Family Covid by Susan Grimsdell
The media has been full of dire news about the devastating effects of Covid since it appeared on the planet a couple of years ago. Millions of people have contracted the virus, causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands. Businesses have collapsed, governments have incurred enormous debt, families have been separated for even the most important events, like funerals and weddings. Inter-family feuds There has been deep division at the more individual, personal level too. Family parties have been disrupted when one or two members are against being vaccinated, and the rest… Read More
Calling bluffs by Susan Grimsdell
No jab no job There are places where you can find true information, based on well-designed impartial research, rather than fake, so-called information, based on people’s opinions and gut reactions. For example, we hear a lot of people yelling that they would quit their jobs if the “no jab no job” policy goes ahead. When it comes to the crunch however, people seem to have second thoughts, most of them take a closer look at their household budgets alongside their pay packets, and lo – their carefully contrived objections to the vaccine… Read More
Fairy tales by Trevor Plumbly
Once upon a time On arrival in NZ in 1971, my first impression was that of a country a bit like England in low gear, or if you ventured far enough afield, in reverse. ‘She’ll be right’ was more a statement of disinterest than reassurance while emotion was generally reserved to sporting matters. In short, we were a pretty placid, albeit boring, mob. These days we’re more in touch with the world and we can panic along with the best of them. What we used to call ‘eccentrics’ are now bona fide… Read More
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