At the bottom of Te Manuao Road, where Burt Edwards’s dairy occupied one corner and a derelict house the other corner, we kids regularly explored the old house, which was predictably known as the “Haunted House”. This was a time when Te Manuao Road had about seven houses and was more generally market gardening and farming land. In fact,... Keep Reading
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
As the early storm clouds of Covid rolled from Wuhan in China towards the rest of the world, I spent a blissful 2019 Christmas with family in Auckland. In between the barbecues and languid strolls to Takapuna Beach, where evidence of masks or social distancing was still some way off, I jumped into a book written by a group of international... 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
Like all kids, my life seemed like an endless series of epiphanies – the curtain is drawn open and something new is learned, often with startling effect. I’d like to think these moments embedded themselves as a kind of street map that guided this intrepid self through life. Part of that is trying, often with struggle, to maintain that... Keep Reading
Most people who are homeless are not in their situation by choice. Rental prices in Ōtaki are high and there’s a shortage of accommodation, plus a lot of people don’t make the grade some landlords expect. These days, rental owners and/or their property managers have their own ideas about who can apply. So if you are not a professional... Keep Reading
God save the king. No, I’m not (for the moment) talking about the one ascending the throne in the UK. I’m thinking of the heir to old-school blues legends such as B B King, Albert King and Freddy King. The new king is one Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, a 23-year-old guitar sensation from Clarksdale, Mississippi. Google “Kingfish... Keep Reading
Has there been a time, in the past 100 years, when democracy as a cornerstone of society has been so globally threatened as now? Putin’s incomprehensible invasion of Ukraine, Trump’s gross attempts to subvert the United States electoral system and Boris Johnson’s casual corruption likely take us back to the 1930s for any kinds of a... Keep Reading
Through all of 2020 the ‘leader of the free world’ hinted loudly that the US presidential elections of that year would be rigged. Of course, that would only be the case if he had lost. Afterall, there’s not much point in complaining after the event if he’d won but, sure enough, it could come in handy if he ended up the loser. By a... Keep Reading
It wasn’t long ago that the idea of people introducing themselves with a “jab” moniker seemed ridiculous. But no longer. You know, “hey, I’m a two-jab hero”. No, I have one jab but I’ll be a two-jab body next week. Then, sadly, there’s the occasional no-jab person. Just as it’s dawning on everyone that the community health... 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
An ocean-going canoe is thousands of kilometres from land and crowded with families (women, men and children). Tropical storms are a constant threat, and the flimsy craft is the only means of survival. Nevertheless, the crew are experienced and work well together under leadership that encourages good communication and teamwork. Most of the... Keep Reading
A FRIEND once offered me his thoughts about a public meeting to discuss issues of importance in the local community. “Just a bloody talk-fest” he complained. Undeterred, I managed to persuade him to attend the meeting with me, where he found himself passionately immersed in the discussion and, interestingly, had plenty to say. On... Keep Reading
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