New Zealand Listener - May 26, 2018

MAY 26 2018 LISTENER 5

(Chas to the family) Boswell.

He was my grandfather, and

he arrived in Moscow the day

before I was born.

Insight into the problems he

faced can be found in his per-

sonal diaries – these do much

to dispel the criticism levelled

at him from various quarters.

After many years in my pos-

session, these diaries are now

in the care of the Alexander

Turnbull Library. They chroni-

cle four years of frustration

with the constraints of his

position, and the impossibility

of meaningful dialogue with

the Soviet system.

Being referred to as “pedes-

trian” (“The cloak & dagger

novel”, May 12) is perhaps

partly appropriate – he was

sent to perform a service to the

country he loved and served

with all his heart – but with

both hands tied behind his

back and his feet shackled.

Peter Boswell

(Glen Eden, Auckland)
LETTER OF THE WEEK

CLIMATE COMPLICATIONS

“The cold war” (May 19)

pushes the usual alarmist

climate-change buttons. It

is true that the Australian

Antarctic Division reports that

ice coverage for the past two

seasons was at all-time lows.

But it goes on to say that it is

not clear what was driving the

reduction after several years of

record-high ice coverage.

The story quotes Victoria

University research as saying

“one clear climate change

signal ... is the warming of the

ocean at depth and under the

ice shelves”. Why, I wonder

does it not cite 2018 research

by the University of Otago on

the Ross Ice Shelf that found

sea water is actually freezing

onto the base of the ice instead

of melting? Perhaps because it

doesn’t fit the accepted media

narrative.

The truth is that the global

climate is an incredibly com-

plex, non-linear, chaotic – as

in the mathematical theory

GETTY IMAGES

TO ENTER Send your captions for the photo above to [email protected],

with “Caption Competition No 282” in the subject line. Alternatively, entries

can be posted to “Caption Competition No 282”, NZ Listener, Private Bag 92512,

Wellesley St, Auckland 1141, or submitted through listener.co.nz/win.

Entries must be received by noon, Tuesday, May 29.

THE PRIZE The winner of our weekly caption competition will receive

a DVD copy of One Amazing Day, the sequel to Earth, a jaw-dropping

journey that reveals nature’s power over the course of a day.

Caption Competition {[email protected]}

Melania: “Stormy told me he enjoys a surprise spanking.”

– Jeanette Waters, Auckland

Trump: “What do you call this tool?” Macron: “Mr

President.” – Rob Leetcher, Tauranga

Macron: “I’ll plant the tree, Donald ... you seem to be

digging your own hole.” – Marian Dowling, Wellington

Trump: “Typical. Someone else digs the dirt and I have to

do the cover up.” – Margaret Cannon, Palmerston North

Trump: “Forget the wall, we’ll dig a moat instead!”

– Alan Belcher, Christchurch

Trump: “A spot of Emmanuel labour looks good for the

cameras.” – Ann Love, Nelson

Trump: “Korea, Iran ... now I’ve fixed climate change.”

– Lynda Kelly, Palmerston North

WINNING CAPTION
Alice Tartt, Westmere, Auckland

• system that scientists struggle
  to understand or predict. The
  only honest scientific position
  on man-made climate change
  is an open mind and healthy
  scepticism.
  David Gibbs
  (Beach Haven, Auckland)

BOTHERED ABOUT GOD

I don’t attend church, yet I

respect all religious denomina-

tions. I performed music for

the Dalai Lama in 1992. When

my brother was dying in 1992,

I attended his bedside in the

final hours. He was a passion-

ate atheist.

During his frustration with

pervading pain he was heard

to utter “Christ” several times.

I remember “Jesus” was in

there among the expletives,

too. Having your intellectual

potency gradually silenced is

a terrible predicament. He’s at

peace now, I believe. I didn’t

hear him call for Copernicus,

Galileo or Hawking once.

Funny that.

Andy Thompson

(Burwood, Christchurch)

Peter Chapman (Letters, May

19) wants to have his science-

and-religion cake and eat it.

No incompatibility here, folks.

This is a mantra we often

hear from clergy and others

desperate to hang on to belief

Caption

competition

THIS WEEK’S PICTURE

FINALISTS

Björn Ulvaeus, left,

and Benny Andersson

from Abba.

If anyone asks

where James

Comey is, admit

nothing.