I was rather surprised this week to read that the travel industry thinks the government should insure travellers against getting stuck in Australia, once a travel bubble is opened. The reason given was that insuring travellers to cover the costs of getting stuck overseas, if a country locks down, is too expensive and the governmentContinue reading “Blowing bubbles”
Author Archives: janecshearer
Squashed frog
Upon finishing our 3 week cycling trip I suddenly felt flat. Dead flat. Perhaps as flat as a frog we saw on the roadside while cycling uphill on the Forgotten Highway. The squashed frog inspired me to write a song, on which I am currently working. The planned chorus runs something like: I’m a squashedContinue reading “Squashed frog”
What’s in a year?
A year ago tomorrow I posted the start of this blog, prompted by Jacinda Ardern’s announcement on March 21 2020 that New Zealand was going into COVID Alert Level 2 and the knowledge that, for the first time ever, New Zealand’s borders were closed to anyone not a citizen or permanent resident. The government’s immediateContinue reading “What’s in a year?”
Are you on an e-bike?
I have been visualising carrying a swimming noodle so I can whip it out and hit people over the head when they say, yet again, “Are you on an e-bike”. My mental swimming noodle is seeing lots of action, but I haven’t seen anyone flinch yet so I must be keeping it well within myContinue reading “Are you on an e-bike?”
Early or Late?
The Serum Institute in India aims to manufacture over 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine shots in 2021. This would be almost half the supply manufactured on the planet. Have you ever heard of the Serum Institute? What got them to this leading position? The Serum Institute was started by Cyrus Poonawalla in the 1960s. He setContinue reading “Early or Late?”
A diverse life
At one time I aspired to be like Marie Stopes. Who is she, you might ask. If you are a coal geologist you will know, but most of you probably are not coal geologists. I was a coal geologist in an earlier life; today it is fairly embarassing to explain to people that your PhDContinue reading “A diverse life”
How about thia?
I constantly find I am behind the times; I ascribe this to times moving rapidly. Recently I noticed Chris’s sister’s email signature included her preferred personal pronoun (which was ‘she’). When I mentioned this, Ximena said she had done it for about a year (I guess I wasn’t reading her emails very carefully) and otherContinue reading “How about thia?”
Customary practice
This week there was a kerfuffle in the New Zealand Parliament over a tie, or the lack of one. The Maori Party co-leader, Rawiri Waititi refused to wear a tie. He argued he was wearing Maori business attire with a hei tiki around his neck. Trevor Mallard, Speaker of the House and enforcer of theContinue reading “Customary practice”
Triumphs of science
COVID-19 vaccines are, without a doubt, a triumph of humans’ achievement in scientific and technological endeavour. That we have developed, manufactured and started rolling out relatively well tested vaccines in around one year since COVID-19 was identified, and less than one year since it was first sequenced, is truly amazing. If humans could apply suchContinue reading “Triumphs of science”
Patterns & Conspiracy Theorists
Back in June I found my brain inventing conspiracy theories all by itself. Interestingly, back in June 2020, New Zealand was contemplating that a trans-Tasman travel bubble might open up in the last quarter of 2020, while the ski fields were hoping it might come sometime sooner. The National Party was demanding a timeline inContinue reading “Patterns & Conspiracy Theorists”