Brothers in arms
Brothers Kini and Waisake Naholo have added thrust and flair in the Crusaders backline which includes big names such as Mitch Drummond, Bryn Hall, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Richie Mo’unga, Jack Goodhue, Sevu Reece, David Havili, Braydon Ennor, George Bridge, Will Jordan and Leicester Fainga’anuku.
The most successful rugby franchise in the history of Super Rugby will be the team to beat. It will be interesting to watch how the other Super Rugby teams, including the Fijian Drua and Pasifika Moana will handle the Crusaders.
I’m also looking forward to the April 30 clash between the Drua and Highlanders at the ANZ Stadium.
Pleading with the Fiji Sports Council to ensure reasonable ticket price — times are hard, now!
RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM Nadawa, Nasinu
Something to read
I AM not sure about others, but I find the endless grog-themed cartoons by the resident cartoonist a little tiresome and unfunny now.
I suggest that it is time for the cartoonist to get a little more creative. He or she may be perpetuating the copious consumption of grog as a normal thing thus implanting a grossly abnormal perception into the minds of our children, not to mention the minds of the adults.
Let us not perpetuate the fallacy that grog doping and grog drinkers are a proud feature of the landscape of Fiji. I suspect I may be too late, but then, it’s never too late. JAN NISSAR NSW, Australia
What’s in your head
SHALWYN Prasad’s letter (17/1/2022) titled “What lies ahead” states the volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami in Tonga are another cruel example of climate change.
The legendary writer Allen Lockington 18/1/2022 also questions nature asking what caused the volcanic eruptions, climate change?
Climate change does not cause volcanoes to erupt in fact the reverse, resultant ash clouds cause climate to cool.
Changes in climate have occurred throughout the Earth’s history.
Volcanic eruptions are caused by plate tectonics in this case where the Pacific plate is subducting under the Australian continental plate.
Please don’t use climate change to predict events, rather look at the geological history of the Earth and understand past events and how they happened.
These events are real unlike predicting the climate which we seem to have trouble with even from one day to the next. GEOFF TAYLOR Savusavu
Relief supplies for Tonga
FIJI is regarded as a much more developed country in the Pacific region, why haven’t the Fijian Government sent a boat over to Tonga with some bottled water and surely there are a lot of tents lying around at the disaster management warehouse.
Or are we just getting good at receiving handouts and relief that we have forgotten that we can also help our neighbouring island nations when they are in trouble. MISAELE T FOKULAU NSW, Australia
Fiji first please
SOMEONE suggested that our Government promptly organise the airlifting of supplies to tsunami ravaged Tonga (FT letters 19/01).
No offence to our nearest friendly island neighbour, however, I strongly propose our intelligent leaders primarily prioritise assisting its own starving populace who have been drastically affected by the latest strain of the Omicron variant, the recent cyclone, massive floods, life-threatening landslides and those villagers in the outer islands who have had their homes ruined by the tsunami’s rippling effect in the Pacific.
And besides, judging by the state of our crumbling economy and our country being overtly reliant on foreign financial aid for sustainability purposes for the past 16 years, I firmly trust that Fiji, despite the invisible unprecedented Bainimarama boom, is in no monetary position to offer disaster support to other nations.
Sending thoughts and prayers to the Kingdom of Tonga. NISHANT SINGH Lautoka
The grass is blue
THE donkey told the tiger, “The grass is blue.” The tiger replied, “No, the grass is green.”
The discussion became heated and the two decided to submit the issue to arbitration. So they approached the lion. As they approached the lion on his throne, the donkey started screaming: “Your Highness, isn’t it true that the grass is blue?”
The lion replied: “If you believe it is true, the grass is blue.” The donkey rushed forward and continued: “The tiger disagrees with me, contradicts me and annoys me. Please punish him.”
The king then declared: “The tiger will be punished with three days of silence.” The donkey jumped with joy and went on his way, content and repeating “The grass is blue, the grass is blue…”
“The tiger asked the lion, your majesty, why have you punished me, after all, the grass is green?” The lion replied, “You’ve known and seen the grass is green.”
The tiger asked, “So why do you punish me?” The lion replied, “That has nothing to do with the question of whether the grass is blue or green.
The punishment is because it is degrading for a brave, intelligent creature like you to waste time arguing with an ass, and on top of that, you came and bothered me with that question just to validate something you already knew was true!”
The biggest waste of time is arguing with the fool and fanatic who doesn’t care about truth or reality, but only the victory of his beliefs and illusions. Never waste time on discussions that make no sense.
There are people who, for all the evidence presented to them, do not have the ability to understand.
Others who are blinded by ego, hatred and resentment, and the only thing that they want is to be right even if they aren’t. I’m sure you know some people like that.
I asked my wife if she concurred with me. She disagreed as usual and said they were probably talking about blue grass.
Why does she always have to be right? ARVIND MANI Nadi
Tongan disaster
I UNDERSTAND that Tonga did very well in controlling COVID by closing its borders tightly shut. We all know that Tonga is a very religious and God-fearing country. I am not sure what their vaccination rate is, but I suspect it would be very low. Unfortunately, disaster has struck by way of a volcano and resulting tsunami.
I believe it just goes to show that shutting borders or praying does not mean you can avoid disaster by the forces of nature.
The same applies to Fiji with floods, cyclones and potentially acidic ash clouds falling from the sky. When you shut one door, another opens and you do not necessarily know what may be behind that door.
When God is not happy, one needs to get out of the way. Or instead of doing the same things over and over again, people must change the way things are done.
Just wondering with all the aid that is going to pour into Tonga especially from big cousins like Australia and New Zealand, whether their closed border policy will still work? JAN NISSAR NSW, Australia
