As a sporting event, despite its claim as the world’s oldest international sporting trophy, nothing matches the America’s Cup for unrelenting boredom. The Armenian line‑dancing championships would be heart‑attack inducing spectator territory by comparison.

For a start it’s not as implied, a competition between nations, but instead an indulgence periodically taken up by ever changing wealthy individuals. As for its significance, a few years ago New Zealand journalists attending a challenge in San Diego reported their shock to find no‑one in the city was aware it was taking place.

Sad to see the slow demise of SKY, yet another new technology victim.

Sport and pay-per-view movies appears to have been its mainstay although for me its major attraction has always been its international news channels.

That said, I don’t think its image is helped by adopting the ghastly contemporary practise of personalising correspondence to strangers.

“Tax is a social contract. It is undermined when giant technology companies such as Amazon, Google, Facebook and Uber do all they can to minimise their liabilities by virtue of their global reach and commercial heft”, so asserted a Times editorial last week.

That opening sentence is a disgrace, specially for the Times, a very good survivor in a dying industry.

Much scolding media carry‑on about the mediocre turn‑out in the local body elections. Are people simply not interested?

Actually, I think they are and attribute the low vote singularly to dismay at the candidates on offer. I hesitate to criticise them but the hard fact is that local government has always been a vehicle for the nondescript, in many cases seeking an income they’re otherwise incapable of earning, plus a degree of “fame”. That said they pay a hell of a price in tedium.

Good Lord, I nearly had a heart attack when I read a paid Air NZ advertorial on the Stuff website. Finally, they’ve got something right.

It was headed “Dunedin – Here’s why New Zealander’s best kept secret should be your next city break” and went on to wax enthusiastically about the city.