Anyone else out there disturbed by the media treatment of Sam Uffindell? This week’s news in New Zealand has been dominated by reporting that the recent winner of the Tauranga by-election was expelled from the prestigious Auckland Kings College at age 16. Uffindell was expelled for assaulting a 13 year old, together with three otherContinue reading “Media disservice”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Limits to Growth
…have we hit them? Fifty years ago the report ‘Limits to Growth’ was produced discussing the possibility of exponential economic and population growth combined with finite supply of resources, as studied by computer simulation. The report was commissioned from MIT by the Club of Rome (a group created in 1968 to address crises facing humanityContinue reading “Limits to Growth”
COVID-19 Origins & Motivations
When in Rome, do as the Romans do…modified for Gibbston. One must make the most of the snow and when the weather is sunny. This week two papers were published in Science (a highly regarded scientific journal) which suggest that the Huanan Wet Market (a market selling live animals to be eaten) in Wuhan wasContinue reading “COVID-19 Origins & Motivations”
Dear Mike Hosking…
For the offshore reader, Mike Hosking is a voluble and high profile radio talk show host who is very vocal in his opposition to cycleways and the impossibility of cycling being a significant local transport option in New Zealand. He unfortunately and antagonistically reduces the debate to a head-on conflict between motorists and cyclists, whoContinue reading “Dear Mike Hosking…”
Returning to the not-so-smug hermit kingdom
We have been out of New Zealand for two months, hard to believe it is that long, and it is time to go back. The fears we had when we came to Europe have not come to pass, so I am hoping the same of our return. When we left for Europe people asked concernedlyContinue reading “Returning to the not-so-smug hermit kingdom”
Best Birthdays
As anyone with an increasing birthday count knows, the significance of the day dwindles with each reoccurrence. However, one should never miss an opportunity to celebrate because you never know how many such opportunities you will be lucky enough to have – no point in wasting them. And one of the better things about gettingContinue reading “Best Birthdays”
Indigeneity & Belonging
I was walking along the Slovene Mountain Trail, looking at the way that locally logged timber is used to build steps and handrails. It makes sense and I mused on whether this is done in Slovenia because that’s how it has always been done…and how in New Zealand structures would be made of treated radiataContinue reading “Indigeneity & Belonging”
Transaction Malfunction
Sometimes there is a total mismatch between people and you wonder if you have lost your bearings or if they have…that’s how things went with a recent stay in Križe, Slovenia. Here’s how our stay progressed… Jane: I booked online through Booking.Com, choosing a changeable booking. I was a bit surprised when Booking.Com didn’t chargeContinue reading “Transaction Malfunction”
The value of risk
The mountains in Slovenia (at least the Kamnik Alps where we have been the last 4 days) turn out to be very steep and the people very fit. People of all ages and shapes and sizes are out walking briskly or slowly up gradients rarely broken by a zig-zag track. The Slovenian approach to steepContinue reading “The value of risk”
Fluid Narratives
We caught up with friends before starting hiking from Maribor in NE Slovenia on the Slovene Mountain Trail. If you want to check out where we have got to have a look at https://trackmytour.com/Kv13X We really appreciated our friends coming across Slovenia to meet us and spending the day with us in Maribor. In theContinue reading “Fluid Narratives”