Our Rupert Murdoch Dream

Posted 30th May 2019 to the Washington Post Newspaper Washington DC USA

There has been a lot of flack thrown at the media of late about bending the truth,
especially the Murdoch Brand that has serviced Americas desire for self deception since the Reagan Years.

 I think we are looking at this in the wrong way, reality is easy to see and we don’t need a paper to tell us that
Human nature has a very dark side especially from the spoiled and often nasty offspring of the great and powerful.

The Murdoch Brand is in fact a public service it makes life for the rest of us more comfortable to be shielded from all that for many years now.
However the last couple of years it has been very taxing on the Rupert family’s skills to make the magnificent awfulness of the nation’s trust fund kids in politics
sit comfortably as they appear to torment our democracy for sport as if they are poking sticks in to our government like it is an ant hill.

Well it is funny how human history and human failings play out on an endless loop. But also uncomfortable.

Respecting the RATE PAYERS

Posted 29th of May 2019 to the Advocate South Newspaper Te Anau NZ

It was sure great that Southland District Councillor Ebel Cramer came to Manapouri to chat with the locals about council issues and changes we are concerned about now underway,
I think everyone was happy to have a chat to calm the waters instead of a formal procedural meeting. Ebel was a friendly face of the Council and I hope we see more of this idea if the new streamlined Council operation in the future.

Also the Idea of more transparency into unused community rates seemed to have hit the right note.

Hope our good friends in Environment Southland take a few notes on these fresh ideas too. 

NZ Wetland Experience - ES

Posted 26th May 2019 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin NZ

It seems kind of sad that the guys at Environment Southland are upset that the Manapouri – Te Anau Cycle Trail went too close to a wetland area out side the town of Manapouri.

I seem to recall environmentalist Sir Alan Mark saying it would be a good thing for the public to have access to some wetlands as a good public relations gesture.
The Trails Trust could easily construct access to the nearby legendary Kepler Mire (Lord of the Rings Location) something Professor Mark once mooted for scientific reasons.

I doubt the Trails Trust would want to have anything to do with that now, one would think Environment Southland would desire such a public gestures but alas not.

Perhaps ES might at least consider some PR at the Save Manapouri Rock at the Manapouri end of the Cycle Trail as that would be a perfect have a water fountain to celebrate our Pure Fiordland Water.

If they are not keen on us celebrating our geographic features they ARE big on water.

Just FYI the guy who gave the first donation to get the Fiordland Trails Trust underway was also the guy who helped Gaylord Nelson get the first Earth Day Started...

Something the Minister of Conservation might consider in the upgrade of the National Park Plan.

Maori on NZ Maps vs Google

Posted 23rd May 2019 to the Advocate South Newspaper Te Anau NZ 

The question of alternative names for features in the Fiordland National Park (23rd May) is tricky,  as a history buff I have said to the NZ Geographic Board a few years back that they need a special map series 

That has historic events and names included especially for lost Maori information.

Luckily in these days of Google the NZGB could now ask to have this fixed relatively easily and not just for Maori Folklore but more recent stories for Middle Earth which is also culturally important to many visitors doing pilgrimages to New Zealand as unlike the old paper maps the Internet has space for everyone!

However before the NZGB gets stuck into it they might want to work on an official Maori History Database with citations and references just to keep things seemly.
That would be nice we would not like to see politics great temptation to rear it’s ugly head.

United States of the World ?

Posted 22nd May 2019 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin Otago NZ

The ghost of the late engineer Osama Bin Laden will be feeling happy seeing his handiwork play out
Using the USA’s military weight and size to break it’s back.  He set up a chain of events that have morphed
into his design.

As we speak the USA has two massive new wars on the books all ready to launch into plus all the ones still burning since
The events September 11th 2001  which will strain the US Military to it’s limits.
And at the same time facing potential turmoil at home and from the planet itself...

Strangely there is only one US Presidential candidate running on a anti war ticket Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii.
And she is not getting a lot of oxygen even from the liberals.

President Trump says he is “anti war” but he might be replaced soon and any replacement will come from a game of thrones cabinet.

Who would have thought that being a genius world leader would be so complicated!

Trump or Snap Election

Posted 22nd May 2019 to the Dominion Post Newspaper Wellington NZ

Things are looking very tricky for democracy in the United States at the moment with the breakdown of law in the higher levels of government. It is a dangerous game of chicken between the White House and Congress at play. 

There is only one tool in the box left to save the United States if congress fails. 

A snap election is the only peaceful hope. If that is held up by civil disobedience the complicated systems of this high tech civilisation will stop working. idiots with guns can not keep the systems going and 21st Century Americans are not capable of foraging for food and fuel like people of Venezuela.

There is another safety valve, many individual States are capable of self preservation if the federal system fails and just maybe the world could do without a mega super power if its too hard to keep it under control.
  
BTW Isn’t that is why FDR made the United Nations ? 

Invercargill, what makes a good city?

Posted 22nd May 2019 to the Southland Times Newspaper Invercargill.

Talking about refurbishing Invercargill City... I did a check list about what makes a good city it seems well maintained and tidy buildings,
nice friendly street-scapes are important but their are a few other things you need like nice weather, Interesting shops, friendly people,
Recreational opportunities, education opportunities and first and foremost good job opportunities. I don’t know how city hall can tick all those boxes but
As long as Central Government is not helping cities much apart from the Auckland Mega City project so unless that changes it will be a hard road.

UNITED STATES OF EARTH (aka the real UN)

Posted 24th May 2019 to the Odentroll blog www Planet Earth.

Future Shock: What would be a stable government for the preservation of humanity and the natural world? If you dig around in old books there is one idea that american progressives might just relate to.

What if the US Federal Government with it's global money supply, language and military opened the doors to all nations to have seats equal to a US state and US states could be upgraded to small nation states.

It is clear as the Anthropocene changes sweep the planet all humans are going to need to pull together.

Competition and War amongst nations is toxic to life and a Central Justice and Research Government will be essential to maintaining our lives and our environment.

The current system of endless conflict, greed and humiliation based on primal emotions is well past it's use by date.

Today there is a wave of intelligent progressive brave young people and old campaigners read to fix the system and bring us all into a better future.

It would just be rude not to let them try...

Mercer MAGA-CARE & UBI

Posted 15 May 2019 to the Chicago Tribune Newspaper Chicago Ill USA

Republican think tanks are currently nutting out how to win back the voters with an eye on the progressive left.
One worry is that they will forge something dubbed MAGA-CARE after the alt right discovered that Andrew Yang has
what the have been looking for.

The simple premise is If anyone is technically allowed to run for president of the USA then the state should automatically provide you free Medicare as well as a Universal
Basic Income as a given.

This new deal should also be available in any country where there are US Embassies or for passport holders. And doubled in Countries the US is currently rebuilding.
Politically speaking  It is in fact so cunning that you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel. 

The Dream of Donald Trump NZ

Posted 12 May 2019 to the Southland Times Newspaper Invercargill NZ

It has been interesting to see Donald J Trump effecting Kiwis  He sure is an interesting guy the way he effects certain people.
He is the long awaited king of the day dream believers, the champion of the powerful wanabe oligarchs club,
he is the Pope of the self important and the patron saint of the near do well sons everywhere. He administers to the many people In abject as well as moral poverty, and to Fundamentalist Christians he is a gift from above.

Unfortunately for some reason his close friends are bitter and twisted gangster like tormentors of humanity,  luckily to protect the population from panicking from this toxic entourage
as the crimes & bodies mount up, our best comedians, Democrat Leaders and journalists weave a soft blanket of normality around him.

You can’t blame people for taking the road of least resistance as resistance is very hard, uncomfortable and dreaming is very undemanding, soft & fluffy .
Sometimes people just have to get through the darn day.

Dunedin NZ Harbour Development

Posted 15th May 2019 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin NZ

 I think it’s great that Dunedin wants to smarten up the water front something I have written in for decades 
But how is the threat of rising sea levels going to be factored in? Also the displacement of residents and jobs BTW What is Dunedin doing about low carbon technologies?
 I still think Dunedin’s heritage is its strong point and it is a great waste not to embrace all the creativity of the 19th Century that the City Builders left us.
As for the Harbour the best thing to do is try to turn it’s industrial shores back to nature even if it means having to recreate natures hand with technology.
If you need a Waterfront Hotel Recycle a Cruise Ship or two because if things go bad, they float!  Remember reusing and re purposing is the best way to slow damage to the environment.  

Posted 5th May 2019 to the Southland Times Newspaper Invercargill NZ

I read that Mr Aulis Allen is fearing catastrophe if we act on climate change civilisation is doomed which is a worry to young people and investors world wide.
Perhaps for some clarity your team might want to investigate The Green New Deal, The Sunrise Movement, Justice Democrats, Labour for a green new deal (UK)

Yes our wasteful shitty oil powered stupid greed economy has to fall, but it is rubbish anyway, especially it’s clear it’s coming to a dead end. However life is full of challenges and humans are a highly resourceful species especially the impetuous European Neanderthal Homosapien Hybrids.. Many are chomping at the bit to get stuck in and fix it.

This is the Issue of our time so throw out the old Rupert Murdoch Play Book and give us all some hope for a change .
Our NZ Green Party needs to reboot to the next level, Dolphin Huggers, old Hippies and culture shamers are not going to “cut it” in a world that is unkind to snowflakes.
It’s about Humanity now. We may have Neolithic minds Medieval Institutions and God Like Weapons but a good percentage don’t want to die on a hill made of money. 

Milford Sound NZ - Bottleneck

Posted 30th April 2019 to the Advocate South Newspaper Te Anau NZ

So this summer the traffic cues at the Homer Tunnel reached the limit of feasibility and the traffic volume on a un ventilated tunnel also reached it’s sensible limit.
I think the community need to know what is going to happen if the authorities decide they are pushing their luck too far.

The Idea of closing the tunnel to Motor Homes seems to be the first obvious step but will that even be enough.

I know it sound like madness to the Federated Mountain Club
but perhaps it is time to develop another Fiordland experience to take pressure off the Milford Sound Obsession ?

I guarantee there are many other places of equal beauty in the park that are under lockdown for ill defined emotional reasons.
This begs the age old question, are the needs of the many subservient to the needs of the few.

We are living in the Anthropocene era  for better or worse we can not turn back the clock literally or figuratively.
Humans Rule, ignoring that is just as pointless as trying to stop time itself.