, 2022 at 5:39 am

Politics

29 Jan, 2022 11:22 PM3 minutes to read

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was told to go into isolation on the day she was meant to get married. Photo / Hagen Hopkins-Pool

OPINION:

Saturday might have been the Prime Minister's wedding day - she was meant to get married in late January after all - but instead of walking up the aisle, sometime during the day she received a phone call informing her she was present at an exposure event, and had to go into isolation.

Ardern was not at her wedding on Saturday. She'd wisely made the decision to can it after putting the country under the "red" traffic light setting - critics can point to many failings of this Government, but Ardern does lead from the front and subjects herself to the same restrictions as everyone else (Boris Johnson, take note).

The fact she might have caught the virus while making an effort to appear at Waitangi despite formal celebrations being cancelled is also to her credit. In her first appearance at Waitangi as prime minister, Ardern asked that she continue to be held to account on her return. To her credit, after a year in which the Government's commitment to Te Tiriti has been shaken by a shaky vaccine rollout, she didn't use the cancellation of in-person commemorations as an excuse to shirk returning to Waitangi, even if it was just to record a video.

Her tendency to follow the rules will likely help her; she's a fastidious mask-wearer and is (almost) always seen abiding by whatever public health measures are in place.

That said, Omicron is incredibly infectious and if half of the population is expected to get it at some stage, we should hardly be surprised that our Auckland-resident, frequent-flying Prime Minister is among the first.

For a select few, the possibility of Ardern and the Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro, coming down with Covid is a good excuse to brush up on the order of precedence. For everyone else, her infection has no meaning beyond an opportunity to empathise with a hard-working prime minister who might have caught a virus she's been fighting in one form or another for two years.

It's easy to overreact. Ardern is young, healthy and boosted - she'll be fine. Every prime minister gets sick.

If she tests positive, it will cause difficulty for Cabinet and Parliament, Cabinet met virtually last week, so some ministers will have avoided becoming close contacts. However, Ardern had in-person meetings with some ministers, who will be close contacts and have to go into isolation. That difficulty shouldn't be overstated either, Cabinet met virtually in 2020. Everyone knew ministers would get Covid and infect each other before long.

The only meaning one can really attach to this episode is a symbolic one - if the Prime Minister and Governor-General can get Covid, anyone can. There's no outrunning this variant. It might encourage people to get vaccinated and boosted and prepare for a lumpy end to summer.

For most New Zealanders, Covid hasn't been an experience of illness or death. It's been an accumulation of private pains: cancelled weddings, and funerals, tangihanga, held over Zoom. There's a powerful symbolic value in the prime minister sharing in this pain with her own, private story (as private as prime ministers can be).

There's nothing really to do but wait, hope for a negative test, and wish the Prime Minister well if she tests positive. She's certainly earned a sick day (though it's hard to imagine her taking one).

Get used to that feeling - it will become familiar for all of us before too long.

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Steve Braunias: The Secret Diary of Jacinda Ardern – New Zealand Herald

Posted: at 5:38 am

February 3 2022The Government is reopening the border starting with Kiwis coming from Australia from February 27 - with the MIQ system to end for all but "high-risk" unvaccinated travellers.

OPINION:

MONDAY

So if the wedding had gone ahead, about right now we'd be on honeymoon and lying on sun loungers facing the sea. The sun would be frying it like a big blue egg or something like that, the point is that the sun would be high in a clear sky and all you could see was hues of blue, and the shatter of sunlight on water. I might reach for something to drink. Something tempting. Something strong, like rosehip tea. Or, if it's the afternoon, peppermint tea. As the sun goes down, maybe a cup of chamomile. The possibilities are endless. That's what love feels like. That's why they call it happily ever after, because love has no end, love is all you need, all you need is "Excuse me, Prime Minister. The Charlotte Bellis problem. We need to move fast."

TUESDAY

The menu that Peter Gordon had created for the wedding was incredible. I mean he's an artist, a great artist. He plays food like an instrument. He's the Miles Davis of fresh ingredients, or something like that. Jesse Mulligan reviewed Peter's restaurant Homeland and wrote, "I had a lovely piece of monkfish for my main course a fish that often arrives hot and soaking wet due to its density but was just the right amount of moist here, baked with extreme mastery in the oven and served with bok choy, broccolini and mushrooms." I can just imagine sitting down at the wedding feast, and the food arriving, and tucking into a plate of "Excuse me, Prime Minister. MIQ, the borders - we need to move fast."

WEDNESDAY

My heart goes out to Charlotte Bellis, it really does. There she is, a pregnant New Zealander, stranded in Afghanistan Afghanistan! -after failing to secure an MIQ spot. I mean she's not the only one. There are others. The system is imperfect. But put that aside, because you just have to look at her. She's expecting in May. We owe it to her to make it right. I don't know Charlotte, but she needs our help. This isn't about politics. As a journalist, she's impartial, and -"Excuse me, Prime Minister. Charlotte Bellis is giving an interview on Fox."

THURSDAY

MIQ and border announcement. Luxon blusters, "National will hold them to account and ensure they stick to these commitments." Excuse me? Whatever.

FRIDAY

23 Jan, 2022 04:00 PMQuick Read

17 Jan, 2022 10:56 PMQuick Read

14 Jan, 2022 04:00 PMQuick Read

7 Jan, 2022 04:00 PMQuick Read

And Lorde would have sung at the wedding, and Neve acted as the flower girl, and everyone I love would have been there, and Peter Gordon's menu would have been incredible. In that review of Homeland restaurant, Jesse Mulligan wrote, "The heaviest thing I ate was probably the mussels, which came with a pile of quinoa modest enough that you couldn't see it until you dipped your spoon into the spicy coconut broth at the bottom of the bowl." Mussels, quinoa, spicy coconut broth "Excuse me, Prime Minister. Your order of fish and chips has arrived."

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The crisis isn’t around the corner or about to cross the border – it’s already here – Stuff.co.nz

Posted: at 5:38 am

Henry Cooke is Stuffs chief political reporter.

OPINION: Since the start of the pandemic, grim predictions have been the one thing you could constantly count on.

The modelled death tolls always had to be taken with a cubic tonne of salt their worst cases generally supposed that governments and populations made no changes to their behaviour as thousands of people around them died but the economic models were supposed to be more predictive.

We were going to see a slump that made 2008 look like a walk in the park, with unemployment hitting double digits or at least peaking well above 6.7 per cent.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Predictions of mass unemployment have not panned out.

Unemployment instead peaked at 5.3 per cent before dropping to 3.2 per cent at the end of last year the lowest rate since 1986, when the series began.

READ MORE:* Inflation: National blames 'dumb' Government spending for rising prices, Government blames globe* Will the Government actually 'do something' about rising house prices this time?* Housing market comes through second lockdown 'with hardly a scratch'* Economists 'might have to concede they overestimated negatives'

House prices were supposed to crash. Instead, they rocketed up as the tool used to combat the anticipated unemployment spike cheap lending was unleashed on the market.

These grim economic predictions were often tied to predicted support for the Government, which was stratospheric in early 2020, dropping completely. As the health concern faded, the election would be about the economy, and that was where National would step in and retake the narrative. Instead, the party had the second-worst defeat in its history.

The grim predictions didnt let up in 2021. The Delta outbreak was going to do more economic damage than it ended up doing. Suicides were going to spike because of the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns. The traffic light system was going to result in case numbers exploding over summer, and huge delays for people trying to leave Auckland.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Oppositions generally predict doom and gloom.

Even after a remarkably issue-free summer, new National leader Christopher Luxon was ready to make a strong negative prediction the moment Omicron was found in the community on January 23, saying contact tracing and PCR testing would be overwhelmed within days. They were not.

It is, of course, utterly natural to predict Very Bad Times just around the corner when you are in Opposition. Phil Twyford in 2017 said the housing market had a decent shot of going bust in two years. There was a worrying economic start to 2016, according to Grant Robertson New Zealands growth rate actually beat 2015 and 2017 that year.

These messages do double duty: they critique the government for not doing enough to stop said bad time and tell your supporters that better times (for your party) are also just around the corner. The luxury of Opposition is that, by the time your predictions are proved wrong, the whole country has moved on.

Plus, not all grim predictions are wrong. The Delta outbreak last year did lead to a very long and horrid lockdown. Omicron cases are likely to rise fairly rapidly in coming weeks. And New Zealanders are already experiencing plenty of economic pain just not the economic pain we were told to worry about.

Indeed, the actual economic crisis facing New Zealand is the boring old one thats been around long before the pandemic and against which the vaccine is ineffective: housing.

Monique Ford/Stuff

New Zealands real economic crisis is already here.

The irony is that New Zealands recent surge in house prices has been fuelled by the pandemic response, specifically the decision by the Reserve Bank to pour basically free money into the economy to keep the gears turning. Its done an amazing job at keeping the economy growing and unemployment low both laudable goals but its done so by making comfortably wealthy homeowners feel even richer, so that they are happy to go out and spend money.

Helping this price rise is the implicit guarantee that the Government (and Opposition) see housing as the one class of investment that should not entail any risk. Their worry is natural. Your house isnt actually going to fall down or be confiscated from you if it loses some of the 23 per cent gain in value it's reaped in the last year, but theres a decent chance that it would stop you feeling wealthy enough to buy a coffee every day or start a small business of your own.

Meanwhile, those who gave up on buying a house anyway are hardly better off. Rent rises have never kept pace with house price inflation the market can only bear so much when there isnt a bank offering you $1 million but have been on a steady rise, likely to be exacerbated if interest rates go up seriously this year. This is an economic issue that also kills people: New Zealand has over 1000 annual excess winter deaths, which hit those in rented accommodation hardest.

Housing is the Achilles heel of the broadly progressive economic plan Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern outlined at her speech reannouncing the opening of the borders. Fair Pay Agreements, light rail in Auckland, and generous unemployment insurance would all be massive wins for Labour, but they wont do much to help working people if the only way to obtain economic security is still to be born into it.

The bipartisan zoning reform passed late last year will ameliorate the crisis in the long term. But it really is the long term were talking about here. Labour ministers are still far too scared to say they want house prices to drop at all. But even if house prices stayed absolutely still, it would take decades for incomes to rise enough for them to reach the agreed-upon definition of affordability.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson stumbled around in this area on Tuesday, after a 1News Kantar public poll found that 47 per cent of Kiwis wanted the price of housing to drop a lot, while 29 per cent wanted them to drop a little. Robertson said voters didnt actually want that, not really, but that of course the Government shared the aspiration of New Zealanders that we want more people to own their own home.

The risk for Robertson isnt quite voter revolt not yet. But the Government did just make it far easier for New Zealanders who spent the past two years in the country to think about moving overseas. Cheaper rent and better pay might not have been much of a draw in 2020 or 2021, when it was paired with longer lockdowns, more Covid-19, and no easy way home if you changed your mind. That wont be true for 2022.

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Jon Anik reveals the 1 rule hell never break as a broadcaster (Video) – FanSided

Posted: at 5:37 am

UFCs Jon Anik reveals the one rule hell never break as a broadcaster.

UFC play-by-play broadcaster Jon Anik doesnt have many guidelines that dictate his job, but one general rule sticks out among the rest.

Anik is one of the most well-known sports broadcasters in the world and is the main voice of UFC broadcasts. The energy and analysis that he presents during UFC cards are some of the many reasons for the sports overall rise in popularity.

In the middle of his preparation for a given UFC card, he always reminds himself of the one rule to never break during an event. This continued most recently at UFC 270 featuring Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane.

During an interview with FanSideds Amy Kaplan, Anik revealed the golden rule that hell never break as a UFC commentator.

I remember when I got hired in 2011 and I was in charge of doing the post-fight interviews for my first broadcast with them in 2012, Anik said. And he said whatever you do, whether its Conor McGregor or whoever, you cant give up the microphone. Whatever the F you do, dont give up the microphone. Ive only given up the microphone one time I believe and it was in the Philippines when Mark Munoz retired and I felt like he was going to give me the respect to give it back to me. As a broadcaster, once you give an athlete the microphone, youve given up control of the entire broadcast.

In addition to being the play-by-play man for the UFC, Anik also hosts pre and post-fight coverage along with hosting his podcast with UFC legend Kenny Florian.

Anik is arguably one of the UFC broadcasts versions of a swiss army knife, being able to hold multiple roles and succeed at them. But, hell never give up control of the broadcast to one of the many fighters who respect him.

Anik is an inspiration to many prospective broadcasters around the world and is arguably one of the most respected in the business. He is teaming up with Modelo, the official beer of the UFC, to give away cash prizes along with an exclusive UFC fan experience.

According to an official press release:

The prize:

How to enter the contest:

To enter, fans must scan the QR code and go to DraftKings to play 3 free contests. Consumers will enter individual contests, the best lineups from each contest will win cash and the Top 2 will be entered to win the Modelogrand prize for golden floor seats to the years marquee UFC fights.

The contest opens starting Feb. 2, 2022, and runs until April 15, 2022.

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Pea Ridge School Board members to be residents of one of five zones – Arkansas Online

Posted: at 5:37 am

PEA RIDGE -- All five seats on the Pea Ridge School Board are up for election this year as a result of a state law requiring the district be zoned because of the percentage of the district population belonging to a minority status.

The law requires any board of a community that has a combined minority population of more than 10% create zones. The law provides that a school district that attains 10% minority population out of the total population shall elect board members in compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 as amended.

The School Board has taken all necessary steps to comply with the law including approving a resolution to create and approve the zones created by a demographer.

Five zones were created, and each of the board members must reside in the district being represented. Term lengths will be established by elected board members drawing lots. According to the law, no more than two board members can be up for election in any year.

To be eligible for a School Board seat, a person must be a registered voter, live in the Pea Ridge School District and live in the zone they will represent. They must not be an employee of the district. A felony, in most cases, is a disqualifier for running for School Board or holding a School Board seat.

The candidate filing period opens Feb. 22 and closes March 1. The election will be May 24.

In order to be a candidate, interested persons are advised to obtain materials about running for office from the County Clerk's office, then circulate petitions to gather signatures of at least 20 qualified residents of the district and zone.

Dr. Tony Prothro, executive director of the Arkansas School Boards Association, said specific legal duties of School Board members include:

Make, enforce and obey district policies.

Hire and evaluate the superintendent.

Set the district's vision, mission and direction.

Oversee district finances and budget.

Approve the employment of staff.

Attend legal convened board meetings.

Conduct hearings.

Visit schools annually when students are present.

Receive training and professional development.

Follow state and federal laws and Arkansas Department of Education rules governing public schools, including the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

In addition, School Board members may:

Monitor and advocate for student achievement and district progress.

Advocate student needs to lawmakers and stakeholders.

Collaborate with community partners.

Ensure facilities are safe and adequate.

Align resources with goals.

Prothro said qualities of a good board member are integrity, commitment, vision, courage and respect.

He said board members should be motivated by the best interest of all students regardless of demographic area or other identifiers; be passionate about public education; share responsibility for fiscal accountability, facilities and student academic achievement; be willing to follow high ethical standards; be strong communicators and willing to listen; be ready to rely on facts and weigh in on all sides of an issue before making a decision; be well informed about current issues in public education; be supporters of the democratic process and accept the will of the majority; be willing to spend time and energy on board business; be committed to learning by participating in ongoing training; be collaborative and able to function as part of a team; and be willing to exercise power only at legally held meetings.

He said an individual board member only has authority when present in a legally convened meeting and casting a vote with a quorum present.

Noting that many times parents of students complain to school board members, Prothro said the "Golden Rule" is that if someone is hired to do it, it is not their job. He said board members should require all parties complaining to follow the chain of command by routing all requests and information through the proper channels.

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The Sphere Of The Between: Serve Somebody | Faith | greenevillesun.com – Greeneville Sun

Posted: at 5:37 am

Youre gonna have to serve somebody. Bob Dylan wrote that, but I believe its more than a line from a song. I am convinced that we must serve something or someone. I think we have a need to serve because we want to connect with other people. And we want to connect in order to make community. And in community, we find salvation. Youre gonna have to serve somebody.

I cant prove it, but I believe service is critical to a healthy life. If you adopt some aspect of service in your life, youll bring yourself into contact with people and youll feel better for it. I cant prove that either, but Im willing to bet on it.

Do you know the story from the Bible about the Golden Rule? Jesus said to his disciples, Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Thats Matthew, chapter 7, verse 12. Jesus was not the first smart guy to think of that. It was first expressed about 5,200 years ago in India. The Golden Rule shows up in all the religions of the world and nearly every ancient culture.

Service is not something Im gonna force you to do, but in my opinion, you must do it anyway. I like to say its voluntary, but not optional. Service to humanity in some form is voluntary, but not optional.

Youre expected to support your friends. Youre expected to support and encourage your family. By virtue of the role you play in life, a lot is just plain expected of you. But think about exceeding expectations. Think like Naschon ben Aminadav.

I guess youve never heard of Naschon ben Aminadav. But I guess you know the story of how Moses led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. As Paul Harvey would say, heres the rest of the story, as told by Miriyam Glazer.

After they busted out of jail in Egypt, the Israelites camped out on the shores of the Red Sea, wondering where theyre going next, worrying that Moses talks to himself too much and how they would evade Pharaohs army. Suddenly, a sentry announces the imminent arrival of a phalanx of infantry backed up by charioteers armed to the teeth. A nearpanic ensues as they break camp, load up and look for Moses, who is nowhere to be found.

As the Egyptians appear on the horizon, Moses finally shows up with his long staff in hand, acting cool as a cucumber. Relax, gents, he says. God tells me that were gonna cross the Red Sea.

Right, Mo, says Jacob. Were here with nothing but our pajamas and some Matzoh balls because you said we had to leave in a hurry. Nobody brought a boat or a bandsaw to make a bridge. And nobody had time to learn the backstroke while we built the pyramids.

Moses looks stern, as every picture of him will attest. God knows what hes talkin about, he says. And he goes down to the shore of the sea, picks up a sea shell, mumbles a few words into it, looks heavenward and closing his eyes, he holds up his staff.

The people scream at Moses and call him all sorts of names. The hoof beats of the charioteers are louder now, and Moses tries again, carefully reciting the words God said to him. He holds up his staff and ...

At that moment, on the shore, Naschon ben Aminadav, a prince of the tribe of Judah, got it. He understood that God was waiting. Until then, everything was done by God. The plagues, the speech of Moses and Jacob, the softening of Pharaohs heart, the escape, the manna everything was provided by God.

Now God was waiting; waiting to see if anyone would take a risk for the sake of the promised land. God was waiting for just one person to jump in. And thats what Naschon did.

He jumps in the Red Sea and wades out until the water is around his armpits. He turns and looks back as his family cries for him. He continues and the water rises up to his nostrils. Now he can hardly hear anything. He holds his breath. The water is up over his ears and soon covers him completely. He disappears.

Absolute silence on the shore. The Israelites are stunned. Moses is quiet.

Only then does the sea open. Only then can the Israelites cross to safety. Only then can the world be saved.

Naschon ben Aminadav got it. He understood that he had to jump in. He understood that he could not remain on the shore forever, waiting for God to fix everything, because God couldnt do it all.

You gotta wonder sometimes why God created people. And then you realize that God needs help. God cannot do it all. Someone has to jump in and help.

God is waiting today. God is waiting for anyone any one person to jump in.

So I encourage you to jump in and use what you have in the service of others; give yourself, certainly if you can, but if not, give something else in the service of humanity. For as Zig Ziglar observed, you can have everything you want in life if you will just help other people get what they want.

The Rev. Jeff Briere is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister.

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In Mens Figure Skating, the Glitzy Costumes Are Built to Win – Vogue

Posted: at 5:37 am

Looks aside, a crucial part of the design process is using the right materials. The most important thing is it being stretchy, says Zhou. Flexible fabrics are key for a skater to perform their spins, jumps, and drops seamlessly.Each athlete has their preferences for what to skate in. My costumes are a mix of Lycra, velvet, and mesh, says Brown. Frazier, on the other hand, prefers a strong material. I dont like it to be too thin, he says. And I like either having a curved or asymmetrical hem. For pants, the golden rule is they have to be stretchy, says Zhou. But while the stretchy, body-con look has been mocked in films such as Blades of Glory, the tight pants on men have a very specific purpose. They need to be cut and tailored and fit so well that you can see every extensioneven if my knee is slightly bent, says Frazier. It can affect your score [if not].

Even with all these technical details, though, figure-skating costumes also need to be innately dazzling. We want to make sure its eye-catching, photographs well, and is pleasing to the eye for the audience and the judges, says Brown. Embellishments and rhinestones are often used to achieve this, but even those can have their technical downsides. Stoning adds a lot of weight, so you definitely dont go overboard with it, Zhou says. Wang says that, more and more, men are embracing more glitz and glamour on the ice. She attributes the risk-taking in the fashion world, more broadly for the ripple effect into the sports world. Mens fashion has taken enormous risks in the last 10 years, she says. The freedom and lack of boundaries now is very exciting.

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Do unto others – Pleasanton Express

Posted: at 5:37 am

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Matthew 7:12

The Golden Rule we all learned in grade school and church when we were young.

Honestly, I thought this rule died as I got older, and do you blame me?

I was surprised to learn that this rule still applies to our world today when an anonymous stranger paid for my familys breakfast this past Saturday.

After my nieces youth basketball game, my sisters, nieces, nephew and I went to eat breakfast at a local restaurant in Charlotte. Afterwards, we jokingly argued, as we always do, over who was going to pay the tab. Its rare when we are all together like this, so when we are, we love to take turns picking up the tab. When it was agreed, with some hesitation by all, my second oldest sister, Tammie, sent my niece to pay for our meal. I went with her as it was her first time paying at a restaurant. However, to our surprise, the cashier told us our meal was already paid for. We were both so confused as no one from our table had gone up to pay yet. My niece and I did a double take then went back to our table. With confusion, we explained to my sisters that our meal had been paid for. Our eldest sister, Rosie, was so shocked, as were all of us, but was scared this was a trick of some sort. No one has EVER paid forward such kindness to our family like this before. We never expect it or look for it, either. I went back to the register and attempted to pay one more time.

Did you mean us? I asked the lady, thinking she was talking to the gentlemen who was behind us the first time around.

Yes, your check has already been paid for, she answered.

Once again, I went back to our table in confusion. We all pondered for 10 minutes, afraid to leave the restaurant without paying. One last time, I went back up to the cashier and politely asked her who specifically paid for our meal, because it wasnt any of us. I explained we didnt want to leave without being sure, but would also like to personally thank this kind stranger.

Like I said, this never happens to our family.

She told me I could not tell yall, but your tab is taken care of. Yall have a nice day, she said again with a smile as she walked away.

I went back to our table to relay the message. With hesitation still, we exited the restaurant.

I tell you this story in hopes that you, too, will realize that there is still good out there in this world. If we only do unto others as we would have them do unto us, our world just might be a better place to live, work, play and love.

With February being kindness month, I challenge you to do a small act of kindness to a stranger the next time you are out and about: hold a door open, say thank you, turn off your bright lights when approaching another vehicle at night, wave at someone as you pass by them or if they let you into a lane, pay for a strangers meal, etc. These acts of selflessness go a long way and just might make someones day.

So, to the kind stranger who paid for my familys breakfast on Saturday at Galindos in Charlotte thank you. You really made our day.

REBECCA PESQUEDA is the News Editor of the Pleasanton Express. You may reach her at rpesqueda@pleasantonexpress.com

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Is there a best or worst day to find gas? This study may have found the answer – WVTM13

Posted: at 5:37 am

Can you really save money at the gas pump just by filling up on a certain day? A recent study by GasBuddy, which tracks gas prices across the country, determined the best and worst days of the week to fill your tank and save the most money.That study found that Monday is the best day of the week to buy gasoline in 17 states, which is on par with the company's previous studies in 2017, 2018 and 2019.A new finding, however, is that Friday was one of the best days to buy gas in 2021."This trend refutes 2019s results, which placed Friday as one of the most expensive days of the week at the pump, and can perhaps be attributed to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the emerging prominence of work from home lifestyles," a news release from GasBuddy says.The study determined that Thursday was the worst day of the week to buy gas in 28 states. "In 2021, the middle of the week became far more expensive to fill up than on Mondays or Fridays," the release says. "While the weekend previously held the title for the most expensive prices, Wednesday now follows Thursday as the most expensive day to fill up." When it comes to saving money at the pump, Monday becomes more than the dreaded end of the weekend. GasBuddy analyzed gas price data and found that the first day of the workweek offers the lowest average gas price in 17 states, making it yet again the best day to fill-up, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. Though there is variation in daily gas prices across different states, the consensus is that filling up at the beginning or end of the workweek, on Monday or Friday, is the best way to save money."If you can't make it to a gas station on Monday, De Hann said Sunday is the next cheapest day to fill up."But even if you cant always time your fill-ups, the golden rule is to always shop around before filling up," De Haan said. Analysis of gas prices in individual states can be found here.

Can you really save money at the gas pump just by filling up on a certain day?

A recent study by GasBuddy, which tracks gas prices across the country, determined the best and worst days of the week to fill your tank and save the most money.

That study found that Monday is the best day of the week to buy gasoline in 17 states, which is on par with the company's previous studies in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

A new finding, however, is that Friday was one of the best days to buy gas in 2021.

"This trend refutes 2019s results, which placed Friday as one of the most expensive days of the week at the pump, and can perhaps be attributed to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the emerging prominence of work from home lifestyles," a news release from GasBuddy says.

The study determined that Thursday was the worst day of the week to buy gas in 28 states.

"In 2021, the middle of the week became far more expensive to fill up than on Mondays or Fridays," the release says. "While the weekend previously held the title for the most expensive prices, Wednesday now follows Thursday as the most expensive day to fill up."

When it comes to saving money at the pump, Monday becomes more than the dreaded end of the weekend. GasBuddy analyzed gas price data and found that the first day of the workweek offers the lowest average gas price in 17 states, making it yet again the best day to fill-up, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. Though there is variation in daily gas prices across different states, the consensus is that filling up at the beginning or end of the workweek, on Monday or Friday, is the best way to save money."

If you can't make it to a gas station on Monday, De Hann said Sunday is the next cheapest day to fill up.

"But even if you cant always time your fill-ups, the golden rule is to always shop around before filling up," De Haan said.

Analysis of gas prices in individual states can be found here.

Originally posted here:

Is there a best or worst day to find gas? This study may have found the answer - WVTM13

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The Dating Diaries: Dating rules are out, texting first is in – New Zealand Herald

Posted: at 5:37 am

There are a million rules when it comes to dating but it's time we got rid of this one. Photo / Supplied

OPINION:

Never, ever make the first move.

In the world of heterosexual dating, this one is the golden rule. It trumps all the others, like only text after three days, let them contact you first so you know they're interested, wait double the amount of time between sending texts as they do.

I want you to throw those rules out the window. The rule book? Poof, gone.

When it comes to dating there is one thing you need to know - games are for players. They are to be left in 2019 with the pre-pandemic world when we thought we had time to play them.

I've read every dating book I can get my hands on, scoured the web for dating columns, Cosmopolitan articles, podcasts, the list goes on, and the message that is constantly relayed is "never ever make the first move" followed by threats of a doomed relationship if you do.

Case in point: in Textbook Romance, Zoe Foster-Blake was quick to assert that by showing interest first you've denied the man of the chase. This is something men supposedly need before they even consider you as a potential girlfriend and by taking it away from him he will instantly slot you in the "disposable" part of his brain.

The thought kind of makes you want to s*** your pants. It's threatening, scary and absolutely not where you want to be in a man's brain.

But I continued reading anyway because the appeal of Textbook Romance was the note on the cover: "How to find the guy, make him fall wildly in love with you and keep it that way". And who doesn't want to be loved?

Unfortunately, I didn't get much further through the book because I was far too obsessed with the texting rule and spiralled.

What do you mean I can't text a guy first? What if I'm really interested in him and my fingertips are literally burning because I need to make that clear? It became my rule to live by for the next few years of dating, and I was fully convinced this one dating habit would result in me finding my one and only Prince Charming.

Shockingly, it didn't. And perhaps my biggest mistake was never making it to the end of the book because the final chapter says you should ignore absolutely everything in the book. Foster-Blake, while a dating advice legend, can only give generic advice, not tailored.

So now that I've got my own dating experience and the world has changed dramatically since Foster-Blake's book, it's clear that the rule of waiting passively for a man to make contact is what is setting so many women up for failure.

You've probably heard the saying "if he wants to text, he will" and maybe that's what's put you off texting first. While it is true to an extent because men have long been known to be more impulsive than women, the dating game has changed form. Take, for example, Bumble.

The dating app is known for its sassy rule, only women can make the first move. Which, if we were going by the theory in Textbook Romance, would mean it has zero users because men like the chase, not to be chased.

The fact is women are coming into their own dating personas and in doing so they aren't scared of making the first move in relationships and you shouldn't be either.

Since I have nil experience in dating assertiveness, I reached out to friends and the women I've spoken to about this are firm believers that, yes, if a man wants to text, he will. But it's not isolated to making contact first, it also means that regardless of who floats the idea, the date will still happen.

And if he doesn't, if he makes an excuse or leaves you on "read" or gaslights you into pretending he didn't see the message - like Che did to Miranda in And Just Like That - at least you'll have immediate clarity that he isn't the man for you and you can move on.

Dating rules are there for a reason, they worked for someone at a certain point in time but 2022 dating is completely different to anything we have ever experienced before and you should approach it with your own rules.

Go on instinct, not what a book, a podcast an article or even a dating column is telling you to do.

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The Dating Diaries: Dating rules are out, texting first is in - New Zealand Herald

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