So, what's in a name?

Anyone who has visited this site previously may notice that I've changed its name.

Why?

Well, when I began this particular blog, just one year ago, I was a full time trainee granddad, 'Home Alone' while Anthea completed personal commitments in the UK (where we had been living), and I got a new home together for us here in New Zealand and cared for our granddaughter while her mum worked.

Well, baby is now walking, the renovation complete, Anthea is home.

I am no longer alone and the name 'Home Alone' seems somehow redundant.

Anyway, looking back on recent postings it seems this blog has evolved (degenerated?) in to the ramblings of an elderly discontent rather than the benign reflections of a trainee granddad.

So, welcome to the Meldrew Factor.

For further explaination read he sidebar opposite.

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The Prying Game

Several days ago New Zealand police released details of the terrorist surveillance program that lead to the arrest and detention of a number of Maori activists under NZ's new anti terrorism laws.

Much of the emerging argument centers around weather or not the media have been overly selective in the information they published but the real issue is not that journalists may have conveniently paraphrased the report, but that this report exist at all.

The fact that more and more intrusive surveillance technology is available to our police should frighten rather than reassure us. Researchers at Georgetown University in 2002 developed what they called 'Gait recognition profiling'. This technique uses CCTV monitors (as seen in banks, railway stations, etc. in NZ) to map any individuals walking style, which is as unique apparently as their DNA profile, with out that persons knowledge or consent.

Coupled with existing face recognition capabilities this technology, potentially enables CCTV systems to identify any individual from a crowd, confirm their ID by matching to their 'Gait' profile and, again potentially, link to and access any other data held about the person under surveillance.

This is fine if we only use on in rare occasions to identify real terrorists.

The question is,

. . . . is that all it will be used for?

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No peace till there's justice

The lead story and editorial in todays Dominion Post confirmed that not only has New Zealand entered the arena of international terrorism, but that personal surveillance by phone tapping, bugging and cctv footage is now an acceptable police tool and part of our daily life.

Of course there is a necessity to fight fire with fire and the ends of national security, it can be argued, justify the means: that civil liberties must be weighed against internal security. Like most New Zealanders, I accept that argument, but what would it take to eliminate terrorism?

One thing that 'terrorists' everywhere have in common is that they are marginalised both socially and economically. They are, generally speaking, the have nots of our society: Syrians, Palestinians, Pakistanis, Gazans, Irish Catholics and now, Maori.

We can try our hardest to control terrorism by surveillance but history shows there will be no peace until we share our wealth and address the underlying issues of social justice and equity that are the breeding ground of discontent, rebellion and, latterly, terrorism.

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Insomnia

The wall calendar on my kitchen fridge reminds me that it's just 21 more BIG sleeps till Anthea returns. There is much I could write about the excitement I feel at the thought of her return, but this small poem I found today says it so much better.

When I am with you, we stay up all night,
When you're not here, I can't go to sleep.

Praise God for these two insomnias!
And the difference between them.

Rumi. Persia (1207-1273)

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Home again!

The restoration work at St Barnabas is now complete.

The Bishop re consecrated the Church yesterday, and this morning Archbishop David Moxom presided over our first mass.

Great joy and celebration.

It may be a sad commentary on my rather dull life but I had the BEST time, ever!

Seems my 'Viaje Interior' had bought me full circle. I'm Home.

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