Those magnificent men...and women

Masterton’s meritorious Wings over Wairarapa air show, staged at Hood aerodrome bi-annually since 1999, was once again a triumph for its organisers. The huge crowd who attended over three days witnessed non-stop and at times heart-stopping entertainment. Unlike the unfortunate washout four years ago, the weather was clement and the event went without a hitch.Planes on show and in the air included a line-up of World War I aircraft manufactured...

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Is big oil clouding our future?

Conspiracy theorists will tell you that it’s big oil, not governments, that rule the world. The dubious claims go something like this: Imperialists in the USA and the UK sell weapons to regimes like Panama, Iraq Yugoslavia/Kosovo, Afghan/Pakistan/Taliban/Mujahidin and Saudi Arabia. They then demonise the region which they sold the armaments to and declare war on the recipients. Examples given are the Panama invasion, The Gulf war, UN Kosovo...

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The fear factor for politicians

When I was about 13 years of age I was a choirboy - cassock, surplice, boy soprano et al. It was quite a commitment. Choir practice was on Tuesday and Thursday evenings; attendance at church was at 10 am on Sunday for Holy Communion and then again at 7 pm for Evensong. The venue was the St Matthews Anglican church in Masterton’s aptly named Church Street and the pews were pretty much fully occupied for both services. I’m not sure what...

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