Smoke Signals
Remove nuts, not trees
Wednesday 29 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“A new broom certainly sweeps clean, or should that be chain saw gang?” asks a smoke signaller. “The trouble with the area adjacent to the Golf Club this ‘broom’ swept is that there are NO coconut trees left! What sort of idiot would have authorised this clean-up? If there was a problem with tita, Aunty […]
Reo Maori knowledge is here
Thursday 23 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“I can see from your article on ‘Funding boost for Reo Maori’ [see yesterday’s CINews], why the previous commission failed,” a smoke signaller writes. “It simply did not engage the appropriate cross-section of the community. Where are the Kai Korero taunga, teachers of Te Reo, culture and performing arts, outer island reps etc? A non-Maori […]
Pirates of the Pacific
Wednesday 22 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“I don’t hire pirate DVDs because not only is it wrong, but the quality sucks and I feel I have been ripped off,” a smoke signaller writes to TXT188. “I agree with Movie Lover’s letter ‘Bring back originals’ [see Monday’s CINews, p6]. Anyway, what’s the point having a huge high definition flat screen TV with […]
Copying local stuff ok?
Tuesday 21 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“The advocates of pirate DVD’s, please answer one question,” asks a smoke signaller. “Is it all right for a local to go to town and buy up legal copies of Cook Islands music CDs and DVDs of cultural events, and make pirate copies of those and sell/rent them out?” AIRLINE COOKILEAKS Prime Minister Henry Puna […]
Monument Builder strikes again
Monday 20 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Olympic House? You’ve got to be kidding!” exclaims a smoke signaller in reference to the proposed new building that would primarily house the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee. “The Monument Builder is at it again, and will most likely name it after himself if given a chance (after a naming competition has been […]
History of greed repeated
Saturday 18 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“The news that officials of the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee plan a $1.5 million office building substantially for themselves does not surprise,” writes a smoke signaller. “This is history being repeated. A number of the people promoting the new building are also the ones who promoted the Telecom Sports Arena at Nikao […]
Linking to a 'truly Pacific airline'
Thursday 16 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“The government is deciding on three subsidised airline routes into the Cook Islands,” writes a smoke signaller. “This is an important decision as a lot of Cook Islands taxpayer money is involved to fund any airline subsidy. Air Pacific – recently awarded a top airline rating in the aviation world – is where the Cook […]
Contribution more than $200M
Wednesday 15 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller calculates that the Cook Islands’ contribution to the New Zealand economy is much higher – by more than a factor of 10 – than the already large amount indicated in yesterday’s Kata cartoon. The cartoon shows NZ Green Party MP Keith Locke ranting about how the country should reconsider aid to Niue, […]
For whom the road tolls
Tuesday 14 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“It appears that our country is not only in the 10 most dangerous places in the world to drive but in actual fact is the second most dangerous place in the world to drive!” a smoke signaller writes after reading an online slideshow ‘The 10 most dangerous countries to drive in’ (see link at end […]
Uniform of a bygone era
Monday 13 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“I note that air conditioning costs in the very inferior Ministry of Justice building [see Justice secretary Mark Short’s letter in Saturday’s CINews] are around $50,000 a year – disgraceful!” writes a smoke signaller. “While we wait for the honorable gentlemen from Asia to fix the system, why not revert to days gone by? Allow […]
Island casinos a gamble
Saturday 11 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“China is building a 40 unit tourist accommodation on our neighbouring island state of Niue,” a smoke signaller writes. “I read in the Cook Islands News that Niue is apparently also building a casino – how dumb is this? Never mind what quality the tourist accommodation will be: Chinese gamblers go to Macau in the […]
Dangling nuts a concern
Thursday 9 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Have you noticed as you drive around the island the number of coconut trees, heavily laden with nuts, leaning on the road?” a smoke signaller asks. “Or the kikau (fronds) ready to drop off. This is a time bomb waiting to fall on an unsuspecting pedestrian, a bike rider or smashing on someone’s windscreen and […]
South coast speedsters
Tuesday 7 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Surely the police must be aware of the speed track across the island from the Saltwater Caf right through to the Vaima Restaurant where consistently motorbikes exceed 60 km per hour and more?” an annoyed smoke signaller writes. “It’s outrageous. Some of these bikes have very high powered engines and make an awful racket. Sunday […]
Sitting on the back benches
Monday 6 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“The supporters of Norman George, Kiriau Turepu and John Henry must be gutted when their MPs didn’t get ministerial posts,” a smoke signaller writes. “George, arguably the most qualified and experienced politician in the nation, appears to be back-benched for good. Henry and Turepu were touted as ministers during the election campaign. Turepu even told […]
Not another minister!
Thursday 2 December 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Another Cook Islands win!
Monday 29 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Amazing, the pageant titles just keep on coming for another of our beautiful, intelligent Cook Islands women – maybe there’s something special in the air here? A big congrats and welcome back home to the newly-crowned Miss South Pacific, Joyana Meyer, for her win over the weekend in the Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby. […]
Same same, not different
Friday 26 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Well, if we had any thoughts that the Cook Islands Party might be different from the Demos, we can now set those aside,” a smoke signaller writes. “Took them what – six days – to get a leadership crisis?” Our photo (right) shows a Hot Mix demonstration given by the man himself – Chris Vaile […]
Coffee from the islands
Wednesday 24 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
In response to the article ‘Cooks’ coffee fix sorted’ in Saturday’s paper, a smoke signaller writes: “The sale of Atiu coffee from a mobile espresso outlet is great. Can Juergen Manske-Eimke, the owner of Atiu Coffee, please assure us that he no longer imports coffee beans that I believe have in past comprised up to […]
Accept the blame
Monday 22 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
In response to a front page article last week ‘Demos dug own grave’, a smoke signaller writes to TXT188: “Come on Sir Terepai Maoate, accept you are the instigator of the Democratic Party split because of your greed for power and that you created the Toa problem – stop trying to deny it. We all […]
Maggie for prime minister!
Friday 19 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writing to TXT188 reckons the election night results as ranked by popular vote should determine how the official appointments are allocated: “George Maggie, number of votes 386, prime minister; Mark Brown, 304 votes, deputy prime minister; Kiriau Turepu, 294 votes, senior cabinet minister; and so forth…” SmokeSignals: Now that’s a novel way […]