A Real Disaster by Trevor Plumbly
Sometimes I think human nature can be quite unpleasant. Normally the unpleasantness manifests itself in fairly predictable ways, but recently it seems that the obnoxious tendency to point the finger of blame extends to just about any situation, regardless of how tragic. The Christchurch earthquake here in New Zealand demonstrates this point pretty well. At the time, there were glowing reports of heroism and dedication to duty by the public and the services involved. But, sadly, once the dust settles, the good things get pushed aside to make way for the blame… Read More
My Original Sin by Trevor Plumbly
As one enters the autumnal years, I reckon it’s not a bad idea to unburden oneself and own up to past transgressions. My reasoning for this is quite simple: if the ‘Man Upstairs’ decides he wants to see me ASAP, it’s best to announce one’s flaws in advance, so no-one gets surprised in the interview process. The problem is what sort of sins should one cough up to? We’ve all given the odd commandment a bit of a nudge now and then, so I thought the old ‘seven deadly’ jobs would make… Read More
The Jury Should Retire. By Trevor Plumbly
In a recent murder trial down here, the fact that the accused had extremely violent tendencies and had carried out acts of vandalism was withheld from the jury on the grounds that it might influence their decision on the case before them. After he was acquitted and the broader facts were made public, there was an angry, and to my mind, justified outcry from the public, followed by the usual somewhat paternalistic response from the Minister of Justice and the legal profession. What struck me as odd was that the public ire… Read More
Inheritance versus Election by Angela Caldin
I’ve been watching the celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with enormous interest these last days and trying to decide whether I’m a monarchist or not. It’s beyond a doubt that our stalwart Queen has worked extremely hard for 60 years and been utterly committed to her duty. It’s also beyond question that, here in the UK, we know how to celebrate a royal occasion with a majestic flourish and how to put on a spectacular regal show, whatever the weather. Those 60 years embody a powerful argument for the monarchy, an… Read More
Trevor Tells It Like It Is
We’re just a little country at the arse end of the world, but when it comes to facing up to imaginary threats we’re world class. While we’re still flushed with the success of the Dotcom family offensive, yet another potential enemy has been summarily dealt with, this time in the form of an HIV positive four-year old boy being expelled from a childcare centre after pressure from a parent group. Not content with that victory, this neo-inquisition gang descended on the boy’s elder brothers’ schools to reinforce the point. This sort of… Read More
verbalberbal 