Central government has taken a fair amount of stick over the loss of services and jobs in struggling provinces such as Wanganui - and rightly so.

Someone once said the most important thing in business is to keep a cool head.

It is only six weeks until Christmas Day and the pressure on many of our families to spend money they do not have has started to build already.

Picton-based Sounds Air looks set to take over the Wanganui-Wellington air route which deputy Anna Wallis has crossed her fingers to happen.

Black American activist Malcolm X said in a comment on the worth of democracy: "You can either have the ballot or the bullet."

When those two blowhards John Tamihere and Willie Jackson weighed in on the Roast Busters, they might have anticipated a little angry denunciation at their typical antics, but I doubt they expected this call for their heads.

This week Kate Stewart is Thinking Out Loud about the nation's political circus, particularly the re-appearance of Labour's lady quota.

Kelly Makiha provides Another View on the tradition of fireworks on Guy Fawkes Day.

The curse of Mars also applies to Asian countries.

This week in Whanganui concerned residents attended a meeting on synthetic cannabis and legal highs and students in Palmerston North protested against the sale of legal highs.

They reckon if you stay in one place long enough the whole world will pass you by and so it is with Labour.

We can justly celebrate the positive attributes of our city as the signs of the coming summer lighten hearts and diminish the need for outer cover.

Recently , to much mirth Wellington's new Anglican bishop despoiled his lovely cathedral's entrance by residing there in a wooden crate mocked up as a prison cell for a week's baying at the sky.

I'm not much given to wearing bling. A Seiko watch, wedding ring, and Warehouse glasses don't really count.

Not that this will come as any great surprise to many of you, but I've never been a great believer in "the mother's group" thing.

Newspapers and magazines like to develop lists of 10 things. The Australian papers are full of them.

I was no fan of the self-disclosed recovering junkie and womaniser Russell Brand ... until this week.

We sincerely hope you haven't noticed ... but today marks a big change for your favourite daily newspaper.