Mike has emailed me to say t'is not true! and informing me that he wouldn't want to be associated "with gutter press services." (Who's he talking about?).

Poor old Mike tells me that this has cost him "over 40,000 in sales this week" -- which just shows how powerful this column is I guess -- since at the time his email was received (12:05 pm today), the article had only been online for less than 3 hours!

Anyway, Mike says that the information I referred to on this page (copy of since-changed original page) was placed by someone unknown and without his permission.

Tsk, tsk BizInfo.co.nz -- me thinks you're doing bad things to Mr Masters' reputation by associating him with the Aardvark brandname.

Mike initially made all sorts of noises about suing me for defamation -- but it would now appear that he's come to the realisation that it's BizInfo who deserve a rocket -- for publishing incorrect details about his business in such a way that could be harmful -- not only to Mike but also to me!

If Mr Masters has a beef with anyone then it's not with me for reporting what BizInfo had done -- it's with BizInfo for falsely representing the information without permission.

I suspect that BizInfo have acknowledged their mistake because now the page in question looks 4 like this.

Hey -- BIZinfo -- 4 read this! and do your homework before you play around on the Net.

Of course -- I commend BIZinfo for what they're trying to achieve with this site, I just wish they had done their homework and took their responsibilities a little more seriously.

A House Of Comedians?
While thousands of hard-working, dedicated entrepreneurs work unenviably long hours, risking their houses, relationships and health to try and build a business that will ultimately provide jobs, export earnings and an wealth that the entire country will enjoy, our well-paid politicians have again thumbed their noses at us.

While so many "survive" on a pay rate that is often little more than a dollar an hour -- simply because they work so long and reinvest almost all their revenues in growing their businesses -- our poorly qualified and badly-behaved politicians continue their loutish pranks in parliament's debating chamber -- and doing it with money taken from our wallets.

Yesterday the level of school-yard antics for which parliament is becoming increasingly renowned reached an all-time low when Alliance whip Grant Gillon made a very poor-taste reference to sheep and women's body-parts.

Now while Mr Gillon may tell us that this was a joke, I think it's time that we reminded him and his peers that they are not paid three or four times the average wage to perform as lacklustre stand-up comedians. They are employed to manage the affairs of the country -- and to do so in a professional and respectable manner.

As I've said before -- I know of no board-room, or classroom in this country that would tolerate the kind of misbehaviour that we see almost daily from our 3rd-rate politicians.

I know a lot of people who earn little more than minimum wage who conduct themselves in a far more dignified and professional manner than the people we elect to the highest offices in the land. As the people who's pockets are raided in order to pay the politician's salaries, we have a right to be outraged at this waste of public money.

To politicians on all sides of the house I say -- you are charged with a job and a responsibility -- please take it seriously and stop treating the citizens of this country with contempt. We deserve better!

As always, your feedback is welcomed.