Indifference

The name Lance O'Sullivan has caught my attention on a number of occasions.  The Lance O'Sullivan in question is not the well-known jockey, he's a GP from Kaitaia.
I first came across him a couple of Sunday mornings back on Marae.  He had decided to actually do something about the parlous state that some of his patients find themselves in.  Along with a whole bunch of profanities in response to the squalor presented and our general indifference to it, I could not help but admire his courage and humanity, for stepping beyond the confines of his training and profession to see the wider picture and for speaking out.  The next time anyone suggests to me that there is no poverty in New Zealand I will refer them to this video.  I'll email a link, if I have to.

Dr O'Sullivan made another appearance a couple of days ago.  Children scavenging through cast offs and scraps for food; it happens here in New Zealand.  It appears that Dr O'Sullivan has caught the attention of the media, so I would not be surprised to see and hear a lot more from him in the future.  I also note that he will present a significant challenge to the orthodox narrative, run by both the major parties (National more than Labour).  In this sense he is quite a threat.  Look out for Dr O'Sullivan.

The suggestion that a rise in prescription costs, from $3 to $5, is OK because it's difficult to find a cup of coffee for $5 according to the CEO of the Pharmacy Guild, Karen Guild.  Which tells us more about her place in the world and her beliefs about people who require prescriptions filled than it tells us about the affordability of prescription medicine.
I have a coffee plunger that produces a good brew for around 50c a cup.  Having a porcelain cup that can be reused, making it myself and putting the grounds on the garden help keep the costs down.

Pearl Jam - Vs, 1993