Maternity Leave Tourism - Germany 2020

Posted 23rd February 2020 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin New Zealand

I find this year a lot more German couples are traveling with babies than before Its nice to see that the country that invented the protestant work ethic really sees the benefits of giving its people a lot of leisure time unlike the poor saps in this country who are driven to burn out by punitive working conditions. It is however not clear why young Germans want to drag crying babies half way around the world to see a country they will never remember. Considering they are well aware and mindful of the environmental damage jet travel causes one has to wonder what is going on. It is also odd how people want to have a long distance holiday when a global pandemic is brewing.
Still, Hats off the a country that takes recreation of its citizens seriously, we could learn something from them.

Tourism Crunch - New Zealand 2020

Posted  15th February 2020 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin N.Z

Apart from the Corona virus effecting our Asian Visitors and Crayfish Exports, the Rivers in the Sky event has changed Tourism in Fiordland drastically this month with many displaced seasonal tourism workers looking for support to live in our high rent resorts and I would like to take a moment to thank those people who are looking out for them.
Also my hat goes off to our promotional agents who try to keep local spirits up with  Keep Calm and Carry On determination.
Sadly this season is not going to function normally till the repairs are done and even then the pattern For Heavy Passenger Vehicles only might be the new normal on the Milford Road. Doubtful Sound has not been future proofed thanks to a decision last century and currently has a 4 to 5 day backlog an allegedly priority goes to Queenstown.
News is now adventuresome tourists are starting to seek out the secret places on Fiordland's Eastern Boundary by car so that may prove interesting especially for the spectacular Borland Saddle Area.
We look forward to next season where Climate Action will be the hot topic. 

CANCEL THE OLYMPICS - CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Posted January 21st to the Dominion Post Newspaper Wellington New Zealand

So the majority of educated people on this planet say we are in a Climate Emergency and Japan is putting on the Olympic Games
saying they will make them GREEN by making Cardboard Beds for their participants.
I have never much liked the Olympic Games after watching the Munich massacre unfold because it became clear they where no longer honest and morally dodgy.
In 2020 The very Idea of the world's elite burning up fossil fuel, displacing urban communities and tones of public money just to feed their egos seems rely out of touch... 
On top of that there is a problem with Japan's bungled Nuclear disaster clean up and Chinese virus concerns...
and now they may have to answer to Greta Thornberg and her friends in the extinction rebellion for misappropriating the label GREEN.

National Cycle Trail - New Zealand

Posted January 10 2020 to the Dominion Post Newspaper Wellington NZ

I read that the media is interested in the Idea of a Trans New Zealand Cycle Trail to get cycles off the main roads
I had mentioned in the past that in Southland at least the National "Te Aroha" Trail could be upgraded to allow Bicycles but instead they went for a half loop around a remote mountain range which is now a financial headache.
Sadly the Route was more about politics and government handouts than cycling.
I think we could enlist a few more creative minds in our decision making about tourism as it is looking a bit like a dogs breakfast.
But this is a young country learning as it goes.

Helping Hands of US Democracy

Posted 16th of December 2019 to the Dominion Post Newspaper Wellington New Zealand.

Just noticed ex pat Americans and friends of world democracy feeling worried about the state of the US electoral system

can now help remotely from any part of the world.
I seems there is now a legitimate way to finance honest election helpers on line
through  votesaveamerica.com/fairfight 
I guess the Idea is what happens in Washington effects us all where ever we reside and that is often a little skewed by bad actors.
daylight it seems is the best antiseptic.

Metaphorical Good vs Evil USA

Posted 2nd Nov 2019 to the Thinking Athiest Channel 

I watched the Documentary Hail Satan as you suggested on your show..
And I also watched the Loudest Voice about Roger Ailes and fox news..
And I noticed a pattern... The Satan is in the details :-)

Just change the labels around like a biblical satin convert would do and it all becomes clear
If you called the Christian Right of the USA True Satanists they would tick all the boxes.

And if you called Bernie Sanders the Second Coming that would fit the biblical narrative too
As he has all the best loved Christ like talking points and he was also born a jew.
Yet he is labeled a nasty socialist.

The Republican Parties literal plan is to terraform  our planet into a burning Hell as well as figuratively.
They literally seem to embrace the destruction of what theology calls creation in the most painful
Way possible.

Not to put to fine a point on it when the people of the middle east call the USA the great Satin
I didn’t think we would actually try and own that Title  !

Not Sure who Plays the Roll of the Prince of Darkness but we can certainly see his minions in high office.

 All the Best
Keep up your fight for humanity 

AMERICA and its moral compass

Posted 29th Dec 2019 to the New York Times Newspaper NY NY USA

I recall a few years back when they where looking for a new Pope I wrote a letter musing why they don't they at least try to pick one like they where a democracy.

My question now is what good is religious faith in politics? And what are the rules .
because it appears in the USA Christianity has lost it’s moral compass and no one seems to want to try and guide them back from moral toxicity when it comes to democracy.

And strangely they are scared of our the most Christ like Senator from Vermont

One might even feel like in the USA faith is just a cynical tax dodge with no real humanity at all.   

Christian descent In Trump’s America?  Their silence is howling !