Smoke Signals
Mouldy Ministry
Monday 19 February 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
Well, while we wait for the same sad Chinese crew that built the sad courthouse to come and ‘fix’ the place up at the cost of millions, the same sad administration of the Ministry of Justice can’t find the time to clean the nice, fresh mould and slime off the brand-new tile steps that replaced the mouldy and slime-infested old steps. Asleep at the wheel.
Stealth traffic stops do the job
Thursday 15 February 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
Good on our police women and men for recent ‘stealth’ traffic stops.
Historic closure of a once famous nightspot
Tuesday 13 February 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
With Banana Court now closed a smoke signaller wonders how long it has been since Friday-night revellers on Rarotonga didn’t have the option of a drink at the famous nightspot. Can anyone remember a time (apart from during cyclones) when the historic building was closed?
Shipping subsidy to fund free shopping trip
Monday 12 February 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
The government has figured out a new way to waste our money.
No crew in sight
Friday 9 February 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
Under an agreement made with the court, the operators of the ill-fated vessel Tiare Taporo were supposed to provide a crew from New Zealand to sail the ship out of Avatiu harbour whenever it seems likely a cyclone or big storm could strike.
Tattoos easy solution to dog registration problem
Thursday 8 February 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
The police keep banging on about how every dog must be registered or they will be shot.
Ulterior motives behind government tax write-off?
Wednesday 7 February 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
$18 million written off for those outfits that cheated every law abiding citizen of this country before 2010.
Plastic not quite so fantastic when it's dumped
Saturday 3 February 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
How often do your pens stop working before ink is out? More plastic rubbish. School bins see many. If writing by hand, can we encourage the use of pencils instead? Organic waste is a better way to go.
No fussin' with Rasmussen
Wednesday 31 January 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller has rushed to lawyer Wilkie Rasmussen’s defence after the seasoned former politician came under attack last week. “Wilkie’s experience and maturity go a long way towards making a good politician.”
Wise words from an Aussie teacher
Monday 29 January 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
A reader has sent in quote from Eddie Woo, who he says is arguably Australia’s most famous maths teacher: “To all the children out there, I want you to understand from my story … (that) suffering doesn’t define you, what other people say to you or call you doesn’t define you: what you choose to do with the opportunities you’ve got, that’s what defines you.
Dog licences could solve registration problems
Wednesday 24 January 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
Heard people complain their dog tags have been stolen! So easy to slip a friendly dog’s collar off and place it on an unregistered dog.
Good on you, Bill
Monday 22 January 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
Well done to Bill Doherty for repatriating your foreign worker for non-performance.
Build it and they will come again
Thursday 18 January 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
Interesting that China is now committing to fix their shoddy workmanship on the police headquarters, the Ministry of Justice building and the sports arena.
MP Maggie so good, they should name a street after him
Monday 15 January 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
I recently read some criticism of George Maggie in CINews. I don’t agree with everything this person was saying about George Maggie because I think Maggie is a great example for the people’s representative and the people in parliament.
High-flying PM jets off on first overseas trip of the year
Wednesday 10 January 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
The year was just eight days old when our PM announced he was off overseas yet again, this time to Abu Dhabi for a renewable energy meeting. “Maybe he’s trying to break last year’s record for the amount of time spent out of the country,” a smoke signaller says. BAD AND BADDER… The amount of bad and dangerous driving that’s going on around the island at present points to the fact that we need the increased police alertness to continue. What’s going to happen when the checkpoints fade back to their normal level? ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN The police statement about the very uncertain rules regarding riding on the back of trucks was all well and good, but in the meantime, people are still riding around perched on the side of truck trays, or standing up and leaning on the back of the cab, without holding on to anything. It’s an accident waiting to happen – and if it is against the law, no-one’s doing anything about it. HITCHING A RIDE Unfortunately, it seems the police don’t follow their own rules when it comes to dangerous riding on the back of trucks. Seen yesterday at Panama, a truck driving along the main road with a police bike on the back – and a policeman sitting astride it! If the truck had come to a sudden stop, things could have got pretty tricky. WHALE TALE GAINS NEW LIFE The remarkable story about whale researcher Nan Hauser diving with a humpback whale off Rarotonga last year has gained a whole new life on the internet. Months after the story first appeared in CI News, overseas media have put a whole new spin on the episode. The New Boston Post, which bills itself as “the hub of conservative thought,” ran a story saying: “A Maine woman diving near the Cook Islands in the South Pacific cavorted with a humpback whale that kept trying to shield her with a giant pectoral fin; it took her a while to figure out the whale appeared to be shielding her from a lurking tiger shark. A video associated with the story in the link below shows the woman interacting with the whale, but doesn’t show the shark.” BALANCED VIEW The whale tale has also been aired on CBS news, together of video footage of the whale researcher and the humpback whale said to have protected her from a tiger shark. Thankfully, however, CBS took a more objective approach. “While Hauser credits the whale for protecting her, she acknowledges she can’t know what the whale was thinking,” the CBS story said. “James Sulikowski, a marine biologist and professor at the University of New England who has studied tiger sharks, said he’s not convinced that the whale saved her life. “The shark could have just been hanging around,” he said. “There’s really no way of knowing the whale’s motivation.” TABLOID SENSATION The prize for the most over-the-top version of the story predictably goes to a British tabloid, the Mirror, whose website ran a story and video headlined: “Amazing moment hero whale saves snorkeler from shark by hiding her under giant fin while pushing her to safety.”
Pineapple thieves deserve punishment
Monday 8 January 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
What’s up with the dismal creatures who stole 100 pineapples from a local gardener recently? Have they no scruples, no conscience at all? Let’s hope they get caught, and soon. The sharp end of a pineapple might make a useful tool with which to exact punishment.
Thumbs down for Jetstar
Friday 5 January 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
Where else in the world but the Cook Islands would a jet loaded with passengers arrive in the middle of the night minus all of their luggage? A big thumbs-down to Jetstar for failing to explain anywhere near adequately why this appalling incident happened – or how it is that the other few airlines seem able to get here with everyone’s bags aboard.
Snake avoidance advice for both political parties
Wednesday 20 December 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
After the debacle in which George Pitt is said to have offered the Demo Party a deal to get them into government with Internal Affairs minister Albert Nicholas as prime minister, Nicholas made a statement in parliament.
'My hat's still on my head'
Thursday 7 December 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Earlier this year, I said I’d eat my hat if Tim Tepaki’s scheme to develop the outer islands and revive the Sheraton hotel project got off the ground in November this year,” a smoke signaller says.
Ambassador was once women's mag model
Friday 1 December 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
US Ambassador to New Zealand Scott Brown, who visited the Cook Islands this week, has an interesting past.