Fwd: THE WORLD IS GOING TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET - AND WE DON'T SAY THAT LIGHTLY

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: James Donald <tiare.taporo3@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2022 at 19:50
Subject: THE WORLD IS GOING TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET - AND WE DON'T SAY THAT LIGHTLY
To: Abbie Kitchen <Abbie.Kitchen@asb.co.nz>

Firstly Colombian doings - 

Since our last blog, the building renovations have been proceeding apace. The outside construction is finished - all that remains as far as that is concerned is internal painting and still some tiling to complete in the new living room and laundry. Once the latter is finished, we can install the washing machine, drier and gas califont which is bigger than the one we had previously. Stage 2 commenced a few days later and the kitchen is now completely demolished. Holes are appearing in the external walls where the new windows will be together with the demolition of half a wardrobe in the adjoining TV room to be. That half wardrobe is now incorporated into the kitchen. We've now almost bought all our tiles which meant going down to Medellin on the 09/06 to return some artesanal tiles and buying the laundry tiles and replacements for a small part of the kitchen floor which of necessity has had to be destroyed.

We should mention at this stage that Humberto, our builder/project manager, calls yours truly "Don Jim"!! DJ had better be careful or all this will be going to the head!! Attempts to coerce Dona Jean to show proper respect have regretfully come to naught. Takes us back to when Jim used to hoist Jean up the mast to do the odd little job with strictures that if she showed mutinous tendencies, he'd leave her up there - overnight!! Seemed to work then, but alas, things have deteriorated since!!

Further update - new windows all installed and as of this morning (17/06) most of the kitchen units. Benchtops tomorrow. So progress is good, except that one of the upstairs bathrooms developed a leak in the concrete floor which manifested itself as drips from the ceiling of what will be the TV room. Just as well it happened now with Humberto on site. Nothing to do with the work; just an unfortunate happening, which in masonry buildings means digging into walls or floors. This was a leaking pipe fitting in the shower floor and fairly easily found. But it does mean re-tiling the shower floor. Could have been worse. Probably about another 10 days before we will be able to move back in as we also need to demolish a low wall above the stairwell upstairs to make way for the entrance to the elevator we wish to install, plus the lower parts of the stairs which will be moved sideways to make way for the elevator. On that note, it turns out that the makers of the steel roof of the new laundry also fabricate and install these elevators which are just an open platform raised and lowered by an electric motor driving a chain system. Ours will only be going up one floor so very straight forward. And best of all, we had a meeting on the 17/06  with Humberto, the engineers and our fellow bi-lingual expat, Peter English, to discuss all of this because Peter wishes to install one himself and the cost for us fully installed is around 14.6 million Colombian Pesos (approx. NZD 5,960). Most of the demolition of the stairs has now been completed. New stairs to be built in timber - not concrete, with a space left for the ascensor.

We had an interesting time returning to Retiro the other day. First of all, we had just had our new/old car completely checked over by a mechanic in Medellin who had been recommended to us by a neighbour (Juan) who has a 1981 W123 250 - same as Jim had at one stage in NZ years ago, except that that car was automatic whereas Juan's is manual. Jim had bought the old 250 on Waiheke Island in 1997! Juan is a retired Colombian diplomat who had spent all of his life in the Colombian foreign service in various European capitals. He is a die-hard Mercedes enthusiast, but only with the old ones - like us!! We're all antiques!  

Anyway, the car was fine, but unbeknownst to anyone, the radiator hoses were suspect (who knows when if ever in 30 years they had been replaced) and one developed a split through which pressurised super-heated steam escaped. But Jim, who is always conscious of these things, noticed that suddenly the temperature gauge showed an increased reading. So, we immediately pulled over and found the problem. What to do? So we rang our Cuban neighbour (Jose) who just happened to be returning home to Retiro from Rio Negro where he has a business. He was only 10 minutes behind us in his Volvo and in the meantime had rung his Retiro mechanic, Carlos, who happened to be going in the opposite direction! Jose and Carlos arrived on opposite sides of the road in the middle of roadwork queues within 5 minutes of each other. Carlos had a look and decided that, as the split in the hose was very close to a hose clip, he could just pull the hose further onto the metal fitting and re-clip it - at least sufficiently to get us home. And it worked. Jose followed us to make sure we made it home and then the next day we took it to Carlos's workshop in the village where two new hoses were fitted. A lucky escape from what could have been an incident with a very nasty outcome. 

Then on 16/06 another cooling issue with the old girl - the car it must be said! There is no doubt that when buying old vehicles there are always teething problems because you never know how much maintenance has been done in the past - and when. Anyway, the cooling systems on the 124's are quite sophisticated and there are 3 cooling fans - one belt driven as is normal and two electric fans which are supposed to operate when the engine temperature exceeds 100 degrees C. However, there seemed to be a problem with the sensor because the fans did not start up just as we were approaching El Tunel Oriente on our way down to Medellin. We noticed that as we were approaching the tunnel entrance, the temperature started going over 100 degrees and close to 120. The book says that under pressure the boiling point is 130C, but we didn't want to get anywhere near that!  So, rather than risking having to stop in the tunnel (which is 11 kms long) , we stopped and ascertained that the electric fans were not working. So, we rang our mechanic in Medellin who first said that these cars are supposed to run at high temperatures, but later agreed that perhaps there was a problem. In the meantime we had turned around and were gingerly retracing our steps towards Retiro when the temperature started increasing again. So this time we stopped at the entrance to a gated community, where once again we experienced the usual Colombian helpfulness from the Portero (who told us he had been 35 years in the security business) and we had previously contacted our Cuban friend, Jose, who had already organised a tow truck because it didn't look likely that we could safely drive all the way back. The truck arrived about 30-45 minutes later and we winched the antique old girl up onto the back. Us two old antiques climbed into the truck cab and off we went. After all our other bizarre adventures on the boat, this was certainly different, but no less bizarre. Anyway, it was an uneventful trip with the old girl sitting with aplomb on the tray, suitably secured. We then had two hoses replaced. 

But overall, she's great. These 124's have often been said to be the epitome of traditional Mercedes excellence - pre-computer, and given the overall condition and the just wonderful driving experience, that comment is certainly true. There are no rattles after 30 years and she feels glued to the road. So, we must just persevere with these annoying issues until we get her into a totally secure and reliable condition. 

One further development re the 300E. We decided to get the entire cooling system checked over and so our retired Colombian diplomat friend's mechanic, Wilson Aguiar, came up here and took the old girl back to Medellin. He has now extensively checked over the entire cooling system including removing the radiator and flushing it, new thermostat (with holes drilled into it), new clutch for the main engine-driven fan and examination of the water pump and other ancillary bits. All ok. We are so lucky to have discovered Wilson. Apart from the cooling issues he has checked everything else and has pronounced the car as excellent. We will order a new set of water hoses and brake pads soon.

Then on Sunday the 19th. we had the final run-off for the next President of Colombia. After many candidates were eliminated in the earlier elections, we are now left with Gustavo Petro (extreme Left) and Rodolfo Hernandez (centre right). So it's a no-brainer as to who we hope will win. Rodolfo is a former mayor of Bucaramanga (Colombia's 6th. largest city), but apart from that has no political baggage. He's a businessman like Donald Trump and is a straight shooter - like Trump! By comparison, Petro would probably be something of a disaster for Colombia - just the opposite from the real needs of the country. With Communist Venezuela on the border we need firm, economically sensible policies and with as least corruption as possible. And that is what Rodolfo offers. Corruption, drug criminality and inequality are the three main issues holding Colombia back from being a real powerhouse. Unfettered and equal access to education is the key to the inequality question, and a higher standard of living generally.

But now we have the final result and it's Petro!  50% for the Left and 47% for the centre right. Apart from feeling a bit gobsmacked, we have absolutely no idea how this will directly impact us. Fortunately our renovations are coming to an end and we must just get on with it. It will be interesting to see how this development might affect North Americans fleeing despotic leftist governments in Canada and the US. Maybe it will slow down; maybe it won't. We can't comment on that issue any further - as always time will tell.

All we can say is that Colombia has been hobbled by extreme corruption and increasingly right-wing authoritarian government for a long time now and the Duque/Uribe cartel ripped up the Peace Agreement reached by the previous Santos government with the FARC. These rightist policies are almost as bad as extreme left and they foster extreme political views. The blame for the present left political ascendancy can be laid squarely at the Duque/Uribe door and those guys deserve any consequences that may be coming their way - except that they are probably already in their private jets heading for Monaco!!. Corruption, covert support for paramilitary groups and outright murder of mainly indigenous leaders who have been trying to achieve justice for their constituents and who have had their land stolen just relatively recently have been a feature of the past administration. We now have the political consequence which could be a turning point for Colombia - and hopefully not all bad. 

In the end, it all comes down to EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY and perhaps if the new government can achieve that, Colombia could be on its way to realising its full potential. That is the most optimistic spin we can put on the situation right now.

There has been much panicked talk coming out of our friends and associates and expat internet sites. Dire predictions of a plunge in the value of the COP, etc. It has certainly gone down against the USD, but only by 5.0% in 4 days since the election, and only by 3.3% against the Kiwi. Property confiscation and expulsion of expats are some more dire predictions that we have heard, but we are committed here and we don't believe that any of these things will eventuate. Colombia needs the expats and more, and while property values may decline short-term, that will stabilise. And we live here, so we just get on with our lives. We don't feel too much concern - hopefully we are not wrong. 

On a lighter note, there is a restaurant which was opposite the Airbnb where we are currently living, but it has had to relocate as the building has been sold. Last night (25/06) we went to the opening of the new premises and met our ex Kentucky friends, Mike and Martha, there. There was a cabaret singer who started out with some belly dancing which was only mediocre, but then she launched into Colombian folk songs which were mesmerising and which captivated the house. It was a great night. The audience participation was wholehearted and is something you'd never see in many other countries. 

Today we had the entertaining experience of choosing paint colours for our new extension and the painted surfaces in the new kitchen. There is a paint shop not too far from here with state of the art computerised paint colour mixing technology and, although it necessitated 2 visits there, we finally got it right - we think!

And our new gas cooking hobs on a glass/ceramic base is actually curved so we need to get it exchanged. It should obviously be totally level and straight. So we need to go "down the hill" to Homecenter, Envigado tomorrow (29/06) to do this. These are the frustrations of doing renovations in Colombia, but we have to say that our builder/project manager, Humberto, is excellent and we have no issues in our dealings with him. We are very fortunate and we remain indebted to our fellow ex-pat, Don Pietro, for the introduction.

** The ever increasing political and economic horror story coming out of NZ (otherwise known as Godzone!) - Ardern & Co. are busily destroying the country we all used to know. The list is endless - taxing farmers for animal farts, taxing diesel vehicles which most people in business have to buy because there is no electric alternative, 3 Waters which has been endlessly criticised together with the massive changes to the health system - both of which are using race to divide society and achieve their nefarious democracy-stealing ends. Then there is NZ's insistence on continuing with the 4th Covid vaccine booster dose, in spite of the fact that Pfizer itself has stated that it is not necessary as they are increasingly concerned at being sued for the adverse health effects (including death) caused by their murderous vaccines. Hopefully Ardern & Co. will be sued, but no doubt because of NZ's Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) legislation, that avenue won't be available. And just today (23/06) we heard a post from Leigh Dundas of America's Frontline Doctors and she stated an absolutely horrifying statistic - in the US in recent years there have normally been around 1.5 to 1.7 million potentially lethal health conditions, such as cancer, every year; now since the lethal Chinese Virus vaccinations, that number has increased to 22 million. That's a 1,275% increase. You can check these figures from their website if you've a mind to.  

Once again we urge everyone who reads this blog to read Dr. Muriel Newman's weekly NZ Centre for Political Research newsletters and listen to Leighton Smith's weekly podcasts in which he interviews some very erudite experts in their various fields. In his last podcast he interviewed Professor James Allan who is a Canadian constitutional law professor and who has spent 11 years at Otago University before taking up his present position at the University of Queensland. He said that over a long period of time "wokeness" was well established in NZ and by extension now in most "western" societies. So, do not think that the NZ Marxists will necessarily be kicked out next year. Their ilk is well established now in most facets of NZ society and they will not be easily dislodged. It needs a determined effort - only rivalling the infiltration of the left into all our educational institutions over a long period of time. The graduates of these institutions are taking over and have taken over many facets of the country - whether you like to admit it or not. Only by taking these actions of being aware of the truth of current politics will you escape the lies and false narratives being continuously promoted in the corrupt media which has been bought off by the Ardern cabal to the tune of NZD 55 million. Messrs. Wilson & Horton (the founders of the NZ Herald in the 1800's) will be revolving like tops in their graves. The country is in an appalling mess with the NZD continuing to sink versus the USD, the NZX50 in decline and debt piling up. And the much vaunted property sector, for so long the only game in town, is going the same way. 

And there is no way that we will be hearing anything from the Ardern Marxist crooks about the horrific deaths of 50 illegal migrants in Texas today. We heard plenty about the Moslems in Christchurch 3 years ago, but the NZ media will hardly mention this latest outrage, being as they are completely bought and sold by the Labour Marxists to the tune of 55 million NZ dollars (34.1 US dollars).

** The deliberate destruction of the USA by the Biden administration - Biden & Co. have declared war on the oil and gas industry - the life blood of the US economy. They have cancelled pipelines and made it next to impossible to obtain new leases to drill on Federal land. And all the while promoting the lie that "they are doing all they can" to alleviate the current high energy prices! And they want to now go cap in hand to countries like Iran for oil. North America is sitting on at least 200 years of untapped oil reserves - plenty of time to allow alternative energy sources to be researched in a properly considered way. The Biden energy policy is using so-called "climate change" non scientific claptrap as quite simply part of their deliberate strategy to destroy the United States.

And just today (28/06) we have the horrific news that 50 illegal migrants - including children - have been found DEAD inside a semi-trailer in Texas in over 40 degree C heat with no water. They died a horrible death of heatstroke and dehydration. As the Governor of Texas tweeted, "This is on you, Biden". These F-----g lying murderous bastards in the White (Black) House need to be forcibly removed from office and executed for treason, and that would be too good for them. This is DELIBERATE destruction of the 240 yr old republic, and a flagrant breach of the US Constitution. 

Biden has consistently said that he had no knowledge of his feckless and treasonous son's offshore business dealings. Now there is a voice message recording from Biden Snr. that absolutely proves that statement to be a grotesque lie. Biden, his 2 brothers and his son, Hunter, have personally profited from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russia, the Communist Party of China, and Nicaragua - and others -  over many years at the expense of American taxpayers and to the great detriment of the security of the United States - and by extension, the rest of the so-called free world.

It seems that the US under the present administration is so corrupt, that they will do anything to cover up these crimes. Much less actually take the necessary action to prosecute the individuals involved. 

The US is as a result in what many have described as terminal decline, and unless serious and determined action is taken NOW to arrest this criminal behaviour we will ALL be suffering - and not so far into the future. 

The Dims are totally hypocritical. Biden himself is senile and as such is a danger to the free world. And Kamala Harris is incompetent and 100% corrupt. The whole elitist Democrat establishment is so out of touch and narcissistic that they seem to have no idea that they are going to get slaughtered in the November mid-terms. We can't wait.

There has however been a great development in the last week which at last reflects the will of the voters. The Supreme Court has just overturned a 1973 law known as Roe v. Wade which allowed unfettered access to abortion across the country. Now the Supreme Court has formally handed that matter back to individual states to make the appropriate laws based on the wishes of their own electorates. It is worth bearing in mind that since 1973 when Rowe v. Wade was decided in a flawed decision, 63 million babies have had their short existences terminated. The US with its aging population could have done with those extra young people.

It must also be said that abortion doesn't just depend on a woman's right. It always seems to be forgotten that there are 2 lives to be considered - not just one for often a selfish point of view. Of course there are justifications for abortion - rape, incest and any serious risk to the mother's health. And the foetal "heartbeat" test. Definitely not full-term abortion which some US states now allow. Another word for this is infanticide.

** The rest of the world (there is nothing good anywhere) - there is rampant inflation just about everywhere - from over 70% p.a. in Turkey to around 10% p.a. just about everywhere else. This is a direct result of crackpot Socialist economic policy - not as is dishonestly claimed, a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

On top of that the world is staring a severe food shortage in the face. The reasons for this are myriad but the obvious ones are the shortage and resultant very high price of fertiliser, most of which comes from Russia, and of course the ruinously high price of diesel together with governments taxing farmers for ruminant emissions when many scientific studies show quite clearly that these emissions have absolutely no effect on the world climate whatsoever. More examples of Socialist BS being used to destroy viable businesses. 

** Economic news - comparisons from the beginning of 2022 and now (26/06) - 

S & P 500 - down 20.4%

All Ords (Australia) - down 10.6%

NZX50 -  down 15.9%

COLCAP (Colombia) - down 2.4%

NZD/USD - down 8.1%

USD/EURO - up 7.4%

NZD/COP (Colombian Peso) - down 7.5%

USD/COP - up 0.6%

It's interesting that the COP is holding up against the USD and NZD, but who knows what will happen now that we have a Socialist government in Colombia? There are all sorts of predictions about various economies, but one cannot escape the fact that with the unbridled printing of counterfeit money  - mainly by the US, but also the EU, Australia and NZ and others - that the mother of all financial crashes is very close.  Add to that the increasing interest rates which are essential to arrest the stagflation which has been unleashed upon the world, and the outlook is grim. Some of us remember interest rates in excess of 20% p.a. in the 1980's and those need to return (hopefully briefly) in order to defeat the inflation which the Socialist economic saboteurs have deliberately unleashed upon all of us. So now is the time for all of us to anticipate this downturn coming and just hunker down. But always remember that these economic times were unleashed in the US by the Carter Democrat Administration in the 1970's, just as the current times have been unleashed by the Biden Democrat regime's lunatic and deliberately destructive economic policies today. Unfortunately people have such short memories and hardly anyone these days is aware of even recent history. 

We hope that everyone remains well and bearing up against these Socialists whose time is coming to an end. In the words of Larry Kudlow, President Trump's former Treasury Secretary, "the cavalry is coming".

With love and all best wishes from us in El Retiro, Antioquia...................

Jim and Jean 

Fwd: Must read: An opinion by Cam Slater

This is an interesting take on the current state of NZ politics, which unfortunately we have to say we largely agree with. We've never had much, if any time for Cameron Slater, but in this instance we think he is right on the button.

Please read and as always we will be interested in your comments.

Cheers again

Jim and Jean 

P.S.

This Sunday we have the run-off presidential elections to decide whether Colombia has a Communist or Democratic government going forward. There are all sorts of concerns being expressed about the possibilities for civil unrest and we are currently living in the heart of a very Colombian town a stone's throw from the town square, while our house alterations are being carried on. However, Retiro is a very conservative town and we do not feel any apprehension for safety at all. But it will be a relief when it's all over - particularly when the conservative candidate, Rodolfo Hernandez wins. We'll keep you posted in these turbulent times. 

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Neil O'Hara <arahonj07@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2022 at 20:06
Subject: Fwd: Must read: An opinion by Cam Slater
To: James Donald <tiare.taporo3@gmail.com>

I think the same......NJO

I've read the first part before   This is an update 

An opinion by Cameron Slater





Over the years I have met, had lunch, dinner, drinks or meetings with a vast number of politicians. Some were great, most were average, but none, with one exception, were evil.I grew up in a political family. We had cabinet ministers and prime ministers over for dinner. My mother never really liked most of them, and I got my healthy distrust of politicians from her.I remember one night her telling Aussie Malcolm chapter and verse why he was going to be unemployed after the next election…and she was right, he was.I remember the night Jim Bolger was sitting in front of Mum's grand piano, sipping a scotch, while Winston Peters was regaling others with stories while he stretched his arm across the mantlepiece, a fag in one hand and a Scotch in the other, warming his backside by the fire. Bolger was telling me, and a couple of others who were there, all about how Jim McLay was a really nice guy, but sadly nice guys finish last. Two weeks later Jim Bolger was knifing McLay to become the leader of the opposition, and then Prime Minister. Jim Bolger was even invited to my wedding, and I've still got the letter he wrote back then.It was my father who was asked, by the cowards in caucus, to meet Jim Bolger at the airport to tell him there had been a coup while he was overseas, and that when he got back to Wellington the numbers had been done and Jenny Shipley was going to replace him.I remember Jenny Shipley coming to my sister's birthday dinner at a restaurant in Newmarket. I can remember Maurice Williamson leaping on stage and grabbing an electric guitar to play at my sister's 21st.I once went to Maurice's house in Epsom to spend a long afternoon playing loads of Deep Purple, The Who and other great music at volumes that left us both deaf. So much so we never heard the neighbours pounding on the door.I can remember my grandmother telling assorted ministers visiting us at the beach house her ideas on health care and hospitals, and those being implemented.I can fondly remember the smell of cigar smoke wafting down the hallway of Vogel House to my room from the lounge where Doug Graham was reading the newspaper at six in the morning.I was in the whip's office and helped draft the caucus resolution that threw Winston Peters out of caucus, and I remember well Bill Birch (another MP I respect deeply) coming down to read the resolution before going to inform Bolger of what was about to happen. Those really were the days of smoke filled rooms, especially when chain-smoking Doug Kidd and cigar smoking Doug Graham were in the room.I was standing beside Maurice Williamson when he was filmed after the 2002 election debacle and uttered his now infamous comment about needing to lance the boil within the party. That particular boil took nearly 20 years to get lanced properly.I've been there and seen it all, up close and personal.When it comes to Prime Ministers, I've met Robert Muldoon, David Lange, Jim Bolger, Jenny Shipley, Helen Clark, John Key, Bill English and Jacinda Ardern. I think that in the current press gallery only Barry Soper can claim a similar pedigree. Hell's teeth, I can remember Barry when he had hair and was visiting Dad's place.In 2008, I even had lunch with Jacinda Ardern over three hours in Morrinsville. I know she remembers it because when David Cunliffe was Labour's leader and they were planning the Dirty Politics hit job, the members of the Labour caucus were asked if any of them had dealings with me. Jacinda Ardern, to her credit, owned up about the lunch. Stuart Nash skulked at the back and said nothing.Politicians, by their very nature, are narcissistic, self absorbed and sociopaths. Very few of them have any compassion and those that do keep it quiet. To give you an example, when I had my stroke just one National MP bothered to come see me, and tipped up at the hospital even. No other National MP called, emailed or even sent a card. Only that one, very compassionate, and deeply misunderstood MP. Only one Labour MP bothered to message me. No, it wasn't Stuart Nash. It was another, and his text messages to me late one night were a treasure. He knows who he is, and I appreciated those texts and those sentiments as they were heartfelt and compassionate.Politics is a blood sport, but I believe always that we need to get past tribalism and polarisation in politics, and we very desperately need compassionate people in politics.There are very few politicians who I respect; there are none, with the exception of one, who I despise. Helen Clark was a brilliant politician. I didn't agree with her politics and still don't, but she is one politician I can respect, for her immense will power, her stickability and her political skills. She fought to the very end. I have no respect for John Key. He thought he could sway a referendum on the flag, I told him he was wrong and would lose. It turned out I was right and he was wrong. That was the beginning of the end of him; he realised that he could no longer walk on water. But he also lacked courage; any man who rings another man's father to pass on a message is gutless and beneath contempt. He bolted when he thought he couldn't win again, and left us with Bill English, a staid and dependable Finance Minister but someone who has tits for hands when it came to leadership.Most politicians enter politics stating all sorts of altruistic reasons why they entered parliament. Mostly they are lies, mouthing pithy sentimental tosh about making the world a better place. Parliament's history is littered with MPs' careers that achieved little other than enriching themselves at the taxpayers' expense.Despite all their foibles I sincerely believe that most are not evil: misguided maybe, but not evil. Not even Robert Muldoon was evil, but he was surely misguided. He tried his best when faced with economic doom and oil shocks. He was ill-equipped to handle the various crises that beset his government, but ironically the very power systems and energy self sufficiency we now enjoy – and our great renewable energy that the climate change advocates bang on about – were a result of Muldoon's and Bill Birch's foresight with Think Big. The very projects that Labour and others vociferously opposed.Which brings me to the exception. Jacinda Ardern.When I had that three hour lunch with her I came away thinking that this woman makes a lot of sound and thinks she sounds informed and interested about the world and politics. But on reflection, at the time, I said to David Farrar, who was also there, that she was just mouthing slogans and platitudes. Bumper sticker slogans and rehearsed lines. There was no depth there, and there still isn't.She is my exception, the one I believe is actually evil, and here is why I believe that.She is fake, more fake than a $10 copy watch bought in the back alleys of Hong Kong. She has claimed many, many things, like all politicians, about why she entered politics. She professes wanting to end child poverty; she even made herself the minister in charge of ending child poverty. She also claimed that climate change was her generation's nuclear free moment. On both of those claimed driving forces for her entering politics she has failed massively and comprehensively. All the child poverty statistics are either materially worse or have barely budged. Her climate change commitments are joke. She wrecked an industry on a Captain's Call and then presided over the largest imports of coal we have ever seen, into a country that is sitting on huge coal reserves. Every single signature election promise has been an abject failure. She told people she was going to make houses more affordable; their cost has more than doubled. She promised to build 100,000 Kiwibuild homes, but it turned out that she couldn't build a house in a room full of Lego. She promised light rail to the airport and has failed to lay even a single centimetre of track. None of those things are evil, but they are all dishonest and show a predilection towards failure after bold promises.She told us that she never lies, which was a lie. But since taking power she has grabbed unprecedented additional powers, moreso than even Robert Muldoon. With that power she locked us up, removed our freedoms and told us all it was for our health. Never before in the history of the world have so many healthy people been locked up and had their freedoms taken away, all on the pretext of protecting our health.It was all to flatten the curve, she said, then to protect the hospitals, then to save granny, then it would be short and sharp, and it ended up being the longest lockdown ever. It was all lies. If we needed more capacity in the hospitals then why haven't they provided it? Why did they spend $55 million on bribing and corrupting the media instead of building a purpose-built ICU-only hospital in Auckland? Why did they fund cameras on fishing boats and wallaby pest eradication instead of hiring more nurses?It was never about health; otherwise the billions spent subsidising businesses to stay closed could have instead been spent on hospitals and health care. It was all about control and manipulation. She has gaslit everyone while smiling and frowning and stealing away your rights, your freedoms, and your democracy.Her lockdowns have cost people their lives, postponed life-saving operations and cancer treatment, destroyed businesses, wrecked careers and worst of all scared people into being irrationally afraid, especially the children. Even though that is evil, that isn't the real evil of this woman.The real evil was her politicisation of the Police force, coupled with her draconian lockdown rules, the creation of a Stasi-like snitch culture, creating a situation where mates are turned against mates, families are splintered and rent apart by the medical apartheid she has implemented; and her scapegoating, demonising and radicalising the unvaccinated and destroying social cohesion with her divisive, nasty, evil policies.She said she never lies; she told us last year that Kiwis would not be penalised if they chose not to vaccinate, yet that is exactly what she has done: introduced social ostracism and punishments for daring to have free will. That is evil.She is manipulative in the most extreme manner, like all sociopaths. Why else would she use sustained propaganda and well-known brainwashing techniques to tell us that 'They are Us'…except for the unvaccinated, then 'They are Us' is discarded. 'Team of Five Million' was a lie, because she has now separated New Zealand into 'Us and Them'. What else can you call it other than manipulative to forbid the use of hairdressers unless you can prove you'd been vaccinated? That particular piece of nastiness was aimed solely at those naughty women who refuse to comply.Removing freedoms from everyone, and then giving back the vaccinated some of those freedoms while callously using the media to help gaslight everyone into believing government permissions are freedoms, at the same time as creating two classes of citizen, is even nastier and evil. She's convinced over 70% of people that this divisiveness and nastiness is perfectly alright. She's said it is OK to discriminate. She's not even passed any laws to push her mandates; she's just let businesses become her brownshirts in ostracising and demonising the unvaccinated. She's allowed Aucklanders to be scapegoated even as she wrecked their businesses, jobs, and dreams. It is never OK to discriminate. Yet that is what this evil woman has done.The Kiwi ethos of egalitarianism was slaughtered on the altar of Covid, and the knife used to cut its throat was wielded by Jacinda Ardern.Add to that the racial divisions she has fostered and extended through her government, and we as a nation are now on the cusp of the destruction of everything Kiwis once stood for. The Kiwi dream has become a dark and awful nightmare, where we live and exist only with the permission of the government.We are more divided than ever before. We are meaner, harsher and nastier than before. Her actions did that. The evil is that she pretended it was kindness.As I've elaborated, like never before, I've seen them all, from Muldoon to Ardern. Not even the excesses of Helen Clark or Robert Muldoon were this bad. The Ardern regime is exactly that, a regime. She is evil. She has systematically and deliberately destroyed this nation, and for that, she deserves to be run out of town on a rail.Jacinda Ardern has done something no other politician has achieved in my estimation. She has made me despise her personally, simply because she is actually evil. I disliked Muldoon and Clark, but I actually despise Jacinda Ardern.Her platitudes, her much-vaunted compassion, and her so-called sincerity are all fake. She is a very, very shallow, manipulative and insecure person drunk on the power voters handed her. She is desperate to be seen as a hero in the world's eyes when in reality she has become a shabby, desperate despot, worse than Robert Muldoon and Helen Clark.Jacinda Ardern is a black-hearted woman, not the caring persona she has cultivated.She deserves nothing but opprobrium, and I will spend every waking moment working to remove her from office. It's personal now.

Cameron Slater

 

This email has been filtered by SMX. For more information visit smxemail.com

Fwd: Life in El Retiro and related matters

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: James Donald <tiare.taporo3@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 18 May 2022 at 17:31
Subject: Life in El Retiro and related matters
To: Alex Donald <adonald@abdonaldltd.co.nz>

Hi to all,

There is so much happening in the world at present.

So, we will begin with our Colombian doings and follow with our own view of the world and the challenges which surely will follow in the future post Chinese Virus environment

It's been a while - over 2 months in fact - since the last blog and much has happened since then.

Life continues in El Retiro. However, it has been unseasonably wet with rain nearly every day - usually from around 3pm onwards. And it's been cold - 2 blankets and an eiderdown on the bed! We hope that the seasons get back to somewhere near normal soon, otherwise we would have to question whether the decision to move here is sustainable in the medium term - especially as we get ever older. However, as the summer becomes more entrenched now, it is warming up a little thank goodness.

But the place itself and the people we have met have compensated in a big way. We have received much assistance with all sorts of things from many people. 

Our NZ orchid breeder friend, Andy is not happy as the often overcast days are severely impacting the blooming of the flowers which no doubt makes it difficult to assess the commercial acceptance of a new orchid. We meet Andy on a fairly regular basis at a local restaurant called La Liebre (the Hare) on Sundays for breakfasts and their omelettes are to die for - better even than the Kamo cafe we used to visit before we left Godzone! We discuss all sorts of things and usually the conversation turns to politics upon which we agree on most issues. 

On-line payments of accounts are a bugbear at the moment and it's not just a language difficulty, although that does complicate things. A typical situation is that we received the latest monthly invoice from Empresas Publicas de Medellin - EPM - pronounced aypayemi. This covers water, electricity and gas (reticulated natural gas). Our monthly cost has risen - mainly because most nights we run a built-in gas heater to counteract the cold. Typically we are now paying around 420,000 pesos per month ( approx. NZD162) for all 3 services. However, our gas consumption has risen of late because belatedly EPM discovered a gas leak. Doesn't seem to matter whether it's on their side of the metre or ours!! This has now been fixed. But in all the confusion we were late paying last month's bill. So, when this month's arrived, it was showing a total for 2 months. In our naivety we assumed that we could just go to the branch of Bancolombia where we have been paying most things and pay the new balance. But NO - this is Colombia with its own brand of logic. The bank was unable to vary the amount of the payment from that stated on the invoice, so we had to pay 2 months which means that we have now overpaid 1 month and when the next invoice arrives it SHOULD be showing a credit balance! That remains to be seen!! 

The accounts situation is now better, but we still haven't competely come to grips with on-line payment. Local websites are in the main DIABOLICALLY complicated. It's also complicated by the fact that often there is no "paper" invoice - either electronically or delivered - or that you get an invoice in some months and not in others. And you are expected somehow - by telepathy? - to know when some account is due.

The car situation remains the same as the B200 is still not finally repaired. At least we now know the problem. We are currently weighing up the viability of obtaining the necessary parts from either the US or Mexico. The US one is new, whereas ex Mexico they are used. But then we also have to find someone here who is competent to fit the parts in a CVT automatic transmission, and even then we don't have any guarantee that the problem will be fixed. Every time that we ask anyone we get conflicting "advice". So, the poor car sits in an underground carpark in Medellin while we wrestle with the problem. Increasingly we are thinking we just need to scrap it to avoid putting good money after bad. which would be very sad as it is a good car, apart from the transmission. Good engine (only 78,000 kms) etc etc. But we are approaching in transmission repair costs an amount equal to the original purchase cost. Still, if, and it's a big IF, it is 100% repaired, we can then sell it and recover much cost, even if it does leave us licking our wounds. We must say at this point that our friend, Rodrigo, who went to Bogota with Jim to purchase the elderly W124 Mercedes, has been a tower of strength and we are indebted to him for all the assistance he has provided in trying to solve the problem of the B's transmission.

The good thing is that the 29 yr old 300E we bought in Bogota is going well apart from a few minor issues, but we are gradually getting on top of those. Laboriously writing out instructions in Spanish for mechanics is time-consuming but we get there in the end. The Spanish is slowly improving as a result of all these interactions!! At least the 300E has NO COMPUTERS!!!

On an amusing note, we often buy Muzlos de Pollo (chicken legs) and have commented on the size. We have therefore concocted a new theory concerning the Moas (extinct in NZ). We believe that when the Maoris arrived in NZ only about 900 years ago, the Moas observed the slaughter that was unleashed upon them and decided to emigrate. With their long legs they were very good swimmers and many made it to South America - hence the Moa legs we buy today. What with interbreeding with local chickens, the result is very tasty and tender - and large - legs, which are more than a meal in themselves. One rare reason to be grateful to these NZ Maori immigrants, who never conserved anything in their lives - note NOT Tangata Whenua!!!! For those of you not familiar with the Maori language, Tangata Whenua means "People of the Land", but 900 years of occupation and rape and pillage does NOT justify this description incorrectly bestowed on half-cast people who now only comprise 16% of NZ's population at best. 

Our building extensions have been proceeding in earnest since the 3rd. (13 working days so far), and we are very pleased with the standard of work and surprisingly, the efficiency. The contractor's name is Humberto and he employs a relative, Ivan, and his son, Ricardo. Keeping it all in the family is common here and works well. Basically we are extending the living area by 12 sq.metres, although about half of that was already under an upstairs balcony. And we are building a 6 sq. metre separate laundry, although attached to the house so that we can shift the laundry out of the kitchen which will make for a much more workable kitchen space. And 2 new windows in the kitchen which is not well served for natural light at present. These extensions have involved the digging up and demolition of existing paved areas which has mostly devolved to the son, Ricardo - it is backbreaking hard work. Jean wanted to recognise his hard work, so asked Humberto if we could give him 20,000 Pesos plus some Colombian chocolate. The gesture went down very well. Everything seems to be done the hard way by hand, although in the limited space it would have been next to impossible to bring in any mechanical assistance. Humberto and his team arrive at 7am every morning so we are having some long days. The language can be a bit frustrating at times, but Google Translate really comes into its own and we have managed to organise things quite well so far.

We are indebted to Peter English, a retired English/Italian expat, who has lived here for 19 years and who speaks fluent Spanish. He introduced us to Humberto and at our first meeting Peter was here to translate. We had written out everything we wanted to discuss (3 pages in Spanish) and the meeting went very well. We will have some progress photos at the end of this blog. EVERYTHING is produced in Colombia - concrete, bricks, tiles, window glass and aluminium extrusions, wiring, light fittings, kitchens, benchtops, and appliances. So NO supply chain issues and everything is so reasonably priced. For the work so far we were quoted 22 million Pesos (approx. NZD 9,000). That doesn't include fairly extensive windows for the new living room or the laundry glass roof, but it's at an affordability level unheard of for years in NZ, or just about anywhere else.

But not without what seem to be typical Colombian frustrations. For example we went down to Medellin (Ideo Mall in Itagui) and bought tiles. Some to be inset into a polished tinted concrete floor and others for a small outdoor patio. We chose them all and were pleased with the selection. Todo hecho en Colombia como siempre. We arranged for the outdoor tiles to be delivered as they were too heavy to take in the car, especially up 2,000 feet in 20kms! But when we took the car around to their cart dock, ALL the tiles were there! We reminded them that delivery for some (about 300 kilos!) had to be arranged and they took that news in bad grace. Colombians for the most part don't like to be corrected! Then they said that the delivery to Retiro would be 220,000 pesos (NZD88), so we told them to cancel the order. We'd already paid the total by credit card, so they refunded us in cash! We took the smaller tiles and now have to look again for the outdoor tiles up here. Similar story with a gas wall oven we chose. Brand is Mabe (made in Mexico, although there are also other brands made here). We decided on the particular model at the Mabe shop in Ideo and then wanted to pay with credit card a couple of days later, but they said in order to do that we had to be there in person! So we cancelled that order too and will have to source the same thing up here. We cannot be leaving here all day just to pay by credit card with all that is happening right now. These frustrations just drive you mad, particularly because they are usually sprung at the last minute with no prior warning. Anyway, in the end the final result will have been worth all these tribulations.

We have been unable to put our old girl in the carport as it's being used for storage of building materials, so we obtained from the US an excellent car cover and she now resides under that outside in the visitors' carpark for the duration. All seems well.

Yesterday (the 17th.) we went to Homecentre in Rio Negro, which is the local Bunnings/Mitre 10 equivalent. We were armed with everything we needed to purchase written out on paper and it all went swimmingly. We bought a natural gas powered wall oven (last one of those that Jim had was in Birkenhead in Auckland before 2004, and as the burning gas gives off moisture, the food is kept nice and moist). a new larger (10 litre) gas califont water heater because we haven't got room for a cylinder, more tiles  which we like better than the ones we earlier had chosen in Itagui, and a long folding ladder which will enable us to clean our glass roofed carport roof and which, as it folds into 4 parts, can be used for a number of purposes including as a scaffold for painting walls for instance. We also managed to get an extendable 3 metre washing brush for said roof and some varnish for a wall of natural brown stone inside. We saw the same stone at a restaurant in Cartagena which had been varnished and the effect was much enhanced.

We have to comment on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which of course has been underway for some 3 months now. We have been wrestling with the Russian motivation for this action. We think we now understand. The reasons for the invasion are many and varied, and the Russian President has been tight-lipped. But thanks to Glen Beck, a conservative US broadcaster, we believe that basically it comes down to an ideological conflict between Nationalism and Globalism. The latter is the playbook of Socialism, hence the growing opposition to Russia from the EU and the US. And now we are seeing the increasing involvement by NATO and the US which seem to be running an increasing risk of provoking a nuclear conflict with the Russian Federation.

In no way are we attempting to justify Russia's actions with all the loss of life and destruction of property that has occurred. It is NEVER justified to invade another sovereign country - no matter how justified it may seem to be at the time. Suffice it to say that Vladimir Putin may also wish to expand Russia's borders back to the old USSR positions which would mean invasions of more countries, but there's this other already mentioned ideological reason. Putin probably quite correctly regards Biden as a liability, not just to the US, but to the world. And, despite all the scare-mongering, the so-called alliance between China and Russia is likely to be somewhat of a myth. There are now very disturbing reports coming out of Ukraine to the effect that a number of bioweapon labs - similar to the Wuhan lab. - are widespread in Ukraine, and it seems very likely that these labs are and have been funded by the US - Fauci et al - all in the despicable name of "gain of function". This simply means that viruses, usually fairly harmless from natural sources are "enhanced" to the point that they become extremely dangerous and possibly could be used as bio-weapons, or create another Covid - or worse. Then there is the Chinese Virus "vaccine", but untested and imposed upon a totally scared world with all the consequences, financial and human, that we have seen. 

This is a scandal yet to be fully revealed, but one could be reasonably sure that it also involves the corrupt Bidens (Hunter and his corrupt father - the current President of the United States). This is probably why the US is making a lot of noise as they would not want these types of revelations ever seeing the light of day. And why Putin is pressing on so that he can be instrumental in destroying the corrupt "deep state" by exposing these vile operations.

Having said all that, THERE IS NEVER ANY EXCUSE FOR ONE COUNTRY INVADING ANOTHER WITH ALL THE ATTENDANT HUMAN SUFFERING AND DAMAGE.

It is interesting to compare Biden to Trump. When President Assad of Syria attacked his own people with chemical weapons supplied by Russia, Trump didn't hesitate. He attacked the airbase from where the chemical missile attack originated with over 70 Tomahawk missiles. Then he rang Putin and told him "don't ever do that again". "If you do, the consequences will be worse". Now there are strong rumours that Putin, after having viewed Biden's weakness, is likely to do exactly that again. This is the very dangerous path down which the corrupt Biden is leading the United States, and by extension all of us down this slippery slope..

We can't wait for the mid-terms in November this year so that the resultant GOP controlled Congress can press ahead with impeachment of the worst and most corrupt president in US history, followed by criminal prosecution of him and all his criminal co-conspirators for their determined treasonous attempts to destroy the oldest democratic republic in the world.

There is an email just to hand from Jonathan Otto of Covid Secrets which quotes US "official" Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System - VAERS, published by the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC). It is estimated that the following figures only form 1% of the actual adverse effects, simply because of the lack of accurate reporting. Reportedly there are 28,000 deaths directly attributable to the vaccines, and of 1,261,000 "adverse events", there are 155,000 hospitalisations, 129,000 urgent care cases, 52,000 permanent disabilities, 41,000 severe allergic reactions, 40,000 Myocarditis/Pericarditis cases, 31,000 life threatening reactions, 14,000 heart attacks and 4,600 miscarriages. And bear in mind again that these figures only represent 1% of the real totals. There have been so many lies and deliberate misinformation, coupled with draconian lockdown rules often enforced in the most brutal ways. The overall human and financial costs of the Chinese Virus have just been made many times worse by these deliberate attempts to suppress and control populations. There are so many people that should be held to account, but of course never will be.

One interesting matter concerning Ivermectin that we have read from a usually reliable source is that it is now thought that it has anti-cancer properties as well as the well proven preventative effect on the Chinese Virus. All those sceptics who mocked it can put their arguments you know where.

In NZ's case it seems from recent polling that Ardern and Co are on the skids - and not before time. But we should not be complacent. 

The damage that has been wrought on our fair land has been massive and will take years to recover from. And possibly the saddest thing is that people have been changed forever. They are no longer the caring easy-going people that we all once knew. The Chinese Virus "rules" have pitted people against one another, perhaps forever. We can only hope that over time we may get back to that happier time. It is certainly ironic that Ardern in NZ and Biden in the US (and others elsewhere), put themselves forward as "uniters" and promulgators of fairness and harmony, but exactly the opposite has been the case. In NZ the race card has been played blatantly in an effort to steal assets and governmental control on behalf of self-interested and corrupt Maori tribal interests from what used to be a benign democracy. Let's hope that it's not too late to stop these evil machinations and exact justice from these criminals.  

To be fully aware of these anti-democratic attempts to subvert our system of government which has operated now for over 180 years, please, if you have not already done so, listen regularly to Leighton Smith's weekly podcasts which have been a beacon of common sense and fairness for many months in these benighted times. And also please read Dr. Muriel Newman's weekly NZ Centre for Political Research newsletters. She, probably more than any other single person, has exposed the underhand and criminal attempts to subvert our democracy - most notably by the "3 Waters" scheme - and others, of which we will not go into in detail here. Read the NZCPR newsletters and find out how NZ is systematically being destroyed.

It is instructive to compare the "active case" numbers in Colombia and NZ as we speak. Colombia has just over 26,000 "active cases" in a population of 51 million, whereas NZ currently has over 54,000 "active cases" in a population of 5 million. If nothing else will, surely this MUST illustrate the evil and wilful futility of NZ's "elimination strategy" which has been an absolute abject failure. NZ of course isn't alone in this, but it does expose the malign incompetence that has characterised much official response to the Chinese Virus.

Two further news items concerning deception and scandal in the US which just came to light today - 16/05. First, there has been much comment about the shortage of baby formula on supermarket shelves. It turns out that huge quantities are being and have been shipped to the Mexico border for months to be given to all these massive numbers of illegal aliens who have been flooding across the border. This story is corroborated by a GOP congresswoman who has just been to the border and photographed warehouses full of this baby formula. One more example of the criminal lying that the Biden crooks have been doing with impunity.

The other is concerning Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter - now on hold. This is because questions have been raised concerning the genuineness of the numbers of active accounts that Twitter actually has. It now looks increasingly likely that there could be as many as 90% of these "accounts" which are actually fake and are activated by robots. If this is true, then Musk certainly will NOT be buying Twitter - or definitely not for anything like the 44 billion dollars initially proposed. This is just another example of the lying and deceptive nature which characterises everything the left is involved in. 

They rig elections because that's the only way they can win and in the case of NZ they took advantage of the Covid panic to push through their racist agenda below normal parliamentary scrutiny processes. The left are CROOKS through and through.   

You may have read of the unprecedented leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court on the subject of Rowe v. Wade which deals with what to date and since 1973 has been unfettered access to pregnancy abortion. The Court it seems is likely to devolve this matter to individual states whose policies are usually directly related to their own voters' intentions. Having said that though, there are states right now who permit abortion right up to full term and it is even proposed in some cases that an infant could be "aborted" up to 30 days after birth. We have never heard of anything so barbaric in our lives and would also comment that, while it may up to a point be a woman's right to decide "what happens to her own body", there are actually two bodies to be considered in any pregnancy - not just one. This is a right to life of a new human being which is routinely ignored by these rabid abortionists who are now picketing the private homes of the Justices. It is actually illegal to attempt to influence ANY judge's deliberations by threats of violence which is exactly what has been done, but the Socialist Biden Administration is just ignoring all that and taking no action.

Financial markets are declining drastically as the belated realisation of Biden's Socialist policies are finally taking hold. Since the beginning of the year:

The NZD against the USD has declined 7.3%. This will to a large extent affect the price of anything imported into NZ, especially fuel, which of course directly affects just about everything else.

The NZD against the AUD has declined 4.1% - same comments apply

The NZD against the Colombian Peso (COP) has declined 7.2%

The USD against the COP has remained exactly the same

The NZ stock exchange (NZX50) has declined 13.6%

The Australian All Ords has declined 4.5%

The broad US index - the S & P 500 has declined 18.2%

These stock market figures probably indicate the start of a much larger decline which in turn could be the start of a recession. Many commentators are confidently predicting that this will happen, if not already. It is always surprising that, considering how many USD's have been artificially printed over previous months, the USD is increasing in value against many other currencies as well as the NZD. It seems that many people regard it as a safe haven , but of course it is anything but. The world is crazy and events to come are unpredictable.  

Here in El Retiro life is relaxed compared with just about anywhere else, and we feel so thankful that through a series of coincidental events over the last 11 years or so, we have eventually settled here. Everything that one is likely to need is here and, if not, Llanogrande is only 15 kms away or Rio Negro 30 kms. We can only add that we feel so incredibly lucky that our often unconventional travels and experiences encompassing 10 countries since leaving NZ in 2011 have led us here to this delightful part of the world. The Chinese Virus is a thing of the past, but we continue to take Ivermectin on a regular monthly basis. Our only concerns are that the weather should revert to being somewhat warmer and sunnier and that we do not get saddled with a Socialist President in 2 weeks time. We can only hope that sufficient of the population realise the possible consequences of such a change and vote accordingly. Elections have consequences. Unfortunately the extreme right-wing government of Duque/Uribe continues to take undemocratic actions in order to illegally attempt to keep the left from taking power. They've just illegally sacked the Mayor of Medellin because he was perceived by them as being Socialist and helping the Socialist Presidential candidate, Gustavo Petro - a former guerilla terrorist!! But they'd have been better to leave the Mayor alone, at least until after the elections, because people are neither blind nor stupid and these authoritarian actions can possibly influence undecided voters to swing left - one has to wonder just what planet the current government is inhabiting. Fingers crossed.

Well, that's about it for now. Next blog whenever we have finished our building alterations. Probably in about 6 weeks. In the meantime we hope that people are well and picking themselves up after the draconian Chinese Virus nonsense............

Cheers and lotsaluv from us in El Retiro, Antioquia, Colombia

Jim and Jean

P.S.

Herewith photos of the alterations to date -  

  

Fwd: Ignore the False Prophet

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Neil O'Hara <arahonj07@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2022 at 16:35
Subject: Fwd: Ignore the False Prophet
To: James Donald <tiare.taporo3@gmail.com>

Hi,

Please read the attached and take a moment to reflect on all the lies that have been spread by individuals and governments hellbent on maintaining control of your lives for as long as they could maintain the fear. It is oriented towards NZ, but has just as much relevance world-wide.

We are now clear of the Chinese Virus so let's forget all the opprobrium some of us have heaped on each other and try to get back to what was once a normal life.

This is a watershed moment....................

Cheers and lotsaluv from us in El Retiro, Colombia

Jim and Jean

IT IS NOW OVER. LET GET ON WITH LIFE WITHOUT GOVERNMENT RESTICTIONS.

Ignore the False Prophet

by Guest Post 7 March, 2022 9:30 am

DJ Omicron. Cartoon credit SonovaMin. The BFD.

Wake up, friends. It's over. The government has thrived on fear for far too long. Whatever it was before, covid is now just a flu, and for most people not a particularly bad one. We're all beginning to see that.

Lewis Andrew
sojournal.co.nz

Here at The Sojournal, we like to berate the mainstream media of New Zealand. It is bereft of critical thinking and investigative journalism. In our covid age as we have marched towards ever more authoritarian government, our mainstream media has cheered the Beast on like the false prophet of Revelation.

Our mainstream media is a massive part of the problem. They have used fear to stoke readership. Rather than report the facts and ask hard questions, they have joined the government in its programme of control by fear. Take a look at this headline from The New Zealand Herald from Friday 4th March.

What will the naive nanas and state worshippers take from this? What is their god's mouthpiece, the mainstream media prophesying today? The prophet is reminding the State's people that the enemy is covid and it has taken another five lives. The lead goes on to say this.

There are 22,535 new Covid-19 cases today and a further five deaths have been reported. That brings to 67 the number of people who have died with Covid since the outbreak started in 2020. Three per cent of New Zealand's population are currently active cases, of which there are 152,358.

Astute readers will at this point have noticed the clause 'who have died with Covid'. Many, in their religious fervour and devotion to the all-powerful state and its message, will not even notice. How many devotees will stop at this point in the article and shake their heads at the terrible blood price covid has made us pay, thank their merciful god for its swift action to save them after the sacrifice of their unvaccinated friends and colleagues was deemed acceptable and move on to see what Kim Kardashian is up to?

67 New Zealanders lost to this ridiculously dangerous disease over 2 years! Shocking. Just as well we ruined our country and almost destroyed its social fabric to protect ourselves against such grim statistics.

Those who read on will find out the details of these five deaths.

So of the five deaths, how many died of covid? If I am reading this correctly, it seems that none of them did. Which begs the question. How many people out of our 67 'covid' deaths have actually died of covid?

Spare me the breathless 'over 20,000 cases today' or 'over 150,000 active cases'. Who cares? If nobody is dying of covid, then why the blazes are we punishing people who haven't been vaccinated? Why? We used to be able to deal with 500 flu deaths in a year without shutting out unvaccinated people from society and taking their livelihoods away from them. So what's changed?

But it gets worse. We are constantly berated and badgered into getting our booster, supposedly our best protection against omicron. The Ministry of Education, that hapless group of bureaucrats that preside over New Zealand's ever-increasing spiral into illiteracy and innumeracy in education sent an email to school leaders a week or so back. It read as follows.

In Phase 3, only household contacts of confirmed cases are required to self-isolate. The isolation period will be 10 days. All other contacts of COVID-positive people are not required to isolate, but they will need to monitor for symptoms. Rapid antigen tests will become the primary testing method. 

This is a decision that has been made based on public health advice.

Really? A decision based on public health advice? Or is it that the country can't afford to have everybody in isolation at the same time? Public health advice seems to be a shorthand for political convenience.

What about this gem from the same source. "The high vaccination rate across the country will do its job in protecting us from transmission during the next surge of cases. If you haven't already, I encourage you to get your booster." Yeah. About that.

And we wonder why the kids are getting a second rate education and we have a shortage of critical thinking skills. The rot starts at the head.

The vaccine has failed, certainly against omicron. Masks are a waste of time because despite high compliance from New Zealanders, our case numbers are skyrocketing. They are just amulets or talismans for the secularist.

Thankfully, just as our thought leaders have been wrong about the vaccine, wrong about mandates, wrong about the need for vaccine passes and wrong about masks, they have also been wrong about how many people are going to die from this thing. And of course, there will be the typical excuses, "It would have been much worse had we not acted." Sure. Because all your other predictions have been so bang on, we should believe you about this.

Wake up, friends. It's over. The government has thrived on fear for far too long. Whatever it was before, covid is now just a flu, and for most people not a particularly bad one. We're all beginning to see that.

The unvaccinated people I know who have had this omicron version say it's nothing. So stop listening to the prophets of doom in the mainstream media. They are selling doom to make money off you.

Refuse to listen to their lies. Take a break from these sources. Demand answers. Demand truth. Stop complying. Take off your mask and demand your freedoms back. Now

 

Fwd: Inhuman Socialist vaccine mandates and our Retiro news

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: James Donald <tiare.taporo3@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2022 at 11:37
Subject: Fwd: Inhuman Socialist vaccine mandates and our Retiro news
To: Des Kearns <des@deskearns.com>

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: James Donald <tiare.taporo3@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2022 at 09:25
Subject: Inhuman Socialist vaccine mandates and our Retiro news
To: Alex Donald <adonald@abdonaldltd.co.nz>

Hi to all,

This is an update on events since we moved up to El Retiro in late November. 

Before getting to the meaty aspects of this blog, we must reproduce the following letter detailing the NZ Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern's past, together with her dictatorial conduct since - all of which makes sense when you connect her ideology with the Godsent opportunity for Socialist control which the Chinese Virus "Pandemic" has offered. The letter written by Craig Turner, a Director of the Sleepyhead Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in NZ is as follows:

"This is one of the best open letters sent to Ardern that we have read. Her history and hidden agenda are laid out in chronological fashion perfectly. Time to kick her out...........

Dear Jacinda,

When you became Labour Party Leader, seven weeks before the 2017 election, you had been a little-known list MP.

We now know that nine months before being elected to Parliament in 2008, you had become President of the International Union of Socialist Youth. The fact that instead of immediately resigning from that role after becoming an MP, you continued on as President for a further 15 months, should have caused concern - especially after a video emerged showing you referring to conference attendees as "comrades" fifteen times in 7 minutes.

Being trusting people, we didn't think that meant you were a Communist.

We saw the media fawning over your elevation to Party Leader so enthusiastically that the term "Jacindamania" was coined. And we noted that these media cheerleaders gave you favourable coverage during the election campaign.

In spite of that, Labour received 956,000 votes or 36.9%, while 1,152,000 New Zealanders - 44.4% - supported National.

That result showed that the country had overwhelmingly voted for conservatism and stability.

But Winston Peters, holding the balance of power and ignoring the wishes of the majority of voters, annointed you as our 40th. Prime Minister.

Kiwis are fair - minded and you were given the chance to prove yourself. But while you had great communication skills, and what appeared to be genuine empathy, it soon became clear that true to your hard-line roots, you intended to impose destructive Socialist extremism onto New Zealand.

The first indication of your intention was your unilateral decision to ban new deep sea oil drilling to effectively close down New Zealand's oil and gas industry. This was done without warning, without consultation and without Cabinet approval, on the eve of your first overseas trip as Prime Minister - allegedly so you could look decisive on the world stage.

We saw this again following the Christchurch attack - even though the perpetrator was a deranged foreigner, you cracked down on the rights of law-abiding Kiwi firearm owners without warning, consultation, or proper justification. Driven by a seemingly insatiable desire for international recognition, you appeared oblivious to the livelihoods and lifelong interests you were destroying.

We then became concerned in 2019 to hear you tell a meeting hosted by Bill Gates, that without our knowledge, you were imposing the United Nations Agenda 2030 onto New Zealand. "My Government is doing something not many other countries have tried. We have incorporated the principles of the 2030 Agenda into our domestic policy - making in a way that we hope will drive system-level actions. I believe that the change in approach that we have adopted in New Zealand is needed at a global scale".

But while you were successfully embedding the UN's Socialist agenda into every regulation and law change,your election promises of building affordable housing, reducing homelessness, and eliminating child poverty were all turning into dismal failures.

And even though the media had largely stuck by you, by the end of 2019 the growing discontent - especially within the business and farming sectors that were facing a tsunami of restrictive rules and regulations - was so widespread, it was reflecting in the polls, indicating yours was likely to be a one-term government.   

That is until Covid-19 came along early in election year.

Covid became a Socialist Leader's dream. It enabled emergency measures curtailing freedom and liberty to be embedded into every facet of our lives - with minimal Parliamentary scrutiny.

Under the guise of fighting Covid, you hired a multi-million dollar Rolls Royce communications team to provide you with expert  advice; as long as you could keep fear of Covid top of mind right up to voting day, your re-election was assured.

And that's exactly what happened.

Winning over 50% support from New Zealanders was a remarkable achievement. 

On election night you assured the country you would govern for "all" Kiwis. "We will not take your support for granted. And I can promise you, we will be a party that governs for every New Zealander".

We wanted to believe you.

But we know now, those words were a lie.

The separatist agenda you unleashed is unprecedented in New Zealand's history.

We now know that you concealed the "He Puapua" blueprint to replace democracy with tribal rule - for 12 months prior to the election.

That report reveals your plan is to introduce 50:50 co-governance, to give the Maori elite, who represent just 15% of the population, disproportionate power and unimaginable authority over the lives of the 85% of other New Zealanders.

Why did you not tell us during the election campaign that you intended to transfer democratic power to an unelected and unaccountable tribal aristocracy so they can control New Zealand for their own benefit? 

Since you didn't reveal those intentions before the election, you have no mandate from New Zealanders to replace democracy with tribal rule.

And while you have denied "He Puapua" is Labour Party policy, it's clear that is another lie.

New Zealanders are not stupid - we have read the "He Puapua" report and we can see that the laws you are now enacting are part of this agenda for tribal control.

In health, when you realised that a Maori Health Authority with the right of veto over the entire health system couldn't be established under the decentralised District Health Board model, without any consultation you announced that DHB's would be abolished. You have no mandate to replace community control of health with a centralised Apartheid bureaucracy prioritising Maori over those with more serious medical needs.

Putting race ahead of need is not the New Zealand way. It is shocking and callous. How can anyone with genuine empathy and a clear conscience possibly think it's OK? And restructuring the entire health system during a pandemic is not only ideological madness, but it borders on being criminally reckless.

In education you are allowing Maori extremists to dictate the curriculum and indoctrinate children with a worldview that denigrates our history and the people who helped build our nation.

In local government, you abolished the democratic rights of local communities to reject plans to divide them by race. It seems clear that this was the first step towards the "He Puapua" goal of tribal control of local authorities.

You have no mandate for your disastrous Three Waters proposal to give control of ratepayer funded water infrastructure and services to the Maori tribal elite. Communities up and down the country are outraged at this blatant seizing of local assets - and the transfer of democratic control that will undoubtedly lead to the imposition of royalties to Maori whenever a Kiwi tap is turned on.

And what about your plan to silence opponents through proposed hate speech laws? You did not seek a mandate to "criminalise" someone for political views - such as criticising Labour politicians or Maori supremacists - yet that is what your draft law changes are proposing.

Nor did you seek a mandate to effectively buy media support for your plan for tribal rule. You campaigned on funding the media, but you did not explain that the $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund would be contingent on supporting the fabricated Maori "partnership" claim that underpins "He Puapua". In some countries, political leaders who attempt to unduly influence the media through taxpayer funding, are being accused of corruption.

What hold does the tribal elite have over you? Why are you prepared to sacrifice the democratic rights of all New Zealanders, so they can have power? Kind people may think that you are simply naive and being duped by your Maori caucus. Others believe that creating disunity is part of your Socialist DNA.

When it comes to your management of Covid, we are now witnessing the loss of liberty on a scale unimaginable from a New Zealand Prime Minister.

You have given yourself the authority to control our lives, even to the point of allowing Police - or their agents -  to enter our homes and businesses without a warrant.

Now, through vaccine mandates - that you promised before the election you would not introduce - you are dividing our nation and trampling over sacred civil liberties and democratic rights, protected by the New Zealand Bill of Rights.

In 1990, when Labour Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer was introducing the Bill of Rights in Parliament, he explained that it was a safeguard to protect New Zealanders against the unbridled power of future governments. "It is unlikely that there will be a wholesale disregard of human rights in New Zealand in the foreseeable future, but....we cannot afford to wait until rights disappear before we take action because it is too late by that stage. It is better to have a Bill of Rights when it is not needed than to not have one when it is needed".

Now, twenty-one years later, you are leading a government that is doing exactly what he believed would never happen in New Zealand - you are stomping on the most basic human rights of New Zealanders.

This is not the New Zealand way - and is not what voters thought they were getting when they gave you the responsibility of leading our country for the benefit of all. 

You have betrayed us, and we have lost trust in you and your government.

That's why we don't love you any more, Jacinda - and why we want you to resign.

Yours sincerely......

Have a Great Night

Craig Turner- Director, Sleepyhead Manufacturing Co. Ltd.,

Ph. 064 21920582"       

We also report the latest situation with the nasty Omicrons, but as we hardly ever get any meaningful replies to our blogs, we simply think it's probably a waste of time, in spite of screeds of evidence supporting our views. Suffice it to say that we have the advantage of seeing the murderous NZ Government from the outside, and along with similar antics in Canada, Australia and the US - and others, we can see these regimes for what they are. They ban well-proven therapeutic drugs from being used and at the same time do their damndest to force poisonous, still experimental "vaccines" down everyone's throats - or into arms. And the "vaccines" are largely ineffective against the latest variation of the Covid hoax, Omicron, whereas the therapeutics are most definitely effective. If this isn't the commission of deliberate harm and wilful murder in some cases, we don't know what is. NZ has now even declared Ivermectin, one of the most effective of the therapeutics, a Class A drug, along with Heroin and Cocaine!!  We take it monthly.

In Canada's case the alleged illegitimate son of Muammar Gaddafi, Justin Trudeau - the PM of Canada - has now largely backed down from his very ill-considered action of invoking emergency regulations which involved brutal tactics on the part of the Canadian Police. At least that was our information, but it seems there may be some back-tracking going on. Typical of leftists everywhere. Among many other totalitarian actions, the government has begun confiscating the financial assets of the peaceful protestors who include interstate truck owners. Now, because a number of government members have rebelled against the Trudeau cabal, the emergency powers are starting to be withdrawn. Trudeau will be toast at the next election - as will Jacinda!!

It is worth noting that Chrystia Freeland, the Deputy PM of Canada, is the grand daughter of Mikhail Chomiak, a Ukrainian who edited an anti Semite newspaper in Poland as part of Nazi propaganda during WW2. The newspaper glorified and encouraged Nazi activities in exterminating as many Jews as possible in horrific circumstances which are well known. Ms. Freeland could have expressed her revulsion at these propagandist activities, but she did not. Instead, while being well aware of her grandfather's revolting activity during the Nazi occupation of Poland, she attempted at various times with some success to sanitise the story. However, in a number of statements and opinions expressed, she has exposed herself as a sympathiser of her grandfather's views. It is also worth noting that an associate of Chomiak's who edited another similar vile rag, was in fact executed after the Nuremberg war crime trials. How Chomiak came to escape the same retributive fate and escape to Canada must remain a matter of speculation. But there is no question that there is a person at the highest level in the Canadian Government right now holding these odious views.

How many more of these leftist Socialist/Communist/anti Semitic cadres are there in governments all over the world - including in the USA, Australia and New Zealand?

It has been encouraging to see the protests (still on-going in NZ and likely to increase in intensity again) against the inhuman governance being imposed in NZ, Canada, Australia, and now the USA. And look out NZ, for a new round of mindless, authoritarian oppression coming into effect on April Fool's Day - the 1st. of April. 

Lockdowns and compulsory vaccines don't work, but the leftists are determined to milk the waning days of the "pandemic" for all it's worth - and then there will be another emergency - climate change. But this blog will not cover that can of worms - there will be plenty of opportunity for that in the future - for sure!

Anyway, we said we would not mention the nasty Omicrons any more, and we won't.

Except to point out NZ's woeful infection rate compared with our adopted country, Colombia. It just shows the total failure of NZ's elimination strategy compared with countries that have given far more emphasis to "living with" the Chinese Virus. This strategy has cost our country God knows what in terms of the financial and human costs of businesses which have been remorselessly driven into bankruptcy. And the imposition of experimental "vaccines" onto unwilling subjects by the evilness of sheer coercive blackmail.

At the time of writing (28/02) NZ has 82,433 active cases which equates to 16.5 per 1,000 of population. By comparison Australia has 224,896 (8.7 per 1,000) and Canada has 110,505 (2.9 per 1,000). The USA has 26,187,636 (78.4 per 1,000). In Colombia's case, the comparative figures are 35,253 active cases in a population of 51,781,879. Therefore the Colombian number per 1,000 of population is 0.7. So NZ has over 23 times the infection rate than Colombia. Go figure.

These numbers are all from the Worldometres website, so if any inaccuracies, at least it's comparing like with like. 

Anyway, that's it for the Chinese Virus hoax and the appalling oppressive politics and obfuscation that have accompanied it in so many jurisdictions since the Chinese started deliberately spreading it around the world in late 2019.

The first item of news is that we now have our antique Mercedes - a 1993 W124 300E as per the attached photos. Only 2 owners in 29 years. The cost was COP 26,000,000 (USD 6,700 or NZD 10,000). The car has only done 158,000 kms and has had the interior re-done in Colombian leather. Best leather in the world. There are one or two small issues that need to be fixed but nothing serious as far as we are aware. We had had the car fully checked out before going to Bogota, so no immediate concerns there. The biggest issue has been totally unexpected and concerns insurance. It is very difficult to insure "old" vehicles in Colombia and the best we could do in the end is 50% cover plus 4 billion pesos for 3rd. party injury and death liability. That is about 1.5 million Kiwi.

The original plan had been to fly to Bogota with Rodrigo (our car dealer friend), but on the morning of departure Jean's shoulder and arms were so sore that she could not stand the rigors of even an hour long flight to Bogota, let alone a 3 day drive back from Bogota. The road between Bogota and here is in good condition, but very steep, full of trucks, and slow. It is necessary to descend about 7,000 feet from Bogota into a valley and then a similar climb up to where we are. The Andes mountains at this latitude are in 3 parallel sections running roughly north/south and the journey from Bogota transits 2 of them with a humungous valley in between!!  

So, Rodrigo and yours truly flew to Bogota and inspected the car. All looked good so we went to the local Motor Transit office for the documentation re change of ownership. Rodrigo and Jim had booked an Airbnb 2 bedroom apartment so then we spent the rest of the day paying for the car, and searching for a car transport company because it wasn't an attractive proposition for Jim to do the drive alone (just over 400 kms from Bogota to Medellin), let alone that at that stage the car was unexpectedly uninsured - and that also means that there is no injury or death cover, so definitely an unreasonable risk. Late that afternoon we drove the car about 15 kms in heavy Bogota commuter traffic to the premises of the car transport company we had selected. Only COP 600,000 (NZD 230 or USD 154) to truck the car. A no-brainer. So then Rodrigo and Jim took a taxi back to our accommodation and then went out for dinner as we were both starving. Had a reasonable Italian meal and then totally exhausted we repaired back to the apartment and slept like logs. Jim booked a return flight to Medellin as he had only a single flight as per the original plan.

Rodrigo has been so helpful through this whole process. In Bogota the previous owner only spoke a smattering of English and the ownership change formalities and finding the transport company would have been VERY difficult without good Spanish. Probably would have finished up driving back in spite of the insurance issue!

But all went according to plan and we touched down in Medellin at about 1pm. the next day. By then we had received news that the car was already in Medellin at the truck company depot after an overnight trip, so we drove down the hill in Rodrigo's retro Fiat 500 - and there she was - looking wonderful. There was only one alternative at that stage and that was for Jim to drive the car to Retiro - albeit uninsured. But the trip up the hill was uneventful and finally she was ensconced in our garage/carport where she really looked the part. Not quite as good looking as the 1987 C126 coupe that Jim had had in NZ, but probably a bit better built and a bit cheaper to run - not being a V8!  Around here a 3 litre 6 cylinder is plenty. The car has cruise control, but that will never be used on these roads. Between here and Medellin and locally to the city of Rio Negro, probably the highest speed in normal driving would be 70 kms/hr, and that would be comparatively rare. This country is rugged in parts and the roads are for the most part one lane in each direction - and many corners. We drop 2,000 feet in 20 kms between here and Medellin and the first time we went down we were careful but towards the bottom the brake pedal was travelling further to the floor. That wasn't a good feeling!! It is really necessary to manually engage a lower gear so we will be doing that in future. The pedal returned to normal after cooling down and as this is being written the car is in a specialist workshop having an extensive service which includes replacement of the brake fluid as we don't know when it was last done. Brake fluid is hydroscopic which means it absorbs moisture from the ambient air and the last thing you want in any car is water in the brake lines. 

In the meantime we had dealt with the insurance through a very helpful insurance broker recommended by our American friends. She is Venezuelan and she and her husband visited us one evening to finalise all the paperwork which otherwise is a bit daunting for us, since it is all in Spanish!! They came all the way from Envigado where they live, so it was wonderful service. We have our casa insured with the biggest insurance company in Colombia, but they wouldn't touch the car! But Rebeca managed to arrange cover with another reputable company. 

In the meantime our other car is now at the Mercedes agent in Medellin still waiting for some replacement screws where there is a sensor which acts between the throttle setting and the auto transmission. That's why we wanted an older car - pre computerised systems. But they are confident this will fix the problem we have had - after 7 months! Then we will be asking Rodrigo to sell the car on our behalf. It's a great pity because Jim's first experience with an almost identical B Class was in NZ as a loan car from the North Shore Mercedes agents 15 years ago! That was before we went sailing! He was very impressed and that influenced the decision to buy this car in Medellin as a 12 year old car in 2019. It was just that this one was subsequently damaged by some idiot who put it in reverse while travelling forward. Anyway, the saga is almost over.

In the meantime we have been getting used to living in a smallish rural town. It is common to see people riding horses in the town. Horse riding is a popular occupation and the Colombian leather saddles and bridles, etc. are works of art. The weather, which we have been assured is unseasonable, has been very rainy and cold at night - down to 12-13C. 

We have been having extensive discussions with our architect friend, Juan, and have now almost finalised our renovation/extension plans.

We have been doing a lot of walking around Retiro - particularly while we were carless - but have to confess that we have become a bit lazier since having the "OLD GIRL". Retiro is essentially in 2 parts - a modern smallish mall about a kilometre north of here and then the old town much closer to the south, which doesn't have the fancy restaurants, but which we prefer nonetheless. We are finding our way around, although we still drive to Llanogrande for any large scale grocery shopping. In between there are a number of specialty groups of shops of which we have only scratched the surface so far. We had to get our Canon photocopier repaired the other day and our Cuban friend told us of a small repair shop in the old town almost at the Parque Principal (town square). So we took it there but you can't park around there (we normally walk). So we had to drop it off with a written explanation in Spanish and then Jim went on up to the square where he was able to wait for Jean. Things take much longer here for all sorts of reasons, but somehow it doesn't matter and it's all so laid back. And the people are all so friendly. When walking, everyone who passes says "buenos dias" - in NZ you'd just about get arrested for harassment!! Mask use is fast disappearing and we hear now that in Medellin the requirement has been lifted altogether. So, almost back to normal. We certainly hope so.

Our next priority is to make an appointment for Jean with a Chiropractor in Medellin (no Osteopaths here!) so that hopefully she can have her shoulders and arms sorted. She had a bad fall a couple of years ago and that is almost certainly part of the problem, but in spite of many massages by Jim with a local type of Deep Heat, it only seems to improve briefly and then comes back to give her more grief. And of course she doesn't rest it!!

We hope everyone is well and that very soon now all these ridiculous and onerous Chinese Virus restrictions will soon be a thing of the past and these Socialist regimes that have revelled in population control will also very soon be history. They are revelling in hypocrisy and deliberate incompetence which, in the case of US foreign policy, apart from the destruction of their own economies at home, is also the cause of the exact situation we are seeing in Ukraine and which may well unfold now in Taiwan as well as the Communist dictatorships perceive western incompetence and lack of resolve. An attack on Taiwan would almost certainly also involve India, Japan and Australia, the UK and the US. Either of these situations could easily escalate into WW3, although we must hope that wise heads prevail. Unfortunately we are not seeing much wisdom right now. If we're all still here for the next blog, we will be commenting on this subject further then. This blog is long enough!! 

With all very best wishes and lotsaluv from us in El Retiro...............

Jim and Jean xoxoxoxoxox

P.S. Photos -

** the car ones will be self explanatory

** Jim's eldest daughter, Amanda, and her long-term boyfriend recently visited Rarotonga in the Cook Islands on holiday very recently. That revived Jim's interest in the history of his family's island trading businesses in the Cooks and in French Polynesia with various vessels servicing the outer islands for about 100 years before it was all sold in the early 1970's. The "Akatere" was a steel motorship which had been purchased in Holland in 1966 to replace the venerable schooner "Tiare Taporo" which had by then been sold after 50 years of ownership. The photo depicts "Akatere" at Avatiu on Rarotonga with our old trading store of A.B. Donald (C.I.) Ltd. in the background, just after she had arrived from Europe. Jim's first real offshore experience was as a passenger on her at the tender age of 21 in 1968 on a voyage from Auckland to the Cooks. 2 weeks elapsed time! Happy memories.

** the Retiro photos are just random examples of architecture in the old town and the shrine depicts the Virgin Mary. Quite a common sight in this strongly Catholic country. They illustrate not only the architecture, but the cleanliness and obvious pride that the locals take in their town. It is a real treat to walk around and admire the holes in the wall shops and the buildings. 

** and finally, although completely out of context, is the Gauntlet yacht "Tiare Taporo III" in which Jim and Jean lived and sailed for 10 years having sailed from NZ in 2011 and eventually arriving in Thailand in 2014. The photo is of her at Able Point Marina in the Whitsundays in Queensland in 2012. This photo was taken by our friend, Dennis Bouverie, who had been one of 3 first owners back in the late 70's and who sailed with Jim from Bundaberg to the Whitsundays. Jean had had to return temporarily to NZ for family reasons. A great trip; plenty of good wind and a few dodgy anchorages! Digby Is. is a name forever inscribed in Jim's brain because it takes pride of place in the dodgy anchorage stakes! 

SORRY - HAD TO DELETE ALL THE PHOTOS BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT GO INTO YOUR INBOXES. ONLY A FEW OF THE TOTAL - MOST ADDRESSEES WERE OK