I trust you will be thanking the laid off workers who face losing their houses because they have been laid off from their jobs for their noble sacrifices in keeping the economy on a steady path. I really hope that you will take them into your house in return for what they did.

People like you digust me. How do you justify people not getting a pay rise when rents, power, mortage rates, etc keep going up?

Well considering there will be none in the private sector company I work for either, I find it hard to feel anything other than a rather large “Meh.” It isn’t just the public sector that has tightened its belt.

Even better I received my first Christmas gift today from a client. An I-Pod touch. Chinese are very generous as I have said.

Now as we have a rule about not receiving gifts personally that are over a set $ limit, I have to put it in the staff “lucky draw” which is drawn at our Christmas function (if senior staff win then you have to give it to the poorest staff member).

I already have suitable Apple product so giving that one away is not too hard. It’s the travel vouchers/Mandarin Hotel Spa vouchers I cry over the most at having to give up as I know I can actually use them.

Always splendid with free-flowing alcohol. As I said, bad party, loss of face.

Bit like I guess the Maori Party and “mana enhancements”. Even if you are down to your last dollar, you cap in hand for more so it looks like you are doing better than you actually are.