Telling occasional fibs is what we animals do. Even my dog is capable of a swifty if it means another biscuit. But there are limits and we see downright lying creeping ever more into the utterances of politicians, officials and corporate leaders, to say nothing of all the Josie-fibbing-queens on Instagram. We can tell it’s a massive... Keep Reading
As a frequent traveller between Ōtaki and Wellington, life has been changed immeasurably by the new roads – Peka Peka to Ōtaki, Kāpiti Expressway and Transmission Gully. On a clear run the journey is reduced by around 10 to 15 minutes. Better still, the congestion points are eliminated so that a north-bound three-hour Friday evening... Keep Reading
I’ve imagined the world going to a therapist. You know, just like every Hollywood A-lister does during another marriage breakup or perhaps after an accidental overdose. The Earth (let me call him Mr World) is having a few headaches right now and is experiencing quite a bit of over-heating along with some discomfort with waste disposal.... Keep Reading
The media are flushed with stories about the arrival of AI (artificial intelligence) into the crevasses of our lives. Whether we ignore it, or not – and many are doing the former – indifference will be irrelevant to the juggernaut being unleashed before our eyes. Make no mistake, this is likely to be humanity’s biggest game-changer... Keep Reading
How life has changed. Once we fretted about mere things like where the toddler stashed the TV remote or what day the rubbish should go out. Now we have real things to be worried about, like wrapping a mask around our gills to go out and keeping a distance from the old geezer coughing next to us at the dairy. If anything, how Covid (Delta)... Keep Reading
Getting older has a strange way of subconsciously convincing one that we’re still in our youth. It’s only when feeling the strain of tying shoelaces or getting down to sit on the floor that we are reminded we’re no longer in our prime. Then there are the youthful memories that tell us that things are no longer what they used to be. Who... Keep Reading
As a kid at Waitohu School in the 1960s, I recall my teacher, a Miss Hoskins, as a very sporty type who liked to travel. One day in class she revealed a desire to go to the Himalayas. Keen to impress, I proudly offered the fact that my Dad had once been to the Himalayas. My little tale might even have extended to the notion that he had... Keep Reading
It doesn’t seem too long ago that “mental health” was not part of our lexicon. Certainly, when I was a schoolboy it never entered the conversation. That’s not to say it didn’t exist; it was simply that if anyone was feeling “a bit down”, it would be assumed they’d get over it or just needed to harden up. These days, for... Keep Reading
How many out-of-work journalists do you know? Are you wondering where all the “adults” have gone on TV news? It’s generally known that traditional media have been feeling a spot of financial squeeze for some time. That has impacted on quality and the media’s vital role as the Fourth Estate. To make a very... Keep Reading
Friday March 15, 2019, started for many like any other weekday in New Zealand. People’s daily habits would have meant snatching a bit of early morning news on the iPhone, running a Google search or two to find a bit of ready information and checking for anything juicy on Instagram and Facebook. The world probably seemed fine as people headed... Keep Reading
Back in the day when the Civic Theatre sold movies and Edhouses sold everything else, we used phone party lines to arrange a meeting at the Ritz Milk Bar or to organise a spot of whitebaiting at the Ōtaki river. A hamstring hadn’t yet been invented as a rugby injury, alcohol and cigarettes were harmless and a bet on the horses required a... Keep Reading
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