TCATA

an interesting conversation!

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +1300

hey religious man, i’ve just been told I’m going to hell.

are you interested in God?

hell no!

then you’re going to hell.

s**t, he’s s’posed to be a god of love isn’t he? why would this big deal god of love send me to hell?

he won’t really.

that’s not what I’ve been told!

mmm…

what do you mean - mmm?

you send yourself to hell.

what!?

the bible says: by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. God just gives you what you want.

but I don’t want to go to hell!!

so you are interested in God then?

b*******y hell no!

then you won’t be interested in heaven, because that’s where he’ll be - all the time - forever.

this really p******* me off! so I have to go to hell then.

no, only if you don’t want to have anything to do with God.

f**k! there’s no way I want anything to do with a god like that!

do you have any children?

what? o yea - three.

when do you let them tell you what to do?

no kid of mine tells me what to f*****g do!

why not?

cause I’m the boss, that’s why! and I’ve been around a b****y lot longer than them! what sort of stupid question is that?

just interested to see what you would answer. you see, God’s the boss, and he’s been around a lot longer than you. so why do you think you have the right to tell him what to do?

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hello?

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are you there?

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Source: an interesting conversation!

Help Haiti

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +1300

In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti the surrounding Islands (St Thomas is one and it is the Island I am on) have seemed to band together to do everything they can to help. There are radio stations that broadcast over large areas including multiple Island groups and almost every taxi you climb into is talking about the event and the relief efforts. You see banners up all over the place and people organizing different events to help raise funds for this tragedy.

There is a real sense of isolation when you are in an Island chain and none more so than when a natural disaster occurs and the Caribbean Islands are no strangers to that with Hurricanes being an annual reminder.

You hear arguments for and against donating money for the relief effort, the arguments for are more obvious but the arguments against are the surprising ones and sometimes true points are made, most commonly people unwilling to fork out money because they feel it might not be directed in the right area or where they want their money to go.

Last week our vessel held a dockside BBQ in the Marina and invited all other boats in the Marina to attend, the girls made cookies etc to sell to raise money. Again people can criticize what we do for a living but that night few cookies were sold and we raised $700 USD for donation all coming out of the generous pockets of Yacht Crew. The following day the Marina held a concert to raise money and I don’t know what the total was but with live music and stalls there were certainly a lot of people and quite a few folk being local and not always in a position to donate even $10 but they do. The Islanders probably more than most realize and know what it means to be isolated and in desperate want of aid which is why they give.

It’s interesting that so often it takes a disaster to make us feel this way. It took the sinking of the Titanic to introduce changes to the Safety of life at Sea.

In the insurance and legal sectors things like an earthquake are listed as acts of God. Well I’m no expert on the subject and do not claim to be but call it what you will, even if it is an act of God (the next argument being why would God do such a thing) is it possible God wants to see us acting out too? Again, if I was sitting in Gods chair maybe I would be pondering the question; why do I have to keep creating disasters to get you to see what you should be doing? Are you people that cold and heartless toward each other? After all these years have you still not learnt anything? Or on the other hand it could be; do you not heed the signs?

It’s not always about money either, aid comes in many forms some of which may not be so obvious to others, some as simple as offering food or shelter / refuge or even an act of kindness without being asked and maybe without telling the person you are doing it. What I do know is that if I lost everything to a natural disaster it would be nice to think that someone would help me in a time of need (working through God) rather than being left to fend for myself (which I might add often insights looting etc from certain people).

Someone else will take care of it. How is my insignificant donation going to help, I am but one person. If everybody embraced that thinking nothing would ever be achieved. But like collecting pennies, separate they are small, together they are many, together a lot can be accomplished.

By foreign correspondent Shane Carlisle

Source: Help Haiti

St Maarten

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +1300

One of the main attractions of St Maarten is the runway at the airport where the airport starts and finishes (like so many Caribbean airports) at the water. The difference in St Maarten, is that the airport will accept Boeing 747s!!

St Maarten is divided into two sections, one half French (Sint Martin), the other Dutch (Saint Maarten). They now use Euro’s as a currency although the Dutch side frequently trade with US dollars. The French side will accept US dollars but make up there own exchange rate which changes daily.

The Island was originally divided into two parts literally by a Frenchman and a Dutchman starting at organized opposite ends of the Island and walking toward each other until they meet. The French side is relatively organized and quaint whereas the Dutch side is a little more industrious but not as pretty.

The Island is now becoming the safe haven for Yachts both large and small (due to additional new marina facilities) and has regular Cruise Ship visits in Phillipsburg (Dutch side).

St Maarten used to be a haven for duty free shoppers and although items are still cheap, cheaper brands have entered the markets, as have fakes, so this has driven the price of authentic items up a little. There is also a huge choice of dive sites and some good surfing beaches to be found and due to the location of the airport it is very easy to Island hop and transfer to the USA.

For Yacht crews it is a place to catch up with friends, for others it is a long awaited holiday destination.. but maybe not at the top of my list.

By foreign correspondent Shane Carlisle

Source: St Maarten

St Thomas in the Caribbean

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +1300

A weekend of one low and two highs has just passed us by here in the United States Territory of St Thomas, U.S.V.I. in the Caribbean.

It began with being witness to a gentleman who was on a snorkeling trip that for reasons still unknown to me came to the dockside just in front of our vessel in a 'bad way' apparently not breathing.

He was placed onto the dockside where Paramedics performed CPR, defibrillation and administered oxygen. Twenty minutes later he was pronounced dead, with no family or friends with him.

Very sad.

It reminded us of how fragile life is and that you never know what is 'around the corner' be it good or not.

On a brighter note we had two interesting scuba dives on the Friday, Saturday at the beach snorkeling, seeing turtles and stingrays, and yesterday, fishing which landed us two Black fin Tuna, a large Mackerel, a Mahi Mahi (yum) and a very strong and awesome Wahoo which you see in the picture.

The poor weather conditions we had experienced in recent days have passed and the Island is again looking picturesque. These lovely days make the effort all worthwhile.

The closest you can get to picturing where I am would be relative to the Marlborough Sounds or Bay of Islands, two fantastic locations New Zealand has to offer.

By foreign correspondent Shane Carlisle

Source: St Thomas in the Caribbean

Saint Barthelemy Island

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +1300

St Barts (Saint Barthelemy Island) is a ‘hot spot’ for people who like to be seen.

Located in the Southern section of what’s called the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean (leeward meaning downwind or protected), I dare say it is a world renowned Island that is particularly frequented for New Years celebrations. Its name can be heard in discussions of other ‘namely’ places like St Tropez or Cannes in France.

The Island is a French Territory and is part of what crew members like myself call the ‘milk run’ and magazine editors may label 'the millionaires circuit'. It is small and difficult to get around being quite hilly. The Airstrip runway is somewhat downhill and finishes very very close to the sea as do a lot of Island runways.

To be frank there is not a lot to do here except relax (which is the idea I guess. And doing nothing is quite hard for some people to do.) There are a few nice beaches with swimming to be done, or if you are wealthy and like being in the ‘in’ crowd you come here to be seen and hang out with your wealthy buddies in a similar manner to the way anybody spends a vacation with there friends. Except here extravagance can easily be stamped all over the vacation.

The climate is warm and pleasant and often sunny, often rainy too. Today there are about 60 superyachts anchored in the Bay of Gustavia and upwards of 100 boats under 100’, both sail boats and motor yachts. St Barts is an island where the locals are locals and the decadent come once or twice a year to play.

Trying to drive a boat to shore here is like trying to steer a rubber duck in a bath tub after you have stirred up the water. For me it is a pleasure to work outside, whatever the weather or the challenges of the day provide.

By foreign correspondent Shane Carlisle

Source: Saint Barthelemy Island

Antigua

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +1300

By looking at this photo you would not be accused of being wrong for thinking it was taken in the Pacific Islands, the Indian Ocean or the Caribbean.

It is in fact an early morning in Antigua, a small Island in the Caribbean with a bit of an interesting history.

Antigua was a favoured place of refuge and maintenance for Lord Nelson and his British Naval blockade vessels. Antigua used to be a large producer of sugar and was the first Caribbean Island to become ‘slave free’. Antigua now is home of the West Indies Cricket Team and it’s largest industry is tourism. Barbuda, another Island near Antigua is governed by Antigua and is very flat compared to Antigua’s small but numerous mountains. Barbuda’s main industry was and maybe still is exporting it’s sand to as far away as Italy and most of the ‘lovely’ white beaches you see in the Caribbean get there sand from Barbuda.

I have flown here just two days ago from Miami after a month and a bit at Maritime College to warm sunny Caribbean weather compared to a mild & wet Florida winter. A nice place to work…just like a kiwi summer but not as humid…

By foreign correspondent Shane Carlisle

Source: Antigua

There's probably no God - oh really?

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +1300

Plans are afoot to mount a bus advert campaign with the message "There's probably no God - enjoy your life". It's a copy of a similar London campaign.

But is it a true statement? Is there in all probability no God? Can we account for the physical universe, the biological world and the nature of humankind without any recourse to a Creator? What is the likelihood that we are here merely by chance?

For the first time in our history we can start to quantify parts of this question in probabilistic terms. The result is surprising.

Let's start with the physical universe. The field of cosmology tells us that the universe is exquisitely finely balanced.

Its density, back at the first moments of the "big bang", was critically balanced to better than one part in one billion billion billion billion.

A fraction more dense and it all would have collapsed again. A fraction less dense and it all would have evaporated - no galaxies, no stars, no planets, no mother Earth.

A fraction more dense and it all would have collapsed again. A fraction less dense and it all would have evaporated - no galaxies, no stars, no planets, no mother Earth.

All the known forces of nature are tightly balanced relative to each other.

A little this way and protons do not form. A little that way and neutrons don't form. Tweak another way and no particles at all. Tweak another way and everything is hydrogen only.

Now if the universe were truly random...

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Source: There's probably no God - oh really?

Christian Church in China suffers violence

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +1300

Towering eight stories over wheat fields, the Golden Lamp Church was built to serve nearly 50,000 worshippers in the gritty heart of China's coal country.

But that was before hundreds of police and hired thugs descended on the mega-church, smashing doors and windows, seizing Bibles and sending dozens of worshippers to hospitals with serious injuries, members and activists say

Today, the church's co-pastors are in jail. The gates to the church complex in the northern province of Shanxi are locked and a police armored personnel vehicle sits outside.

The closure of what may be China's first mega-church is the most visible sign that the communist government is determined to rein in the rapid spread of Christianity, with a crackdown in recent months that church leaders call the harshest in years.

Authorities describe the actions against churches as stemming from land disputes, but the congregations under attack are among the most successful in China's growing "house church" movement, which rejects the state-controlled church in favor of liturgical independence and a more passionate, evangelical outlook.

While the Chinese constitution guarantees freedom of religion, Christians are required to worship in churches run by state-controlled organizations: The Three-Self Patriotic Movement for Protestants and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association for Roman Catholics.

But more and more Chinese are opting to choose their own churches, despite them being technically illegal and subject to police harassment. Christians worshipping in China's independent churches are believed to number upwards of 60 million, compared to about 20 million who worship in the state church, according to numbers provided by scholars and church activists.

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Source: Christian Church in China suffers violence

Copenhagen climate change

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +1300

The Copenhagen climate change conference is the center of an increasing furor. More than 3,000 scientists are urging the US government not to sign any climate control deal because, they say, the evidence for a warming planet earth is simply not there. Many other scientists are equally fervent in the belief that data produced proves that the planet is indeed warming and catastrophically so.

So why is this conference so important?

Well, I can tell you that the climate is NOT the main issue. Here's why.

Close perusal of the document up for signing reveals something very scary.

If a country becomes a signatory, it gives an unelected, unnamed, and unknown group of people, quite probably located somewhere in Europe, the authority to interfere in and even dictate the economic and financial affairs of that country.

Any signatory country will have to pay carbon taxes to this shadowy group of people according to their dictates and decrees. If a country fails to meet any such dictates and decrees, it will have to pay penalty taxes.

Quite simply, a signatory country hands over the financial management of it's affairs to unknown and unelected foreigners. And there is virtually no escape clause permitted. Such a position effectually nullifies the sovereignty of the legal government of that nation.

I suggest to you that this is treason of the highest order.

You see the real reason for this conference is not about the climate. It's pretty obvious that many of the attendees couldn't care less about the climate. Or truth for that matter.

But it IS about power and control.

...and a one world government.

(Now where have I heard THAT before?)

Source: Copenhagen climate change

In the USA

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +1300

Having been in the USA for a month now has held no surprises for me. I have lived here and travelled here before.

Each State is different, they have different architecture, different paint schemes, the people are of slightly different nationalities and being based in Florida for this month, being able to get about and travel has been difficult but we have had an agenda which somewhat took priority.

Most Floridian buildings are not pretty, they are hurricane proof concrete blocks. The land is flat for the best part but the water is warm and the fishing is good. The lifestyle in Florida is good…for many but not for all.

The biggest thing I notice every time I come to the States is the divide, the divide between rich and poor.

A lot of buildings that were built in the 70’s still look as they would have when they were built. There is a stark contrast between old and new and not in a quaint historical way but rather it is visible to see when money stopped being spent and restarted again which brings me to the most noticeable point on this visit to the USA given the current ‘economic recession’.

For many years the gap between rich and poor has widened, now in America the current President has a bill that increases tax for those that earn over $200,000 per annum. This hits the very people that keep America ticking, the middle class, the Doctors, Dentists, Pilots, Lawyers, Accountants, Private Business Owners, Farmers, the list goes on. The cost of insurance is very high, and you need it, the professionals need it, without it you could be snapped up and spat out by the legal machine because of an accident or a mistake.

All this has the potential to drive the middle class down, a class that is very large proportionately, and one wonders what the overall result of middle class not being middle anymore but struggling. In 15 to 20 years it is estimated that to put your child through a good high school and good university it will cost about $400,000 at the current rate. If credit loans helped begin this ‘recession’ then how is a student going to put themselves through university if they are never going to be able to pay back the loan they took out for their education. Is the flow on effect a generation of children who receive a ‘lower’ standard of education and ultimately will the workforce and trade suffer?

Then people may ask where is the hope, what is the point of trying? I hope it doesn’t end up that way, America is a country full of diversity and opportunity at the moment, the largest democracy in the world trying to show the world the way forward but suffering internally on the home front.

Say a prayer for this Great Nation.

By foreign correspondent Shane Carlisle

Source: In the USA

Palm Beach, Florida

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +1300

We arrived safe and sound and with great timing (for tides) to Palm Beach, Florida, lunchtime US EST.

We are a large yacht and had to squeeze into some small spaces not to mention the passage from the entrance to the ‘harbour’ and down to the shipyard had minimal depth for us.

The Gulf Stream is a current that runs Northbound along the East Coast of Florida and was travelling at 4 knots when we came in. 4 knots is quite fast when you put a 78 meter vessel side on to it and are trying to aim for a narrow gap.

Once inside the entrance the depth was a concern but so was the remainder of the ebbing tide which was also travelling at about 2 knots and had localised backcurrents. We had a Tugboat escort which was only required for ‘information’ purposes rather than direct assistance.

At some points the depth became very shallow and we had to have faith in the information we were given that we had enough water below us at all times because we had not been there before and could not see it for ourselves and had little to no control over the situation. It is a time where you feel you are ‘in the dark’ but we knew that we were in good hands.

Now we begin a phase of the year which is maintenance in the Shipyard and training and time off for the crew.

By foreign correspondent Shane Carlisle

Source: Palm Beach, Florida

Down's syndrome children being aborted

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +1300

A rise in older women becoming pregnant has led to a big jump in Down's syndrome diagnoses in Britain, but fewer babies are born with the condition because more than 90% are aborted, researchers said.

Scientists found that diagnoses of Down's syndrome rose by 71% between 1989 and 2008, largely due to a sharp rise in the number of women wanting to become mothers later.

But the number of babies born with Down's fell by one percent because more women were screened and chose to terminate the pregnancy.

"Dramatic changes in demography have been offset by improved medical technology and have resulted in no substantial changes in the birth prevalence of this quite disabling condition," the researchers wrote in the study in the British Medical Journal.

The risk of having a baby with Down's syndrome - which occurs when a child has three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the normal two - increases sharply as women get older.

The risk for a 40-year-old mother is 16 times that for one who is 25.

The researchers from Barts hospital in London and The London Medical School said that without antenatal screening and subsequent abortions, the number of Down's syndrome births would have increased by 48% between 1989 and 2008 due to parents choosing to start families later.

People with Down's often have common physical features such as almond eyes and shorter limbs, and have learning difficulties as well as a higher risk of congenital heart defects and respiratory illnesses.

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Source: Down's syndrome children being aborted

Religious signs barred

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +1300

In response to the Sept. 11 attacks, the football cheerleaders at a public high school here wanted to make the Bible a bigger part of Friday night games. So, to the delight of fans, they painted messages like “Commit to the Lord” on giant paper banners that the players charged through onto the field.

That eight-year-old tradition ended last month after a parent expressed concern that it could prompt a First Amendment lawsuit. Church and state were not sufficiently separate, the school district agreed, and the banners came down.

Now, a month later, the new policy has produced an unexpected result: more biblical verses than ever at football games, displayed not by cheerleaders but by fans sitting in the stands.

Startled and dismayed by the district’s policy, this town of 9,600 people has taken up the cause — and the signs — of the cheerleaders. Calling themselves Warriors for Christ, a twist on the school’s Warriors nickname, fans have held rallies at churches and a local polo field and sold more than 1,600 T-shirts bearing passages from Deuteronomy and Timothy.

On game nights, the stadium of the school, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High, just south of Chattanooga, is dotted with signs reading, “You Can’t Silence Us” and “Living Faith Outloud,” along with biblical verses. Even Caleb Wickersham, a 17-year-old atheist from nearby southern Tennessee, acknowledges that fans are exercising a legal right to free speech. “From an atheist’s standpoint, it’s frustrating because I don’t want more religion in my face,” Caleb said. “But it’s their constitutional right.”

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Source: Religious signs barred

Drifting in the Atlantic

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +1300

Well since my last posting we discovered what our latest problem was, a synthetic line about 2.5” thick and 20’ long wrapped itself around a propeller.

Myself and another crew member donned diving gear and cut it free while our vessel was ‘dead ship’ in the Atlantic Ocean….drifting.

It took us about half an hour and we were underway again.

We have 1000 Nm to go, that’s ¾ of the trip behind us now. We have some sloppy weather today from a passing cold front which is giving us 2.5 meter beam seas not a big deal really but some movement in the boat.

Some of the ‘younger’ crew are really looking forward to touching land again now, it’s a stage where you can see the finish line but you are not there yet…you still have to finish.

We have a very tight arrival schedule, 1.5 hour leeway to make a high tide which is fine as long as we can maintain our current speed, if we miss it we have to wait a whole day, probably cruising up and down the coast for 24 hours. So far we are on target and we will not back off in speed for the weather no matter how uncomfortable it gets unless it becomes too dangerous to the operation of the vessel.

Fun fun fun…

By foreign correspondent Shane Carlisle

Source: Drifting in the Atlantic

Atlantic problem

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +1300

Half way across the Atlantic, a bit of rough weather last night otherwise so far so good.

We managed to take some star sights the other night with moderate success, the most difficulty lay in the inability to see the horizon effectively.

We have recently encountered a new problem. It has happened at night, possibly a net or rope wrapped around one of our propeller shafts. We won’t know until daylight breaks where we can dive on the boat for an inspection.

At present we are now running just fine on one main engine albeit a bit slower. Tomorrow bears more developments with this issue, hopefully with a good result.

By foreign correspondent Shane Carlisle

Source: Atlantic problem