4:11 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

I found this, which reminded me of the problems associated with the insomnia musings about being able to shrink smaller and smaller.



I'd thought about the atoms of oxygen needed and set aside the weight issue.

Sadly it seems I'm not the only one with time on my hands in the dark of the night .

4:10 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

Thoughts about, flying, being invisible, faster than light, superpowers in general, the opposite side of the earth to you, they come and go.

But have you ever thought what it might be light to be twice your size? Three times?

Three time might be about 5,5 meters  or perhaps 17-18 feet tall. Heck twice might be 3.5 meters or nearly 12 feet.  Even if you're smaller of stature that's not going to be so much different, couple feet here or there.

The tallest man living is Sultan Kösen (Turkey, b.10 December 1982) who measured 251 cm (8 ft 3 in).  Robert Wadlow  was 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m), 439 lb (199 kg).  Thing is with unusually tall people is that they suffer from all sorts of health and skeletal problems, and gravity isn't kind. Humans are just not evolved to be taller than we, on average, are.

Putting aside the problems of mass (as always), and some other problems, like clothing, feeding, and shelter does being über tall have any benefits? or Opportunities?

I came to some conclusions.

Work:

Ideal for cleaning the gutters and general roof maintenance. Useless however at arial installation where there are small screws and fixtures required.

Possibly good at house washing, again houses have some fiddly bits about them.

Ideal for being an arborist, or tree maintenance. Not so much lawn mowing, too much crouching.

Seasonal work in pantomime as a 'giant'

Sports:

• Might be handy at basketball, but unlikely to be able to get into any stadiums.


• Should be good at swimming, big flipper like feet, and the diving in should give you a handy advantage.


• Might be good at running, but might not be able to stay in lane and get disqualified a lot. Cross-country running might be more the go.


• Might be good at lifting weights overhead, but not convinced about this.

Travel:

Getting around might be a problem, They don't make cars or trucks for the particularly tall, so you could walk or run, but there would be a fair amount of obstacles in the way, overhead wires, trees, etc. (Before you thing about Monster Trucks, for instance, they're big truck for 'normal' sized people).

Flying would be almost impossible, travelling overseas almost impossible

The only solution I had was to be chauffeured about on the back of a flat bed truck.

Not a lot of dignity in being tall.  Not a lot of jobs, and I don't think there would be a log of glamour.

Related articles

• 4:04 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

Labour and Socialism - lurch left.

I don't vote Labour or left wing. Never have. Doesn't mean that I can't have an opinion on what might make me vote for them though, or ideas that might appeal to a broader range of people that may bring them back to power.

Alone. Not in some cockamamie coalition of "we're all left wing therefore a vote for anyone one of us works" way, that ends in tears of disappointment and compromise.

Good socialism, don't get distracted by dolphins, or oil drilling, they fall in to place when you have the minds of the people .

Don't get me wrong they are important but they'll fall into place when people have security, and a future to look forward to.

Idea one:

• Promise to build state houses, say in blocks of 20 - 50. Make the local councils free up the land that they are banking or planning to sell off for profit.


• Approach local or national business and ask them to be on board a community project, this will swing the right-wing business for profit business in behind an altruistic effort - good for them, good for the economy, good for the people.


• Build sensible housing, of course terrace or row housing,  because modern and spacious can be achieved with modern methods.


• Appoint a community guardian or caretaker.


• Make them small communities, perhaps include growing plots for vegetables etc.


• Make sure that the busses stop at the end of the street, and do so regularly. .


• Make sure that community services people visit regularly.


• Make sure you deal with people who want to to buck the system and not join in.


• Make the tenancy reviewable and renewable by review, up or down, you might have to move house. In a mixed occupancy community this shouldn't be a problem.


• Part of the rental payable could be placed in non-fee bearing but interest bearing accounts in trust as statutory saving to get people out of state and into own home ownerships


• Run this policy in conjunction with and parallel to kiwi-build.

Idea two: KiwiSaver from birth. And now I'm winging it on the financials, of course, but it's an idea.

• From birth the government contributes $1 per week into a fee-free kiwi-saver account.


• The $1 increases to $2 in year 2, $3 in year three and so on.


• For year 16 this is a contribution of 832, and in a non-interest bearing account would therefore be $7,072.  Not being a financial wiz I have no ice how this would work under a compound or interest bearing account. I would image than it would be more then $7,072.


• The contribution amount could be adjusted as required to make sense in a changing economic environment. If the kiwisaver contribution amount changes then the contribution amount to kid-kiwisaver should change. Pointless ending up in 16 years with enough money to buy a cup of coffee.


• Funds would be available for either education fees, or home-ownership.


• Start this for all children regardless of age and at the level of contribution appropriate.  People might complain they're disadvantaged, but that's the wrong view, they're being advantaged by the policy, and sure significant numbers might not achieve any benefit in the first decade. It's long term thinking


• Roll KidKiwiSaver into KiwiSaver if you start work and don't take the money for education, it's shouldn't be considers a grant or money available at 17 or 18 to get your party on, the money is only invisible in education, housing, or continued investment in Kiwisaver

I own my own house, I don't have children that would benefit under the KidKiwiSaver idea. My thoughts then are that if you can get people thinking about people, and all people thinking about the growth of the economy then this must be good for the proposing government in the short and long-term. The injection of money into the economy has to be good too. I'll agree that this will not solve any house pricing issues as that of course is a sliding bar, supply and demand, but Kiwi-Build addresses affordable housing, right? They're just ideas, not very good ideas possibly, but ideas that I'd be happy to support and vote for.

4:05 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

Having, sort of, got my head around the speed of light thing, but perhaps not, the next part is the travelling to a new planet or star, somehow.

These are the current questions I muse on as I meditate myself to sleep.

How many of you are there on this journey?

If speed of light travel, or near to s-o-l travel is  possible that would still mean that something 2 light years away would take 2 years to get to? Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf about 4.24 light-years from the Sun, that's a 9 year round trip?

Could be nothing there when you got there.

Homeopathy Awareness Week | Infectious Thoughts

Homeopathy Awareness Week | Infectious Thoughts.

A night out with Billy Connolly

Had the occasion to go to a concert venue with about 10,000 others to see 2 hours of Billy Connolly.

This is the second time that I've been to see him, the last time a few years ago when he last came to NZ.

It's appears to have been a long time and with age does not come enhancement. He is now 71, and for me, he's now showing his age, he's slower, more ponderous, much whiter of hair and he looked, well, a bit tired and weary of body.

Hey yes he has Parkinson's Disease and has had occasion to be treated for Prostrate Cancer, but he seemed to be at pains to assure people that he could remember things,  even in his trademark rambling story-telling narrative.

Which he did on a number of occasions, and often checking his stage notes that he now appears with, it's understandable given his show that a aid memoir would be handy.

There wasn't much 'new' in this show, he seems to wistfully reminisce on the past and sometimes with fury and hatred of his childhood,  he harks back to his early life and early career. A bit about heckling and how it's pointless, and 5 minute story on swearing.

It was funny in places, but it wasn't constantly funny, and often he spoke to a silent house.

I missed the giggling, the frenetic enthusiasm that he had in the past, the rich story telling that you could picture in your mind's eye. I missed the big Billy Connolly of old.

It was a quick hour and 50 minutes of a show, but the light is dimmer, the power waning, the fans still ardent and the love still very obvious.

I'm glad  and sad that I went, a bittersweet evening.

 

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• Billy Connolly given all-clear from prostate cancer


• Billy Connolly Diagnosed With Parkinson's Disease


• Billy Connolly - Billy Connolly's Blast At Hecklers

4:04 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

I was watching some youtube things, and you know how that ends up, normally pictures of cats right. Well not in my case.

Hollow Earth Theory : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow_Earth

Hollow Earth. Hidden entrances at the North and South poles. Hitler sent expeditions! The claim was that the earth’s crust is only between 8 miles and 200 miles thick

Gravity? Well there is a micro start in the center providing gravity for those on the outside. Not sure how those on the inside get on, perhaps they’re squished to the ground flat, living in 24-7 sunlight

Oh this is where UFO’s come from too.

Which lead me to Expanding Earth Theory http://hollowearththeory.com/articles/expandingEarthAnimation.asp

But before that how NASA made up UFO’s so they could launch loads of satellites and space weapons, and how they use chemtrails to fly holographic aircraft

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory

http://www.disclose.tv/forum/chemtrails-and-holographic-planes-t37043.html

Which lead me to a video about how the human race is an Alien Experiment….

I’m not judging but the most plausible was the NASA one., well not the holographic chemtrail thing but.

I could expand on that by saying there are many possible scenarios of life on other planets

1. There is life on other planets.


2. Life on other planets is at a similar stage of development to that on Earth


3. Life on other planets is more primitive than that on earth

Now because we don’t perceive or have an explanation for things that can travel Faster-than-light, or an understanding of worm-holes that may or may not get us from one place in the universe to another doesn’t mean they don’t exist or are not feasible.

But the question is that begs is how would you detect life on the 3^rd rock from the sun  at the edge of a spiral arm we call  the Orion Arm, which is about two-thirds of the way from the center of our galaxy to the edge of the starlight?

It was a slow night

A Letter to Murray McCully - he replies

The reply to my original letter is posted here as a PDF MurraryMcCully or as a picture below,

This is a response to a letter I wrote to my MP, who had changed his mind about supporting the "same sex marriage" bill, one of ony 4 MP's to do so in the negative way.



I'm not convinced it's a form reply.

I've let his secretary know by way of a reply what I think .

Erica

Thank you for your reply.

Please, if you would be so kind, and should the Minister care to know,  tell him that, should he be standing at the next election, he will not be receiving my vote, as he has enjoyed in the past.

Of course there are more pressing matters of Economy, Welfare, Education, Health and Security but he had it in his grasp to be someone who actually did something for everyone, and not because he has a fear and loathing of the real meaning of equality, and was cowered by sanctimonious religious bigotry.

You'll recall I've been married 25 years, I've no axe to grind, no flag to fly, but to take a stance that it's all equal except for some is morally bankrupt, and frankly he's disappointed one time to many.

It might only be one vote, but it might make a difference.

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• A Letter to Murray McCully (pdubyah.com)

A Letter to Murray McCully

I expect a form letter asnwer.

 

Mr.McCully,

I understand that you're voted in for your opinions and preferences, but I can't let it pass without comment that you changed your vote to change your support of Marriage Equality to be opposed to it.

As the National MP in the ECB you've secured my vote for the previous elections. Mostly because you're inoffensive and are in a party that by and large suits my own thinking. By and large.

Being the intelligent, well travelled, and well rounded man that you are I can't begin to understand how you can vote against something that I've enjoyed for coming up to 25 years this year, that of being married.

I can't begin to understand how you could support it one day and be against it the next. You're now one of only 4 people who've been swayed, cajoled, or harangued into taking a contrary position to one which you came to on your own.

I'd lay Dollars to Cents that you've been lobbied by the religious element in this. Modern marriage is a construct of religion, religion that does all it can to deny minorities the status that they themselves confer upon themselves.

The world will not end, churches will not crumble, men will not start eyeing me up lustily in the streets, people will go about their lives. Traditional marriage, and denial of it to all people, is about religious dogma. Traditional Marriage isn't for life, as the number of divorces will attest. Marriage isn't for everyone, else everyone would be married.

At a time when Atheism or non-religion becomes more prevalent and religious dogma and teaching become less relevant you find yourself in a position where you are in danger of becoming a dinosaur of a past age.

Mr. MCully I ask you, if you could travel back in time would you yourself would have voted for women's suffrage? And whilst not comparable in moving society forward, I ask you why you would vote against Marriage Equality, something that clearly brings equity to everyone?

I'd ask that you do me the service of not sending me a stock/form reply, because that's just avoidance, and my one vote might not make a difference, but then again it might.

Philip Walter

Auckland Lantern festival 2013

The Auckland Lantern Festival is celebrated on the first full moon following the Chinese New Year.

In 2013, the event, from 22-24 February was held at Albert Park in Auckland.

This year we tool the in-laws, which as it turns out was a disaster, and so, for the very brief time we were at the event here are a few pictures. Who knew that FIL was claustrophobic, and the crowds made him have a mild panic. Why MrsPdubyah would organise to go to a crowded event is beyond me, unless it's some kind of daughter revenge. Anyway  here you are:-

[gallery ids="4290,4291,4292,4293,4294,4295,4296,4297,4298,4299,4300,4301,4302,4303,4304,4305,4306,4307,4308,4309,4310,4311,4312,4313,4314,4315"]

The park was packed, but I would urge you to go, and if you have good spirits and don't mind the jostle and the hustle this is the most cheerful and happy event that you could image, all the lanterns are amazing, and although we had to leave almost as soon as we arrived what I saw made me smile a lot.

The one with the budget

It's only in the last couple of years that I've had my own personal bank account. Since before being married MrsPdubyah and Me have had a joint bank account. Everything we do is based on a joint income. Seems fair and proper and works really well. We have joint credit cards too. No surprises in our finances.

But I have now got my own personal "stash of cash" in my own bank account. Monthly I pay myself pocket money from my salary. MrsPdubyah approves of this, as one debit means that she knows how much I have taken and does not tsk every time I do something random and buy something on impulse, or frown at the cost of the beer I'm buying. What the eyes can't see the heart can't grieve. Right.

I've added a few extra dollars in to the account, like when I've had a larger than expected commission payment, I give myself a "bonus" and of course there was some money from the estate of the deceased Mother.

And I've been good.

Except that I haven't been good at all. I downloaded the last 12 months of statements and had a set too with the spreadsheet. And then I got all surprised and a little worried about how much I had frittered unwisely.

Sports related things	-2%
Gifts for people	-2%
Online Auctions	-2%
Unfashionable Clothes	-3%
A Writing Pen	-3%
LP Records	-5%
Coffee from one particular café, and the Coffee van man	-9%
Food from specialty stores for the home entertaining	-11%
Takeaway food, and the Café   lifestyle	-11%
Electronic Gadgets I had to have	-12%
Cash that I spent on who knows what	-12%
Beer from Stores	-25%

The "Stash of Cash" isn't a big amount. I chose a number that would allow me to buy some beer without MrsPdubyah having a tizz about the price, and to be fair I drink less, and better beer, on the whole, than I used to. It was also an amount that should have allowed me to accrue some money for a bigger purchase eventually and with carefull management.

The bigger purchase is still a dream, the budget is in tatters. I hadn't realised just how much discretionary money goes on the Coffee purchases, That alone might have gone some way towards a new Tablet. The Takeaway food is a mix between my needy lunches and family take-away nights when it's all too hard to cook, Although that appears to be a lot more than just occasional.

Electronic gadgets oes include an Android phone for the daughter and a DVD player for the house.

The other big ticket was fancy foods for the home entertaining. These are things like expensive cuts of meats and fixings for a special dinner. I'm gad I do that and I will continue to do so, but as out family changes into a 3 adult house we've been buying better quality things in general, and there is less worse food in the house, Bread is a rare treat for instance, and I have a memory of Ice-cream going with fruit.

I've mentioned in passing to MrsPdubyah my findings, to which she said "don't you have anything better to do?" so I might have dodged a bullet. However since she is the Head of Entertainment and Finance my 2013 budget proposal had better be a good one if I'm to seek at least a cost of living rise in my pocket money.

The 12 ways of Christmas – The Holiday with the 'folks'

We're lucky enough to enjoy a beach house. We're lucky enough to have 'Christmas' in the summer months, being as how it's New Zealand and it's all the other way around.

As "workers" we work hard all year and get a couple of weeks off to do nothing, to laze about, twiddle thumbs, shower occasionally, eat, drink, eat, sleep, nap. It could be so nice.

But we're also unlucky enough to have parents who drive us madly insane. Not my parents, but the in-laws for me, the parents for MrsPdubyah.

They were school teachers and so eery year they would spend a goodly amount of weeks at the beach house. For them it's just another house, it's managed to acquire all the town house things and none of the beach house things.

You could transplant this house to a town and you'd never know. Now holiday homes are different, they are full of art, sea-shells, mis-matched furniture, rustic tables. We don't have one of those. The neighbours have those. The neighbours....

We have a house at the beach, and it's a harrowing experience to live though a week here. We used to be able to do 10-14 days, now we get to about 4 days and start getting a twitch. We've not had any days at the beach house when they are not here, we call as say "are you going to beach this weekend" they invariably reply "if you are we will", it's maddening, frustrating and difficult to broach.

Age will turn you into a prisoner. A prisoner of routine. Every day you have to do the same things. Up at 7am, washing in washing machine at 7:30am, go get newspaper at 7:45am. Cereals at 8 a.m.  Washing the dishes is an immediate task, heaven help us if they are left for more than 10 minutes.

Then it's 9 a.m. so possibly mowing the lawn, picking fruit from the tree, spraying some weeds. 10 a.m. tea of course. 10:30 is mid morning siesta, because they've worn themselves out.

More washing at 11:00 am, they wash clean things to maintain schedule I'm sure of it. Random vacuuming and brushing time till lunch, when we have a selection of mulled over left overs and a cup of warm water.

Hourly switch on the radio at 30 seconds to the hour for the news bulletin, the log range weather for everywhere, then off. No music allowed, and don't change the channel, ever.

Afternoon siesta.

Discussion about what the neighbours are up to, who's at the beach, who's not, why, if we don't know why make a guess. Read the death notices to see which friends might have had the temerity to die when they're at the beach and not in town. It happens.

Gin o'clock, wine o'clock begins as the 6pm news is on the TV. Pre-dinner dishes, of course, washing dishes not cheese and cracker dishes.

Dinner must be before 7 pm. Fretting ensues if it's going to be later.

Entertain everyone by reading the teletext updates (A service soon to be discontinued).

Read book, coughing randomly until 9pm when it's bedtime.

Days when the gentleman's fishing club is in session, make an agreed time "how about around 7am" where "about" means up at 6:30 to prepare, leave at 7 am, no later, no sooner. Fishing line can only be in the water 1 hour. No longer, no shorter. 1 hour. Today I was suckered in with "whatever time" which meant of course 7:45am knocking on the door "are you ready yet" We didn't go fishing.

We didn't go fishing because on a 800 meter beach someone had launched a gentleman's fishing rig into the sea before us, and fretting and panic ensued about them being too close together. Serious fretting, muttering and followed by deep investigation of the mans credentials, home address, and a lecture about "how I do it..."

Fishing was also cancelled, no only to proximity, but because weed was spotted in the waves, and weed is bad. To make up for this disaster he burnt some paper and plastics instead of putting them out for rubbish collection, it's "what we had to do in the old days"

We've taken down the tent, it rained and wasn't used. Didn't let it dry now the weather has changed, took it down and stowed it wet. "It's what we had to do in the old days"

This evening we will again have a discussion about Teletext, the neighbours wi-fi and how it's intermittent (we have permission to use it, we're not totally freeloading", who's arrived, who's left, pontifications on the "Sales" the lack of Eggs in the house.

And tomorrow we will do it all again, in roughly the same order, amount of time, and with the same earnest face.

Not a holiday.

 

Bit of a mistake - Shopping at Farro

I don't know what came over me, but I went to Farro Fresh, for no reason other than that they do have the  Over the Moon – Triple Cream Brie that I'm a bit of a fan of. Why would you not be!

So MrsPdubyah and MissPdubyah were watching X-Factor on the Mysky and I decided that it would be better if I didn't.

Road Trip to  to Farro Fresh on Constellation Drive as my safe place.

Bit. Of. A. Mistake. Lot. Of.

I found the cheese, but I didn't buy it, because their Cheese-o-rorium has some Whitestone Lindis Pass Brie that took my eye instead. And of course having brought the Primo Sopresso Hot Salami I felt that I was on a bit of a roll.

But what put me off my stride straight away was the sign advertising "New Zealand Pineapples 2-for-$5" except they weren't' they were from the Philippines. I can let that slide, no one is really going to think that we've grown Pineapples in Winter right?

But having got my small stash of cheese and salami I decided a mooch about the aisles was a thing.

This is where is really started to go wrong.

My "twatdar" starts boinging like a grandfather clock stuck on 12. Mothers who indulge their little Deborah with a bottle of $14.50 rhubarb and lime cordial for instance, which was pretention enough. Then came Mr. and Mrs Mexico. With their shop assistant.

"We're from Mexico, and in Mexico..." ... "In Mexico shops like this"... "Mexican people like us, in Mexico".. and the poor store boy hadn't said a word yet. They brought some flour. I don't think you can get flour in Mexico. Don't really know, but "in Mexico I love to cook" people were happy.

The queue for the pretzel tasting. "Charlotte it's cheese and herbs" he said, having tasted a sugar cube chunk. Charlotte sets a low bar for enjoyment clearly.

There is much to admire about the produce at Farro, I'm not knocking the store, but the people that shop there are the sort that would rather shop online and have delivered rather than go to Foodtown let alone Pak n' Save.

It's the kind of toy shop for adults enthusiasm that annoys me " Darling it's organic butter!" I think missing the point about what "organic" means in it's real sense. I get that in a food sense it means "without chemicals". And it's like shooting fish in a barrel, $7.49 for 100grams of dried fruit in a foil packaging from a company that "loves food", for instance.

There is a plethora of things that you can't get in a supermarket and that's why I enjoy shopping at Farro. But I got to figure out the quite time when raised whispers to an enthralled partner are not de rigueur.

Oh and yes I brought some Quinoa, just like a child in a lolly shop with a gold coin, hook line and sinker...

When Sci-Fi loses the plot – Revolution

Revolution - our entire way of life depends on electricity. So what would happen if it just stopped working.....  15 years later, life is back to what it once was long before the industrial revolution

I've only watched a couple of episodes and I have a couple of questions, and an observation.

1. No electricity means no "lots of things", including combustion engines, and jet engines. So... back to horse and buggy then.

There have been a couple of scenes set around train tracks, so I get no diesel trains, but clearly "electricity also means that you can't have "steam trains", nor those amusing manual bogey cart things with the handle that goes up and down.

In town you can't have steam driving anything, and forgive me for a being a  naive but aren't bicycles pedal power? Yet to see one of those?

And there are scenes that have a clock in them, I probably need to include "clockwork" into "depends on electricity"

No windmills either. the ubiquitous electricity thing again.

No hang-gliders, dirigibles, kites either. It's really harsh having no electricity

1. Unfeasibly pretty people , and the chubby guy from Google.  All the female parts appear to be tick the box stereo-type not unattractive people. The men, well in a rehash of so many  plot devices we have to have the pretty-yet-needy-in-some-way boy, the (still) overweight chap, the dark recluse and the bad-man.




2. Shaving, did I mention that, seems that you can still forge knives and swords, and have a shave. No electricity needed there, if only they could remember how to harness the power of the flames to make steam......




3. Everything is in ruins, cities have crumbled. Concrete will do that without regular electricity.




4. The "Government" and the "Rebels" - somehow you have to stretch that there is a ruling government Thiefdom in some way, and they're all about crushing the "rebels"  by marching small groups of "militia" around taking taxes.




5. Guns. In 15 years guns are outlawed and illegal to own, says the militia, and everyone but everyone has a crossbow. Mostly. It's like either all the gunpowder ran out, or that all the manual bullet press machines broke, or something. Makes no sense. Crossbows make no sense.  At one point the Militia turn up with Muiskets!

Finally though. Electricity. Switched off, somehow, over the everywhere. But not so that it has any effect on the electrical impulses of the brain and body.  Perhaps they mean "mechanical electricity", the sort that keeps bridges from collapsing and buildings from crumbling and batteries. But not brain or body electricity, that'd be no story though, not even zombies

Finally finally... Which reminds me that they do have a fishing community but haven't yet figured out paddle steamers. Clean clothes appear to be in endless supply, they've invented the "everpress" technology to make them look crisp and new in the 15 years since they've not been able to manufacture "the everything"

The Fleece Machine – Spiritual medium to meet with Pike River families - wait there's more !

"I only want to help: Psychic to sceptics"

Says the headline today.

A celebrity psychic who wants to get in touch with earthquake and Pike River coalmine victims from beyond the grave says she only wants to help families heal, despite criticism by sceptics.

Australian Sensing Murder psychic Deb Webber will hold a free "private reading" on Monday for families of those killed in the February 2011 quake and another for Pike River mine disaster families in Greymouth next month.

She will also hold a free public meditation session and a sold-out public show that seats 150 and costs $70 a head in Christchurch tomorrow.

Webber said those who considered her work a money-making venture should "look at my bank account". "I'm actually skint," she said.

The tour of fleecing the gullible is called "a "Hope and Heal" New Zealand tour,  and Deb Webber said she "can't understand" the criticism.

Like she didn't see it coming.

And then ............

Psychics' killer lead hits a wall...

Friends of Deb, Sue Nicolson and Kelvin Cruickshank made some guesses on a TV program "Sensing Murder", and they came up with.....

The psychics both concluded Mrs Calvert was murdered, but her husband was not responsible.

They gave a detailed description of the alleged culprit, who still lived in the Waikawau area, stating what he did for a living and the vehicle he drove.

Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward, of the New Plymouth CIB, said a significant amount of work had been done on the case over the past two to three years.

"A number of further inquiries were made but as a result of those there was nothing further gained that would add evidential weight to the inquiry," Mr Coward said.

Or as we say in the real world...... nothing.

Why would a spirit lie? What advantage would a spirit gain from telling you something that was untrue?

The people that can talk to dead people will tell you that they don't understand the messages and that there may be many interpretations of the messages they receive.

This "gift" they have is one they have to monetize, by fleecing the gullible. If they had a "gift" why  would they not monetize it in other ways, by discovering things, shrewd investments, invention of things, or perhaps by undertaking a JREF challenge to prove their ability and claiming the million dollars.

I've said before I've been to a psychic show, with Kelvin Cruickshank, it was entertaining and weird, I got nothing from it, clearly the spirits of my ancestors are all in the UK and NZ is a bit far to travel.

I'm prepared to be proven wrong, there is plenty of me on the interweb and you could pretend to know a lot about me, but there are things that you can't know, and if you want to have a crack and make a guess I'd be delighted to hear from you. But you knew that didn't you?

Related articles

• I only want to help: Psychic to sceptics (stuff.co.nz)


• Psychic Vulture Wanting to Exploit West Coast Mine Disaster Families (canterburyatheists.blogspot.com)


• 'Spiritual medium' to meet with Pike River families (nzherald.co.nz)


• Deb Webber now believes she can control Christchurch's Earth-Quakes! (canterburyatheists.blogspot.com)


• Psychics' killer lead hits a wall (stuff.co.nz)

Happy Families, the one with the lost photographs #2

I found some more recent pictures, some of me as a fine young man, and they are presented here for your amusement.

[caption id="attachment_3215" align="alignleft" width="344"] Yes almost literally in a tree, can you believe it?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3214" align="alignleft" width="548"] Me holding onto my Dad and Uncle Jospeh in the foreground like he's been startled by the Paparazzi. He's dressed very well for a ramble in the countryside. Poland 1967ish[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3211" align="aligncenter" width="456"] With my Cousin Andreiz (he's the tall one) apparantly. Again in the trendy turn ups and a fashionable yellow top, probably with airplanes on it. On reflection shorts seemed a lot shorter and high-rider than now too[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3210" align="aligncenter" width="318"] Back Left - Lesley, Back right - shirly with her Crystal tips hair, and Front Right Andy (looking like a tubber) and me on the front right.[/caption]

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2" orderby="rand"]

The Fleece Machine - Spiritual medium to meet with Pike River families

This made me a bit angry today  - " Spiritual medium to meet with Pike River families " via Spiritual medium to meet with Pike River families - National - NZ Herald News.

So to be clear as to where I stand on this - There are no spirits, ghosts, afterlife, angels, sky-god, demons, it's all made up bullshit nonsense to part you & your cash.

You can't talk to dead people, they do not talk to you.

Prayer does not work, the Bible is not the true word of anyone other than then person who wrote it.

There is no plan for your existence, there is no reward in some imaginary afterlife, you will not be rewarded in this life by some imaginary sky-being who watches over you, and there is no after-life.

If psychics were real then the stock market would use them, and lotto would be won at will - don't be taken in with the claims that "it does not work that way" - tell me in what way does it work.

Why are all these spirits hanging about to tell you they are ok, and that you should be ok, and they watch over you. Which is all they do. Is that, in fact, all you do for ever and ever and ever, just hang about watching. Can these "spirits" only tell of the past, of things that you knowingly or unknowingly communicate with your "medium"

What happens when all your immediate family die, and you're a spirit, joined by all your relatives, good and bad? Do you start watching over strange people just for the crack?

Do the dead outnumber the living ?

• Number of people who have ever been born: 107,602,707,791


• World population in mid-2011 : 6,987,000,000

That's an awfully big ratio.

Finally let me confess to tell you, I did once get a freebie to watch one Kelvin Cruickshank  at work in Takapuna, and was amazed at his skill and the way he dealt with the audience. I was impressed and confused as to how he did what he did, but let me state again - he wasn't talking to dead people, spirits, ghosts, angels, demons or anything other than his own thoughts, and his interpretations of the feedback from the audience.

I'm prepared to be made to look a fool and have someone tell me something that they can't know about me but that a "spirit" told them, both my Mother and Father are dead, and all my GrandParents, so you should be able to get something recent, unless they've disowned me.

Do it for free to prove you can do it, if you have a gift why do you need to monetize it?

Related articles some of them Comedic Value only and not an endorsement

• Medium bare: Psychic 'told women to strip naked to increase their spiritual powers' (mirror.co.uk)


• Mediumship is defined (figsandgrapes.wordpress.com)


• Is there a life after death? (healthy-spirit.org)


• Wales News: Psychic Karl Lang found guilty of conning young women into stripping (walesonline.co.uk)


• Christian Spiritualists to offer readings in Erie (goerie.com)

Comedy Gold - Quackery knocked down - Advertiser hits back at complaint

This today from the New Zealand Herald News Advertiser hits back at complaint - National - NZ Herald News.

"An advertiser who claimed its Mineral Mud Treatment would prevent hip and knee joint replacement surgery hit back at a complaint that it was misleading, saying it did not need to prove the efficiency of its treatment.

A complaint was laid with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) by a physiologist which said "I can assure you the efficacy of this treatment can be due only to the placebo effect".

Which if that isn't funny enough they then resolve to pull another non-science based treatment into the fray as "proof" that two wrongs make a right

"In response to the complaint Mineral Mud Treatment's legal counsel said: "It is my understanding that acupuncture is quite regularly advertised throughout New Zealand yet there is no scientific proof one way or another for the efficiency of acupuncture yet practices do allow it."

The response went on to state that it was not Mineral Mud Treatment's position to have to prove its efficiency, rather it was the complainants duty to prove the remedy was not effective."

And then showing total disrespect to the complainant, a physiologist, which is a bit science based.....

"Therefore until this is done there is nothing really to respond to except to say that the complainant has no knowledge of what he is talking about."

Lucky then that for all the bluster and bravado the ASA ruled for the complainant and upheld the complaint

"The advertiser declined to provide any further response to substantiate its claims, and the ASA ruled that the advertisement was likely to mislead and deceive consumers and exploit their lack of knowledge. The ASA ruled to uphold the complaint."

Related articles

• Advertiser hits back at complaint (nzherald.co.nz)

The Drama of Home Theatre....

 

I also learnt today that Home Theatre is something I no longer grasp. Although I've yet to be convinced that a $20 HDMI cable is worse than a $90 cable I've learnt that the number of cable variants and where they go present a challenge to my old man mind.  The emphasis should be on Theatre, or perhaps they could rename it Minor Drama.

 

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="75"] LaserDisk Recorder (Photo credit: Joachim S. Müller)[/caption]

 

I miss the ikea style of how to do things, and to be presented not only an A, B or C choice but also an a,b or c choice did nothing but confuse me.

 

That and the unhelpful owners manual, which appeared to be thrown together in the style of one of those chose you own adventure books, if you chose option A got to page 48, if you chose option B got to page 63, where it tells you to refer to page 38.

 

It's not hard, mostly it's just pass-though wiring, plug in an input get an output, but 3 hours and I gave up on the accessory that was just designed to torment.

 

However the old Betamax collection gets a new lease of life, and I might crack out the Philips Videodisc player , as reward for my endeavours.

 

Faith, Same sex marriage, and Children.

New Zealand is on track to remove barriers to same sex marriages. We have Civil Union legislation, but this is a sort of half-way house thing. Removing an arbitrary sex based barrier to marriage is of it's time.

However those of the faith and the religiosity have got their collective underpants all bunched and they're going to come out swinging on a number of 'points'.

And they are all nonsense. And they are all nonsense because there is not one logical argument that could be put forward that would or could justify their position. Not a one.

"Marriage is between a man and women" Since when? Since a when the 'church' decided to Ponce up some ceremony and add some bells and whistles is a when. The church is big on dogma and protocol. But I can't find any evidence that before the church decided to dress up a ceremony that marriage wasn't a thing. I can't find any evidence that before the church decided to restrict it's 'blessing' that all marriages were between men and women.

In different ancient cultures, marriage was more of a business arrangement, joining families together for mutual benefit. Under Roman law in the first centuries of the Common Era, there were proper opportunities for divorce and the dissolution of a marital union for both parties. However, as the Christian church grew, marriage became more ecclesiastically governed; the church dictated the rules of marriage.

Historically then a marriage was a means to ensure a continuance. That is all. If you had not confirmed or announced partner then you had no estate to pass. Marriage brought with it some assurances.The churches brought with it dogma, and protocol and restriction.

Same-sex marriage is rejected as un-Christian and immoral on the basis of a myopic reading of a very few Biblical texts. And the texts in question are scant indeed.

The most referenced texts are Genesis 19; the holiness codes of Leviticus 17-26, and in the New Testament, Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 6:9 and his Letter to the Romans 1:26-27.

Not only does one have to "hunt" for references to same-sex practices, but there are no gospel texts that treat the matter.

There is nothing attributed to Jesus of Nazareth that has anything to do with same-sex orientation. According to the gospels, Jesus never commented on same-sex practices; that fact certainly bears repeating to anyone criticizing the gay community on Christian grounds.

Largely, same-sex practice is a topic of little interest to the Biblical authors.

It beggars belief that you would refer to an ancient book of myth and stories to cherry pick what your faith is. Sure the Bible might say "husband" and "wife" but it doesn't as far as I know define the gender of either in terms of what constitutes a "marriage".

The restriction or constriction is therefore one made up by the church and religion as a method of control.

Children

In New Zealand we have out share of conservative doom-sayers

Conservative Party leader Colin Craig said he was planning a "research-based" campaign on the advantages of heterosexual relationships and traditional family structures.

 "I'm keen to be part of a campaign to get out there on this issue. It would look intelligently at the differences between homosexual parenting and a Mum and a Dad. Does gender matter, does role-modelling matter?

I don't mind having it on record that the idea of two men having responsibility for a child is a little beyond me. I couldn't do it. I assisted with a more maternal and capable mother in raising our children from birth. But I am talking about baby children, not toddlers, or schoolers, or teens.  I don't have the same doubt about females raising children. Call me a bigot if you like, but I have first hand experience of a woman raising our child and she did a great job. I'd hire her again :-)

I have no idea what feeling or compulsions you have a person in relation to children and your level of altruism in wanting to look after, nurture and care for a child. I just don't.

I have my understanding. I have an idea of what is acceptable and required from my experience, and I have the insight from a number of people who I've associated with who've raised children. I have experience.

Just because I don't think I could does not mean I don't think you should. It might make you shudder, cringe and gasp. It doesn't mean that you can't raise a child as a parent.  To have any other position on this indicates you live your life in a cave. There are lots of children raised by single parents. There are heaps raised by same sex parents, mostly female I'd wager.

The world did not stop when Elton John and David Furness adopted a child. Money makes it better or acceptable? Get a grip.

Related articles

• Key will back early stages of gay marriage bill (radionz.co.nz)


• Same sex marriage bill delights gay community (radionz.co.nz)


• Gay marriage to be legalised in Scotland despite two thirds of people opposing change (telegraph.co.uk)


• Gay marriage in Scotland is a 'dangerous experiment', says Catholic Church (independent.co.uk)