Otago Daily Time - Festival of Steam

Sent 27th October 2012

Sir:
It is great to hear Dunedin’s Earnslaw inspired Steam Heritage Weekend was sucsessful and is tipped to be an Annual event .
To me Dunedin always seemed to be a Mecca for 19th Century technology and should really celebrate this heritage.

I do recall talking to the Late Les Hutchins Founder of Real Journeys about Kingston becoming a working Tourist Steam Museum
With Replicas of now lost Lake Steamers and Refurbished Steam Locomotives and Railways buildings.

However That would have required Government Focus and Coordination that we sadly lack in the 21st century.

Oamaru works harder at it’s 19th Century Heritage Strategy and will may well become a Steam Punk Capital,
Though they never manufactured Steam locomotives or Ships.

Southland Times: Hitch-Hikers Guide, Galaxy

Published 30th October 2012

      

Nice to see your paper printed a Story on the Heart of our Galaxy with Quotes from the Late Douglass Adams, the greatest Philosopher Humorist of the 20th Century.
I recall he said space is so mind bogglingly big that most intelligent species have learned to settle down is much smaller places for the sake of their own sanity.
Also He stated that to live in a Universe this size the one thing you cannot afford to have is a sense of proportion, which is no doubt why people need religion.
Because if you could truly see the vastness of time and space compared to your own Physical existence the shock would be too much for your brain!

But then, there is a footnote that many respectable scientists have complained that this argument is a load of Dingo’s Kidneys...

That sums up where we are at the moment I think. 

Radio NZ: Hurricane Sandy

Sent 30th October 2012

After Reading some religious Wrath of God against Sinners in the from of Natural Disasters in the Local Public Opinion, and thinking about what Charles Darwin observed in Nature, I think the US might want to take the power of Natural Selection More Seriously.

Natural Selection Made Mankind The Highest Life Form on Earth for one attribute only and that is Superior Intellect. unfortunately it seems that a large chunk of the Human Diaspora have gone off on a dead end where they thought that if they preyed to an Imaginary Supernatural Being they could Act in an irrational manor and not be held accountable or indeed be protected by him. Sadly they have Built our Cities in the wrong places and in the wrong manor thinking we own some supernatural Insurance.

The Indian’s knew About Hurricanes that is why they lived the way they did, but they Lived hand in hand with Nature.

Well Look out, old Mother Nature is back and Global Warming has given her an Attitude, She is a Angry Bitch and Her name is Sandy!

And she could make 9/11 look like a Sunday Tea Party at the Romney's house.

Southland Times: Unaffordable Housing today

Sent 29th October 2012

I am sorry but Bill English and his Party are in La-La Land when they think high house prices are the product of not enough property Development.

Might it just be that it is because of weak and stupid Governments that houses have become the best investment return in the Country..
Might it also be the density issues around Auckland and Greedy People in the Construction Industry there who can’t even build simple dry shelter?

Back in the good old days when there was a housing shortage and quality issues the Government its self stepped in and did the job .

Which is what it should have done in Christchurch instead for playing free market roulette with everyone's lives.

Then there is the question of overseas landlords. Why is it a good thing for non New Zealanders to grab up our housing stock with their off shore spending power?
Surely they just suck the rent out of the country and inflate our prices...

In Manapouri development has not lowered the house prices or brought in people to live here, it just pushes up our rates and ruins the natural ambience.

Southland Times: Tiwai Smelter Opinions

Letters to the Editor Southland Times Sent: 14th October 2012

Mr Bryan Campbell made a dramatic point about the way the Smelter Workers own their Future In Saturdays Public Opinion.

I myself have had only one dealing with Comalco when they where asked if they wanted to support a Community Manapouri/TeAnau Cycle Trail.
We where told by the then Boss that They have done enough Community Support in the region with The Kakapo etc and I gather he probably thought that the community could in-fact support Comalco. Maybe Bryan has found their Human Side and surely, like any body, they only want to be loved! a 20% wage cut would certainly show we care, and when times are better they will no-doubt return that Love with Interest and maybe with luck, floods of Kakapo Parrots into the bargain.