Articles by Sally Sumner

There is no truth, there is only perception. As I enjoy a new, less crazy-busy season in my life, I’ve taken to switching the TV on early evening. Mostly it’s to give the elderly dog some background noise to distract her from alerting me every time the neighbours come home, but it also reminds me of younger years when the house gathered for the daily 6 o’clock news. Finishing paid work for the day, my ear was drawn to a US news item announcing…

“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” George Orwell Freedom of speech is one of the most precious and important human rights. A free society depends on the free exchange of ideas. Nearly all ideas are inherently capable of giving offence to someone. Many of the most important, profound ideas in human history, such as those of Galileo Galilei and Charles Darwin, caused great…

A friend mentioned to me that other day that if everyone lived by the basics of the Ten Commandments, then we would live in paradise and it got me thinking… Would it really? The 10 Commandments are one of the cornerstones in Christianity having been given to Moses by God to share with all the Israelites after they left captivity in Egypt. Carved in stone, they were confined to physical oblivion when Moses smashed them, however a slab, probably…

I recently had the opportunity to question Chris Luxton and included a question about trust and what he intended to do about increasing the dismal survey results from a December 22 poll that showed only 39.6% of the poll respondents trusted the government. His response will be published next month, but in the meantime, just how important is trust in our Government and its Ministers? We will never I suspect get to a 100% trust rate, but…

I’m writing this in the aftermath of the terrible weather event that saw numerous festivals and concerts cancelled, (Elton John again!), homes flooded, landslips, roads made impassible, slips, crops devasted, our city’s airport terminals swimming in water and tragically four lives lost across Auckland. · I’ve seen readings of over 200 mms of rain that all fell in one day and it doesn’t appear to have abated just yet. They are in fact warning…

Nancy Wake (aka The White Mouse) was the Allies most decorated woman during World War 2, saving thousands of soldiers and eventually becoming the 1 most wanted person by the German Gestapo in 1943. Nancy never believed that women should just stay at home or stand on the sidelines while men went to war and proved herself to be a fantastic leader during the French Resistance, in which pockets of independently organized individuals fought against…

Who doesn’t love a summer salad. Try any of the ones below and you will be guaranteed a winner at home or to take out to a gathering with family or friends. Recipe 1: Asian Slaw with Peaches and Herbs · Colorful, juicy, crunchy, sweet, bitter, herby, spicy… there are so many flavors and textures to put together with all the great fruits and vegetables that are in season right now. Perfect for picnics! Ingredients to serve 4 as a side dish ·…

By the time you read this, the Christmas season will all be over, and we will be heading into a brand-new year, 2023. That’s 23 years since the world teetered on the brink of a potential disaster as computer programmers grabbled with the Y2KBug, the point at which the world slipped over to the 21st century, and the year 2000 ticked over from 1999. It was thought and hyped up by the media that computer systems would experience huge malfunctions…

No matter what your age or fitness level you will be more than welcomed and encouraged to participate in the Navigation Homes Fun Run series. After running successfully at the start and end of last year, the new season of Fun Runs kicks off on Tuesday February 7th and every Tuesday after that until late March. Starting at 5pm with registrations, the race kicks off at 6pm followed by a prize giving at 7pm, making it an ideal way for…

We have all seen the social media posts of ‘free kitten/puppy to a good home’ sweet, cute, innocent faces looking back at us in all manner of colours and fluffiness. Small, defenseless, ‘presents’ for that child or family member who we want to please. But for Taryn Gibbs, her team at Fur Paws Sake and many hundreds like them throughout the country, the aftermath of that impulsive purchase is heartbreaking. · Having been involved in animal…