Gimmick or game changer? — In the upcoming mayoral elections in Auckland, at least two candidates are campaigning for free public-transport. One of them is the leading candidate. Does Auckland need (really) free public transport? Free Public Transport? Pros There is an obvious upside to this: Free. Currently, to encourage people to return to work, public transport fares have…

When can a problem be considered “solved” — This week New Zealand announced the end of its Covid “traffic light system”. Managed isolation and quarantine had ended a few months ago. Does a signal of an end mean that the problem has been solved? For complex, problems, the reality is well, complex. The final part in this series…

From God to elephant, and elephant to God — Ganesh Chaturthi is a lunar-calendar based celebration of Lord Ganesh, the lovable elephant-headed god of wisdom and prosperity. Ganesh or Ganesha, is one of the most popular Hindu deities. …

Challenge yourself to understand the difference — The term “complex” is often used lightly. Just because something is not simple does not mean it’s complex. Between simple and complex lies a huge gulf, which the Cynefin model calls complicated. In complex systems, cause/effect can only be established retrospectively. It’s about unknown-unknowns. Complicated situations are about known-unknowns; cause/effect…

Who will wear it best? — Kit reveals are an important ritual for a new season. Here’s my rating of the home and away jersey of all 20 Premier League teams. Arsenal The home jersey is a throwback to the 90s. The lightning trimmed polo collar and white Adidas stripes accentuate the clean design. 4.5/5. The Away…

Square pegs and round holes — Last season, Ronaldo’s transfer was a major talking point. This season, and with one year on his contract remaining, it’s a talking point again. Déjà vu — but in an anti-climactic sense. When Ronaldo was linked to Manchester City, Guardiola famously said that players like Messi and Ronaldo — “they…

How the times have changed — The Premier League is about to enter its 31st season. This is close to a generational gap, which is generally believed to be around 25–30 years. A lot has changed in this time and what better narrator of passing time can we have than the changes in team kits. I…

Time is the defining dynamic — There is a popular tale of a farmer. It goes along the lines that the farmer had a horse. One day the horse ran away into the hills. People commiserated with the farmer but he replied “good luck or bad luck, who knows/we will see?”. A few days later, the…