Blogger Blakeborough Married

Surprise Wedding Bells at Country Music

Hauraki Country Music Club members and members of the public attending a country music day in Ngatea, New Zealand, recently were in for a surprise when two members, Winifred Webb and Peter Blakeborough were married on the stage part way through the program. Members were expecting to hear country music entertainer Graeme McCardle. 

Winifred Webb in the audience
 before getting hitched

Peter Blakeborough as MC
early in the program 

Invited wedding guests were seated in a separate reserved area in case someone let slip that something special was about to happen. Guest artist, Graeme McCardle from Helensville, had completed his first three numbers when the curtains were drawn and a solo artist played in front of the curtain while the stage was quickly reset.

The abandoned bride

The groom walking onto the stage at gunpoint

The secret was so well kept that when the ceremony got under way some members thought it was just an act. It certainly looked like an act when the bride, dressed in country attire, stood alone and forlorn on the stage. The groom had failed to show up and had to be rounded up by a gun toting Sheriff Geoffrey. Eventually, Peter walked onto the stage with his arms raised followed by the sheriff and agreed to go through with the marriage.

Marriage celebrant, John Sanford, had a gun pulled on him (a smaller gun than the sheriff’s) just to make sure that he conducted the ceremony to the groom’s satisfaction. The vows and rings were exchanged and the register signed in short order and the bride and groom’s cowboy hats fell to the floor when they kissed.

Peter then sang, tongue in cheek, Put Another Log on the Fire backed by Ian Colhoun on the keyboard and Graeme McCardle on the guitar, while Win made suitable expressions of surprise and mock distaste before heading for the stage door arm-in-arm with her witness.

The ceremony ended with the cutting of the cake while Graeme McCardle sang a tribute to the happy couple.

The happy bride

She's not sure what to do with
the cake knife

           The happy couple

Graeme McCardle dedicating a
song to Win and Peter

The First Green Party

Political Party Marks 40 Year Milestone

By Isaac Davison

3:00 PM Wednesday May 30, 2012

Green Party co-leaders Rod Donald and Jeanette Fitzsimons in 2005. Photo / File

The world's first green political party will this week mark the anniversary of a movement which altered New Zealand's political landscape 40 years ago.

On May 30, 1972, politics student and former journalist Tony Brunt held a meeting at the Victoria University Students' Union, where he railed against mindless economic growth and called for a party with values-based and environmentally conscious policies.

That evening, the Values Party was formed. Though green movements were beginning to spring up overseas, including in Australia, Values was the world's first green party to run at a national level.

On Friday, former Values members will gather to remember the world-leading creation of the party. The Values Party is also the subject of a new book by columnist and conservation advocate Claire Browning, Beyond Today: a values story.

Mr Brunt told the Herald that the party's members were quickly written off as "idealistic extremists" by the ruling National Party.

"A lot of what I said in 1972 seems really simplistic and naive in retrospect - talking about zero population growth, zero economic growth, technology control."

But he believed history had proved most of their environmental concerns right: "There's also the whiff about it, looking back, of backing the right horse, of getting on board modernity's biggest bandwagon when it was just the size of a skateboard," Mr Brunt said.

The party captured 5.3 per cent of the vote in its first general election in 1972, but gained no seats under the First Past the Post system.

Despite being at the heart of the anti-nuclear movement, homosexual law reform and the campaign for MMP, it never made it into the Beehive, and folded in the late 1980s.

Peter’s Comment

The party lived on in the Green Party and entered Parliament for the first time in 1999 led by Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald.

I was a National Party candidate when the Values Party was launched in 1972. Several years later I joined the Values Party for a short time.

Tony Brunt and later leader Reg Clough were sincere crusaders but they lacked a pragmatic enough approach to capture a controlling share of the electorate.

In 1972 the country was ticking along quite nicely, even with a tired government that had been in power for 12 years. The people were not ready for zero population growth and zero economic growth. How do you tell someone that they should not have a new house, another car or start a new business that would offer new jobs?

The answer to that is that you can’t tell that to the voters. They want something for their vote and they know that zero policies are just as outrageous as the Social Credit policies of the time. Both parties were bound to fail sooner or later.

For the last four years New Zealand has been in recession with population and economic activity barely growing. The Values Party advocated something far worse than that. They wanted a permanent recession with all indicators firmly on zero.

More Email Bigotry

THIS HAPPENED IN LONDON From John Harrison MBE I liked this, because it actually is a True story that wisely debates an extremely twisted concept that even Islam has failed to note.  See what you think - fear factors aside.  We all gotta find a way to get along on this globe. With Muslims establishing their own schools, one wonders how their kids will acquire our values and be able to successfully integrate into our society. This incident happened in London. The Uncomfortable Definition of an Infidel.... FACT:  Islam is the fastest growing religion in the UK Last month I attended my annual training session for maintaining my security clearance in the prison service. There was a presentation by three speakers from the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained their beliefs. I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say about the basics of  Islam, complete with video. After the presentations, question time.  I directed my question to the Imam and asked:  'Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a Holy War against the infidels of the world and, that by killing an infidel, (which is a command to all Muslims) they are assured of a place in heaven.  If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?' There was no disagreement with my statement and, without hesitation he replied, 'Non-believers!' I responded, 'So let me make sure I have this straight.  All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not a follower of Allah, so they can have a place in heaven. Is that correct?' The expression on his face changed from one of authority to that of a little boy who had just been caught with his hand in the biscuit tin.' He sheepishly replied, 'Yes.' I then stated, 'Well, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope Benedict commanding all Catholics to kill Muslims, or the Archbishop of Canterbury  ordering all Protestants to do the same in order to guarantee them a place in heaven!' The Imam was speechless! I continued, 'I also have a problem with being your 'friend' when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me! Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because He will take me to heaven and He wants you to be there with me?' You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam remained speechless. Needless to say, the organizers of the Diversification seminar were not happy with this way of  exposing the truth about the Muslims' beliefs. Within twenty years, ie. 2031, there will be enough Muslim voters in the UK to elect a government of their choice, complete with Sharia law. Everyone in the WORLD. should be required to read this, but with the current political paralysis, tolerant justice system, liberal media and P.C...madness, there is no way this will be widely publicised. Please pass this on to all your e-mail contacts. John Harrison MBE. MIDSc  Peter’s Comments I’ve travelled in a couple of Islamic countries and no-one tried to kill me. So when I read this I immediately suspected that it was just another urban legend with no basis in fact. I Googled John Harrison MBE MIDSc and the only thing I found was this circulating email. I did, however, find two John Harrisons with MBEs but both are deceased, one since 1690 so it couldn’t have been either of them. John Harrison MBE MIDSc is a fraudster or an extreme racist. If you really have to forward his email please remove all previous addresses to beat possible scammers and spammers. And remember, it's the lies and hatred of people like John Harrison that start wars that kill millions of innocent people.

The Future is Here

Dreamliner Plane Arrives in New Zealand

NZ Herald 29 May 2012 Grant Bradley

Plane enthusiasts flocked to vantage points around Auckland Airport today for a glimpse of the first passenger-carrying Boeing 787 Dreamliner to land here.

The 787 touched down soon after 3pm after a flight from Sydney as it neared the end of its six month "Dream Tour" which has taken the aircraft to around 40 destinations.

The plane had around 35 Boeing staffers, representatives from customer airline, Air New Zealand, and journalists aboard.

Boeing says the interest from the public has been enormous wherever the high tech aircraft, made largely of carbon fibre, has landed. Plane spotters blocked motorways in Santiago, Chile when the plane put down there and in Istanbul, Turkey it was mobbed by spectators on the runway apron.

"It's like being a rock star," said one staffer. "Except they're interested in the plane, not us," she said.

The plane that arrived in Auckland today is an eight-series aircraft capable of holding about 250 passengers. Air New Zealand has 10 of the larger nine-series on order, due for delivery in mid-2014.

They promise 20 per cent greater fuel efficiency and lower maintenance costs but the programme is running about three years behind schedule.

The airline has voiced its frustration at the delay and its programme director Kerry Reeves was aboard today's flight.

He said from what he experienced of passenger comfort in the demonstrator aircraft, the wait could be worth it.

"The openness of the cabin with its bigger windows and decor gives it a sense of freshness."

* Grant Bradley travelled on the Dreamliner courtesy of Boeing and Air New Zealand.

Peter’s Comment

In the late 1950s the introduction of the jet age with the Boeing 707 brought air travel within the reach of millions of ordinary people.

When the Boeing 787 Dreamliner goes into service it will represent the greatest step up and forward since the 707. Millions more people will then be able to fly.

Air travel today is the most cost effective and environmentally friendly means of transport ever created and that is why so many people are able to fly wherever their dreams or business take them.  Bring it on, Boeing.

GLOBAL WARMING

Antarctic ice melting from warm water

7:36 AM Thursday Apr 26, 2012 NZ Herald

Antarctica's massive ice shelves are shrinking because they are being eaten away from below by warm water, a new study finds. That suggests that future sea levels could rise faster than many scientists have been predicting.

The western chunk of Antarctica is losing 7 metres of its floating ice sheet each year. Until now, scientists were not exactly sure how it was happening and whether or how man-made global warming might be a factor. The answer, according to a study published in the journal Nature, is that climate change plays an indirect role - but one that has larger repercussions than if Antarctic ice merely were melting from warmer air.

Hamish Pritchard, a glaciologist at the British Antarctic Survey, said research using an ice-gazing NASA satellite showed that warmer air alone could not explain what was happening to Antarctica. A more detailed examination found a chain of events that explained the shrinking ice shelves.

Twenty ice shelves showed signs that they were melting from warm water below. Changes in wind currents pushed that relatively warmer water closer to and beneath the floating ice shelves. The wind change probably is caused by a combination of factors, including natural weather variation, the ozone hole and man-made greenhouse gases, Pritchard said in a phone interview.

As the floating ice shelves melt and thin, that in turn triggers snow and ice on land glaciers to slide down to the floating shelves and eventually into the sea, causing sea level rise, Pritchard said. Thicker floating ice shelves usually keep much of the land snow and ice from shedding to sea, but that is not happening now.

That whole process causes larger and faster sea level rise than simply warmer air melting snow on land-locked glaciers, Pritchard said.

To download a no obligation, free sample
of this great read, click here

"It means the ice sheets are highly sensitive to relatively subtle changes in climate through the effects of the wind," he said.

What's happening in Antarctica "may have already triggered a period of unstable glacier retreat," the study concludes. If the entire Western Antarctic Ice Sheet were to melt, which would take many decades if not centuries, scientists have estimated it would lift global sea levels by about 3 metres.

NASA chief scientist Waleed Abdalati, an expert in Earth's ice systems who was not involved in the research, said Pritchard's study "makes an important advance" and provides crucial information about how Antarctica will contribute to global sea level rise.

Another outside expert, Ted Scambos of the National Snow and Ice Data Center, said the paper will change the way scientists think about melt in Antarctica. Seeing more warm water encircling the continent, he worries that with "a further push from the wind" newer areas could start shrinking.

Peter’s Comment

So now we have another point of view which leads us to believe that the melting of the polar ice caps is not just hot air.

The polar ice caps weigh trillions of tons and, like a moving ship weighing thousands of tons, it takes a long time and a great deal of space to turn them around. The polar ice caps may have been melting since the last warm age in the fifteenth century when there was almost no industrial activity to blame.

Furthermore, sea-levels and coastlines have been changing, not just throughout recorded history, but even before man walked the planet. Sea-levels have changed not just by three metres, but by thousands of metres and even whole continents have come and gone and will continue to come and go without any assistance from man.

Anyone who cannot accept this basic principle should then accept that the dinosaurs must have been very industrious creatures during their time on earth.

AN AUTHOR'S EMPIRE

No Writer’s Block Here

This is Peter’s work station 24/7


BUT THE BOOKS WILL BLOW YOU AWAY!

To download a free, no obligation sample
of any of these great reads,
just click here

Climate Change

China's pollution won't affect the world

By Ken Ring |  May 9th, 2012, 7:50 pm Yahoo News

Real science is actual observation and not computer modeling. City smog, haze etc. does not go above a few hundred feet, kept buoyant in daylight hours by heat from the ground.

         This lake and sky at Glenorchy, New Zealand, will probably still look like this long after man has left the planet.

You can look down on Auckland, New Zealand, smog from the summit of Mt Atkinson in Titirangi.

The amount of CO2 in the air is always 38 parts in 100,000, and CO2 is not an impurity. Thousands of tons of water free of impurities are lifted each day from the oceans by evaporation.

A low pressure system can range hundreds of miles and drop rain over an area as vast as the Tasman Sea.

The amount of soot particles from industry and emissions from a city is infinitesimal, heavier than air and can not possibly contribute to weather. The weather always gets there first, then deals to the steam or fumes, not vice versa.

Water vapor rises because it is lighter and less dense. Look out of a Boeing window and you will see, like white candy floss, streaky ice crystal cirrus cloud above you at 50,000 feet. Yet it is where a wet weather system begins.

The ice gathers and gets heavier then descends to form rain clouds which drop as downpours.

CO2 comes out of volcanoes, ejected by volcanic blasts often 14kms into the air then kept aloft by thermals and upper-level turbulence. Being heavier than air the CO2 eventually drops back to the ocean where it dissolves.

To suggest soot changes weather patterns is to deny the enormity of the weather systems and to magnify out of all scientific proportion Man's tiny contribution.

There is no evidence that man-made pollution contributes more to soot levels in air than gets there through natural forest and bush fires and eruptions from volcanic sources.

The Taupo eruption and Pinatubo may have had slight momentary effect, but would have dissipated very rapidly. Temperature records from before, during and after the Pinatubo eruption show hardly any deviation.

Droplets of rain form around dust particles, which is why your windscreen needs cleaning after a shower. 100 years ago it was never imagined that soot might alter world weather when London, Paris, Chicago, Shanghai etc. had pea-soup fogs.

Cities are now much cleaner than in the past, even in China despite coal widely burnt. Of course it is not pleasant to breathe it, and we can always do more to create cleaner habitats. But that would be costly.

With no production return no one will foot that bill.

In the debate about world weather we tend to forget that rain is quite local. In Wellington we do not get rain that has travelled from Nebraska. It comes from the harbor or nearby coasts.

The cycle of evaporation to rain is about 5-7 days. Average wind speeds are no greater than 15 mph, or 2,500 miles per week, which is not even the width of China (3,123 miles).

In a week a low pressure system has all but dissipated. To slow it even more, rain-laden clouds become stationary.

Considering that after 7 days most atmospheric soot would have separated out, loads of soot could not travel beyond Chinese borders in appreciable amounts and with significant effect. Therefore any pollution by China is not a global problem

Emissions are mostly dirty steam. The 99% part that is water vapor joins the sky as extra cloud. The dirt in fuel that provides the blackish look falls to ground and is biodegradable.

It is not healthy to inhale it, but breathing any smoke is not good for you, especially the carcinogenic fumes from barbecued sausages, yet no one is saying sausages are wrecking the planet.

Given the vastness of the atmosphere and the high altitude at which weather begins vs the tiny amount of city smog that only rises a few hundred feet by day then falls again to ground under its own weight at night, it is impossible that weather could ever be affected by emission impurities.

Remember too that NZ weather comes from thousands of miles across the ocean, either under the Great Australian Bight, up from the Southern Ocean’s icy polar waters or down from the Coral Sea via the Queensland coast - all vast ocean areas with no factories or cars.

No matter how much impurity is put into the air, it is from the earth and has a natural source.

None comes in from outer space. No matter how polluting we are, and how much we mess our own environment, 99% of all species, including Man will perish through natural evolution long before the planet is affected.

The choice to live in cities, near emissions, is always ours.

We go to work and need to drive to get there. We need supermarkets for food and they need trucks and highways to keep shelves stocked. Pollution is inevitable.

The Chinese do realize that there is a pollution problem to be fixed.

But it is a local problem for them only, and only affects us if we choose to go there as tourists or as athletes.

Their dirty air may dismay sightseers but it will not destroy Planet Earth. Climate and the earth were here first, and then we all came along. Climate and the earth will still be here when we are all gone

Peter’s Comment

For once I have to agree with some of the points made by Ken Ring. Ring publishes a New Zealand weather forecast book each year and almost claims that he can predict which side of the street will get rain this time next year.

In the overall scheme of things man and his activities are so insignificant that they pose no more of a threat to the planet than a single ant nest could have on world honey production.

Many of the things that people believe about climate and the planet are alarmist and based on false assumptions. For example the jet trails in the sky that are a familiar sight all over the world are not caused by unburned fuel as is commonly believed.

Jet trails are the result of air flow around the aircraft’s wing-tips as the air pressure below the wing tries to equalize with the pressure above. That leads to a trailing cork-screw of air in which the air pressure and temperature drops causing water vapor to condense and form a cloud that has exactly the same composition as any other cloud.

The only connection between wing-tip vortices and fuel is that the vortices cause drag and increase fuel consumption. Airline manufacturers have countered the wing-tip drag by introducing winglets on the ends of the wings.

‘But what about the wholesale loss of trees all over the world?’ you ask. ‘Surely that must be affecting climate?’

Anyone who is in any doubt about the trees can get their own absolute proof and truth by going on Google Earth and zooming in on the Amazon Basin. It is all there for the whole world to see – the Amazon Basin still has about 99% of its trees. Meanwhile there are other areas that grow commercial trees where previously no trees grew. In addition, the last hundred years has seen an explosion of ornamental trees, parks and gardens.

People should not believe everything they are told at protest marches or in viral emails.

Shares for Sale

NZ Minister Hints that Share Parcels
Could Sell for as Little as $1000
 Saturday May 12, 2012 2:28 PM NZT

The minister in charge of the partial sale of New Zealand's state-owned energy companies won't say how much share parcels will cost but has hinted they could sell for as little as $1000.

The New Zealand Government is pushing through legislation that would allow for the sale of up to 49 per cent of Mighty River this year, followed by the partial sale of Genesis Energy, Meridian and Solid Energy over the next three years.

The sales are strongly opposed by some iwi and opposition parties.

State Owned Enterprises Minister Tony Ryall today said the Government was determined to get widespread ownership of energy company shares by as many everyday New Zealanders'' as possible . . .

Visit NZ Herald for the full story

 

Peter’s Comment
The New Zealand Government has stated many times that it wants to divert Kiwis attention away from the national obsession of wanting to be residential get-rich-quick landlords. This latest statement from Minister Ryall spells it out even clearer.

Savings and investment conscience Kiwis will be able to get started for as little as $1,000 and that beats property investment hands down. Moreover, shares spread over a range of companies and industries will normally do better than residential property both for dividend and asset growth.

But, like property, the share market can be volatile and investors need to be cautious. They must make sure they are buying in when the market, or a particular share, is down. Selling, if they want to sell for capital gain, should always be at or near the peak. For an investor who understands that simple rule a volatile market can be better than a market that rarely moves.

New investors should take the time to learn the basics of the stock exchange and shares before taking the plunge. Read the business news, Google likely companies, Google directors and management, keep up with political changes that may affect business generally or a particular industry. In simple terms, investors don’t need a university degree but should be tuned in to the world around them and most of it can be done sitting at home on a PC.

Shares will not only provide a better income than property but share market investors with a diverse portfolio will not wake up each morning wondering if their sole investment property has been trashed.

A good start would be $5,000 spread over five or ten companies. Surely that is less risky than $300,000 invested in one rental property with $295,000 owed to the bank.

A Calculated Farce

The New York Times

Airplane Security Debated Anew After Latest Bombing Plot

By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and RON NIXON

Published: May 10, 2012

WASHINGTON — The latest attempt by Al Qaeda to make an underwear bomb designed to be detonated on a plane headed to the United States has set off a fierce debate among security officials in Washington and their critics in Congress about whether the current measures to protect airliners would have detected the bomb . . .

Peter’s Comment

Whether or not current security measures would have detected the bomb is a mere sideshow to a much wider issue.

Washington, as the self-appointed World policeman, seems unable to understand that no amount of security can buy safety while they meddle in the affairs of other sovereign nations and impose their will on the World as though they have a God-given right.

And why the emphasis on airline travel? Air travel has long been the safest form of transportation ever devised and for each airliner destroyed by terrorists in a given period there will thousands killed by car, bus or truck bombs. Does that fact leave a clue? Would it be feasible to have airline type security measures in place at every bus and truck depot, at every bus stop and truck stop, every shop, office and factory?

The answer to that must be very obvious. There is no limit to the opportunities for determined terrorists. But at least with the current policy it looks as though Washington is trying to do something about the problem, short of bankrupting the country. To a large part of the World, America’s solution is a calculated farce.

It will take generations to repair the damage to America’s reputation but a start must be made now. Bring the military home as fast as is decently possible and keep them home unless and only when requested by the United Nations.

                                 At the controls of a Boeing 737 flight simulator

Speed Limits

10:34 AM Tuesday May 8, 2012  NZ Herald
Peter Gill: Campaigning for 110km/h

139

When you consider suggesting that certain sections of recently built motorways could sustain a 110 km/h speed limit, you know you're going to garner howls of protest from certain corners of society and bureaucracy.

It wouldn't be New Zealand, would it, if suggesting something slightly progressive were not greeted by some doomsayer claiming that it will all lead to hell and damnation?
As a psychologist who has spent more years in journalism and in motoring writing than I care to remember, I was prepared for flak when I decided to speak out in this morning's New Zealand Herald.

It is my contention that there are now sections of newly built motorway that could easily sustain the extra 10km/h. They have very few on and off ramps, and excellent shoulders for vehicles to pull clear of traffic should a driver have a problem.

Many of us who use these stretches find ourselves unwittingly going at 110 anyway, because these pieces of roadway are so conducive to a little extra speed.

It is my opinion that where a roadway invites safe driving at 110, then 110 should be the speed limit. This would considerably ease driver frustration, which is just as big an accident promoter as any other factor.

What's more, in a million kilometers of testing cars for newspaper and magazine columns, I have found that the "sweet spot" for many cars is 110. By that, I mean that the gear and differential ratios are such that they are set for the car to be at its most contented at 110. In many parts of Australia 110 is allowed on designated stretches. The authorities here seem keen to follow Australia on much of its traffic policy, so why not this one?

There are those that will say that due to a generally mountainous topography, New Zealand has a "third world roading system", meaning narrow and twisting roads. That's true, but it's not those roads I am talking about.

Aucklanders will know of the long, smooth descent from Silverdale to Albany on a beautiful piece of road with hardly an on ramp or off ramp to disrupt the flow. The newly opened stretches of motorway around Hobsonville, and Kumeu are the same. There will be other stretches like them around New Zealand.
Continued below . . . 

Highway America

The first lot to climb into me today has been a road safety outfit called "Brake." I suggest that whoever, they are, they are aptly named. They will be wearing cardies under their hi viz vests and will have reported at least one driver today on cellphone number 555.

Fact is, that I know I am right. And if 110 is allowed, but it's foggy tomorrow morning, then we are smart enough to know that maybe driving at 110 is not a good idea in fog. Give the average Kiwi credit for having common sense.

I once got up to 255 km/h on a German autobahn in a 12 cylinder BMW 850, just because I wanted to celebrate the way the German police completely ignore you if the weather is clear, you're in a capable car, and you don't drive as if you've been "on the toot."

I've been a volunteer firefighter and have been to many road accidents. Nothing of what I have seen deters me from continuing with my suggestion of 110 for selected stretches. I am heartened that the AA tentatively agrees. That's good, because they represent a million people. I represent my experienced self.

Peter’s Comment

Peter Gill has been road testing for a long time. He tested New Zealand’s first taxi-van with me in 1982. However, I have to disagree with his plea for a 110kph speed limit, even though I agree with many of the points that he makes.

While speed alone may not be the single greatest killer it certainly claims many, often in single vehicle accidents. A greater menace is the driver who fails to go with the flow, whether the flow is above or below the speed limit.

Not all vehicles are capable of travelling at 110kph and many (all trucks, buses and vehicles with trailers) have a legal limit of only 90kph. These vehicles are therefore unable to go with the flow and are constantly exposed to the dangers of split speed limits (someone should tell OSH about this) or rather the disregard of many car drivers for the dangers of speeding near slower vehicles.

I understand that Peter Gill and many other car enthusiasts would love to be able to boot it without having to worry about being fined. But surely the priority for Government should be in first establishing a uniform speed limit for all vehicles.

Connect with Peter on Facebook or Twitter

Research here and elsewhere has shown that split speed limits not only don’t make roads safer but they actually increase accident rates by the traffic conflict that they cause. Research also shows that because most drivers typically travel at a little over the limit, most traffic related accidents occur at speeds at, or slightly below, the limit rather than slightly above. There is a good case for raising the limit for heavy vehicles while holding down the limit for the fastest drivers to a level that corresponds with the capability of slower vehicles.

In the USA, where I drove trucks in forty states (that's my truck above), each state sets its own speed limits. Some states opt for a uniform limit while other have split speed limits and guess what? The states with split limits generally have the best roads and the worst accident rates. Split speed limits cause traffic conflict and downright danger.

If Peter Gill accepts this proposition, will he also accept that trucks and buses should also be allowed to travel at 110kph or 120kph with the usual tolerance allowed by traffic patrols? I think not. I’ve had 50 years of professional driving and I believe the speed limit should stay at 100 kph and that should be the limit for all vehicles.

COUNTRY MUSIC

Graeme McCardle to Sing at Ngatea

Long-time popular New Zealand country music singer, Graeme McCardle, will be the guest artist at the next Hauraki Country Music day in Ngatea on Saturday 19 May starting at 12.30 pm

Graeme, Helensville born and raised, has been a country music achiever since 1975 when he joined a local band. They were so busy that one year they only had four free weekends. He left the band to get some time to himself and his young family.

But later he started another band called Freightliner.

About that time he also founded the Helensville River Valley Country Music Club and has been either president or vice president ever since.

He has lost count of the number of regional awards that he has won and in his own words; “At times it was so many that it was almost embarrassing.”

In 1989 he was runner-up in the New Zealand Entertainer of the Year Awards.

Hear Graeme McCardle at the Memorial Hall, Ngatea, on Saturday 19 May. Rumour has it that there will also be a surprise event of some sort during the afternoon.

The Rice Video - Carbon Dioxide in perspective by The Galileo Movement